Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION II. BACKGROUND A. 1993 Park Police Investigation B. 1994 Fiske Investigation C. Congressional Inquiries D. Appointment of the Independent Counsel III. OVERVIEW A. Scrutiny B. OIC Personnel C. Methodology D. Report IV. FACTUAL SUMMARY A. Mr. Foster's Background and Activities on July 20, 1993 B. Fort Marcy V. FORENSIC ANALYSES A. Autopsy B. Laboratory Analyses 1. Gun a. Operation b. Serial Numbers c. Ammunition d. DNA e. Blood f. Fingerprints g. Marks on Body From Gunshot and Gun (1) Gunshot Residue on Hands (2) Indentation on Thumb h. Summary: Gun 2. Clothing a. Gunshot Residue b. Bloodstain Patterns as Depicted in Photographs From Scene c. Blood Drainage After Movement From Fort Marcy Park and Bloodstains on Clothing at Autopsy d. Mineral/Vegetative Material e. Lack of Rips, Tears, or Scraping on Clothing f. Bone Chip g. Pants Pocket and Oven Mitt h. Hairs and Fibers 3. Eyeglasses a. Blood b. Gunpowder c. Summary: Eyeglasses 4. Surrounding Area a. Gunshot Residue in Soil b. Possible Bloodstains on Vegetation at Scene 5. Contents of Bodily Fluids C. Review by Pathologists VI. ISSUES RELATING TO EVIDENCE AT SCENE A. Blood Transfer Stain B. Quantity of Blood C. Unidentified Persons and Cars D. Car Locks E. Neighborhood F. Pager VII. ISSUES RELATING TO CONDUCT OF INITIAL INVESTIGATION A. Photographs B. Keys C. X-Rays VIII. OTHER ISSUES A. Gun Observations and Ownership 1. Observations of Gun at Scene 2. Ownership of Gun B. Briefcase 1. Mr. Foster's Departure From the White House 2. Mr. Foster's Car at Fort Marcy 3. Park Police Communications With Secret Service 4. Mr. Foster's Office at the White House 5. Mr. Foster's Briefcase 6. Summary: Briefcase C. Notification D. Search for Bullet IX. STATE OF MIND A. Dr. Berman's Analysis B. Evidence X. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS I. INTRODUCTION In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 594(h), the Office of Independent Counsel In re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association (the OIC) files this summary report on the 1993 death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent W. Foster, Jr. On July 20, 1993, police and rescue personnel were called to Fort Marcy Park in suburban Northern Virginia They found Mr. Foster lying dead with a gun in his right hand and gunshot residue-like material on that hand. There were no signs of a struggle. There was a gunshot wound through the back of his head and blood under his head and back. The autopsy determined that Mr. Foster's death was caused by a gunshot through the back of his mouth exiting the back of his head. The autopsy revealed no other wounds on Mr. Foster's body. The police later learned that Mr. Foster had called a family doctor for antidepressant medication the day before his death. He had told his sister four days before his death that he was depressed, and she had given him the names of three psychiatrists. He had written in the days or weeks before his death that he "was not meant for the job or the spotlight of public life in Washington. Here, ruining people is considered sport." Two law enforcement investigations -- the initial United States Park Police investigation and a subsequent investigation conducted under the direction of regulatory Independent Counsel Robert B. Fiske, Jr. -- concluded that Mr. Foster committed suicide by gunshot in Fort Marcy Park. Two inquiries in the Congress of the United States reached the same conclusion. After analysis of the evidence gathered during those investigations, and further investigation including adducing evidence before the federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., the OIC likewise has concluded that Mr. Foster committed suicide by gunshot in Fort Marcy Park. The OIC's conclusion is based on analyses and conclusions of a number of experienced experts and criminal investigators retained by the OIC. They include Dr. Brian D. Blackbourne, a forensic pathologist who is the Medical Examiner for San Diego County, California; Dr. Henry C. Lee, an expert in physical evidence and crime scene reconstruction who is Director of the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory; Dr. Alan L. Berman, an expert suicidologist who currently is Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology; and several experienced investigators with extensive service in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies. These experts and investigators reviewed the evidence gathered during the prior investigations and conducted further investigation as necessary. Dr. Blackbourne concluded that "Vincent Foster committed suicide on July 20, 1993 in Ft. Marcy Park by placing a .38 caliber revolver in his mouth and pulling the trigger. His death was at his own hand." Dr. Lee reported that "after careful review of the crime scene photographs, reports, and reexamination of the physical evidence, the data indicate that the death of Mr. Vincent W. Foster, Jr. is consistent with a suicide. The location where Mr. Foster's body was found is consistent with the primary scene," that is, the location where he committed suicide. Dr. Berman stated that "in my opinion and to a 100% degree of medical certainty, the death of Vincent Foster was a suicide. No plausible evidence has been presented to support any other conclusion." OIC investigators concurred, based on investigation and analysis of the evidentiary record, that Mr. Foster committed suicide by gunshot in Fort Marcy Park. II. BACKGROUND A. 1993 Park Police Investigation Because Mr. Foster's body was found in Fort Marcy, a park maintained by the National Park Service, the United States Park Police conducted the investigation of his death. On the night of the death (July 20, 1993), Mr. Foster's body was transported to Fairfax County Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. The next day, Dr. James C. Beyer, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Northern Virginia District of the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, conducted an autopsy in the presence of an assistant and four Park Police officers. The FBI assisted the Park Police in certain aspects of the ensuing death investigation, as did other federal and Virginia agencies. Moreover, the FBI, at the direction of the Department of Justice, opened a separate investigation of possible obstruction of justice after a note was reportedly found on Monday, July 26, 1993, in Mr. Foster's briefcase at the White House. On August 10, 1993, the Department of Justice, FBI, and Park Police jointly announced the results of the death and note investigations. The Park Police concluded that Mr. Foster committed suicide by gunshot in Fort Marcy Park. Robert Langston, Chief of the Park Police, explained: The condition of the scene, the medical examiner's findings and the information gathered clearly indicate that Mr. Foster committed suicide. Without an eyewitness, the conclusion of suicide is deducted after a review of the injury, the presence of the weapon, the existence of some indicators of a reason, and the elimination of murder. Our investigation has found no evidence of foul play. The information gathered from associates, relatives and friends provide us with enough evidence to conclude that Mr. Foster's ... that Mr. Foster was anxious about his work and he was distressed to the degree that he took his own life. Based on the evidence the FBI gathered in its investigation, the Department of Justice did not seek criminal charges for obstruction of justice relating to the handling of the note. B. 1994 Fiske Investigation In 1992 and 1993, the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) examined the operations of Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan, a defunct savings and loan in Little Rock, Arkansas, that had been operated by James and Susan McDougal. The McDougals also had been partners with William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton in an Arkansas real estate venture known as the Whitewater Development Company. In October 1993, the RTC sent nine criminal referrals to the United States Attorney's Office in Little Rock concerning the activities of Madison Guaranty. Also in 1993, the FBI investigated the activities of Capital Management Services, Inc., a small business investment company in Little Rock that had been operated by David L. Hale. Mr. Hale was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Arkansas on September 23, 1993. Both the Hale prosecution and the Madison investigation were transferred in November 1993 from the United States Attorney's Office in Little Rock to the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice in Washington. On December 20, 1993, the White House confirmed that Whitewater-related documents had been in Mr. Foster's White House office at the time of his death. On January 12, 1994, President Clinton asked Attorney General Reno to appoint an independent counsel, and on January 20, 1994, the Attorney General appointed Robert B. Fiske, Jr., to take over the investigation. Mr. Fiske's jurisdictional mandate vested him with authority to investigate whether any individuals or entities committed federal crimes "relating in any way to President William Jefferson Clinton's or Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton's relationships with (1) Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association, (2) Whitewater Development Corporation, or (3) Capital Management Services." After his appointment, Mr. Fiske took over both the Hale prosecution and the continuing Madison investigation. Mr. Fiske also opened a new investigation of Mr. Foster's death, utilizing FBI resources and a panel of distinguished and experienced pathologists. On June 30, 1994, Mr. Fiske issued a report concluding that "the overwhelming weight of the evidence compels the conclusion . . . that Vincent Foster committed suicide in Fort Marcy Park on July 20, 1993." C. Congressional Inquiries On February 24, 1994, Congressman William F. Clinger, Jr., then the Ranking Republican on the Committee on Government Operations of the United States House of Representatives, initiated a probe into the death of Mr. Foster. Mr. Clinger's staff interviewed emergency rescue personnel, law enforcement officials, and other persons involved in the Park Police investigation of Mr. Foster's death. Mr. Clinger's staff obtained access to the Park Police reports and to photographs taken at the scene and at the autopsy. Mr. Clinger issued a report on August 12, 1994, concluding that "all available facts lead to the undeniable conclusion that Vincent W. Foster, Jr. took his own life in Fort Marcy Park, Virginia on July 20, 1993." The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs conducted an inquiry into the Park Police investigation of Mr. Foster's death. The Committee concluded its inquiry with a report issued on January 3, 1995, stating that "the evidence overwhelmingly supports the conclusion of the Park Police that on July 20, 1993, Mr. Foster died in Fort Marcy Park from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the upper palate of his mouth." The additional views of Senators D'Amato, Faircloth, Bond, Hatch, Shelby, Mack, and Domenici stated that "we agree with the majority's conclusion that on July 20, 1993 Vincent Foster took his own life in Fort Marcy Park." D. Appointment of the Independent Counsel On August 5, 1994, after enactment of the Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1994, the Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appointed Kenneth W. Starr as Independent Counsel In re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association. The OIC was given jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute matters "relating in any way to James B. McDougal's, President William Jefferson Clinton's, or Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton's relationships with Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association, Whitewater Development Corporation, or Capital Management Services, Inc." Due to continuing questions about Mr. Foster's death, the relationship between Mr. Foster's death and the handling of documents (including Whitewater-related documents) from Mr. Foster's office after his death, and Mr. Foster's possible role or involvement in other events under investigation by the OIC, the OIC reviewed and analyzed the evidence gathered during prior investigations of Mr. Foster's death and conducted further investigation. III. OVERVIEW A. Scrutiny The gunshot death of a high-ranking White House lawyer who had been a law partner of the First Lady of the United States and friend to both the President and the First Lady was bound to be heavily scrutinized -- and it has been. Many persons have publicly identified specific issues regarding Mr. Foster's death that, in their view, might raise broader questions about the ultimate conclusion that Mr. Foster committed suicide in Fort Marcy Park. Those questions have arisen and to some extent persisted for many of the same reasons that numerous suicides are questioned. In this case, as in many suicides, no identified eyewitness saw Mr. Foster commit suicide, and Mr. Foster apparently did not leave a suicide note (that is, a note that specifically refers to or contemplates suicide). The primary issues that have been raised regarding the cause and manner of Mr. Foster's death can be grouped into several broadly defined categories: (1) forensic issues; (2) apparent differences in statements of private witnesses, Park Police personnel, and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) personnel regarding their activities and observations at Fort Marcy Park on July 20; (3) physical evidence (such as the fatal bullet) that could not be recovered; and (4) the conduct of the Park Police investigation and the autopsy. B. OIC Personnel To ensure that these issues were fully considered, carefully examined, and properly assessed in analyzing the cause and manner of Mr. Foster's death, the OIC retained a number of experienced experts and criminal investigators. The experts included Dr. Brian D. Blackbourne, Dr. Henry C. Lee, and Dr. Alan L. Berman. Dr. Blackbourne has been County Medical Examiner for San Diego County, California, since 1990. He was Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1983 to 1990; Deputy Chief Medical Examiner in Washington, D.C., from 1972 to 1982; and Assistant Medical Examiner in Metropolitan Dade County, Florida, from 1967 to 1972. He has taught and written widely, and has testified in court on numerous occasions. He has performed over 5,500 autopsies, over 700 of which have involved gunshot wounds. The autopsies have included over 800 homicides and over 700 suicides. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a member of the National Association of Medical Examiners. Dr. Lee has served as Director of the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory since 1980. He has numerous professional affiliations and has served as a consultant to a variety of organizations. He has received over 400 awards and commendations, including a 1986 Distinguished Service Award and a 1994 Distinguished Fellow Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He has been qualified in many state and federal courts as an expert witness or an expert involved in forensic science, forensic serology, bloodspatter analysis, crime scene investigation, crime scene profiling, crime scene reconstruction, fingerprints, imprints, and general physical evidence. He has written or edited many books and articles, including Physical Evidence (1995), Crime Scene Investigation (1994), Physical Evidence and Forensic Science (1985), and Physical Evidence and Crime Scene Investigation (1983). Since 1995, Dr. Berman has been Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology. He was President of that Association in 1984-85. From 1991 to 1995, he was Director of the National Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide. Since 1971, he has engaged in the private practice of psychotherapy and psychological consultation. In 1982, he received the Edwin S. Shneidman Award for outstanding contribution in research by the American Association of Suicidology. He has taught and written extensively on the subject of suicide, and has testified before committees of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He is a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the American University in Washington, D.C., and was a tenured professor in the Department of Psychology from 1979 to 1991. He was co-editor of Assessment and Prediction of Suicide (1992). He has been a Consulting Editor of the journal Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior since 1981. OIC investigators who worked with these outside, independent experts included an FBI agent detailed from the FBI-MPD Cold Case Homicide Squad in Washington, D.C. Agents with the Cold Case Squad work with MPD homicide detectives in reviewing and attempting to solve homicides that have remained unsolved for more than one year. Another OIC investigator has extensive homicide experience as a detective with the MPD in Washington, D.C., for over 20 years. Two other OIC investigators assigned to the Foster death matter have experience as FBI agents investigating homicides of federal officials and others. C. Methodology The OIC devoted substantial effort to gathering, examining, and analyzing evidence to render as conclusive a determination as possible of the cause and manner of Mr. Foster's death. In this kind of investigation -- a reconstruction based in part on evidence gathered and tested during prior investigations -- the important information in assessing the cause and manner of death includes testimonial, documentary, and photographic evidence relating to the scene and the autopsy; physical and forensic evidence gathered at the scene and the autopsy; a variety of tests and analyses of the evidence; and testimonial and documentary evidence revealing the decedent's activities and state of mind in the days and weeks before his death. In particular, the OIC obtained information gathered during the prior investigations of Mr. Foster's death, including physical evidence; photographs taken at the scene and the autopsy; and incident reports, interview reports, and other documents produced or gathered by the Park Police, the FCFRD, the FBI, and Mr. Fiske's Office. The OIC questioned the known and identified civilian witnesses who were in Fort Marcy Park in the late afternoon of July 20, the Park Police and FCFRD personnel who responded to Fort Marcy Park, and the medical personnel who were involved in the Foster matter. Many of these persons were questioned before the federal grand jury. As to forensic information, the OIC attempted to obtain certain physical and forensic evidence in addition to that which had been gathered in prior investigations. Experts retained by the OIC reviewed and examined the evidence. Dr. Lee reviewed and studied scene and autopsy photographs and documentation; studied, re-examined, and tested physical evidence; reviewed FBI Laboratory tests and the autopsy results; met with FBI Laboratory personnel and Dr. Beyer, the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy; and toured and examined the Fort Marcy Park scene. Dr. Lee submitted a report summarizing his work on the physical and forensic evidence and setting forth his analysis. Dr. Blackbourne reviewed the relevant reports and the scene and autopsy photographs; reviewed microscopic slides; examined the Fort Marcy Park area; and interviewed Dr. Beyer, Dr. Haut (the medical examiner who responded to the Fort Marcy scene on July 20), and FBI and Virginia laboratory personnel. Dr. Blackbourne prepared a report summarizing his work on the forensic issues and setting forth his analysis. As to information regarding Mr. Foster's activities and state of mind before his death, the OIC both re-interviewed certain persons who had been interviewed during prior investigations and interviewed persons not previously interviewed. These individuals included a variety of family members, friends, and associates who could potentially shed light on Mr. Foster's activities and state of mind. The OIC reviewed documents gathered in prior investigations, and sought and reviewed new documents. The OIC provided Dr. Berman with relevant state-of-mind information (the bulk of which consisted of interview reports and transcripts), which he studied and analyzed. Dr. Berman submitted a report to the OIC summarizing his work and providing his analysis. The OIC legal staff in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock, Arkansas, participated in assessing the evidence, considering the analyses and conclusions of the OIC experts and investigators, and preparing this report. D. Report This report will describe the factual background; the forensic evidence and analyses, including the autopsy findings; the analysis of Dr. Lee; and the analyses and reports prepared by Dr. Blackbourne and the pathologists retained by Mr. Fiske's Office. Above all, the Foster death case is a forensic matter, and the forensic evidence and analyses provide the foundation for the ultimate conclusion. The report then will discuss investigative work conducted with respect to other, specific issues. Finally, the report will summarize Dr. Berman's conclusions regarding Mr. Foster's state of mind. The OIC has filed this summary report with the Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals. Because of the secrecy restrictions of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), the OIC has not submitted the report to the Congress or released it directly to the public. The Special Division retains discretion to authorize public release of this report, and the OIC has prepared the report with the assumption that the Special Division, consistent with past practice, would see fit to authorize public release. While some descriptions of forensic evidence are necessarily graphic, the OIC has sought to comply with the 1994 Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act regarding the contents of reports. Some of the best evidence of the condition of Mr. Foster's body at the time of his death is contained in photographs taken by Park Police officers at Fort Marcy Park and in photographs taken at the autopsy. However, based on traditional privacy considerations, this report does not include death scene or autopsy photographs. The potential for misuse and exploitation of such photographs is both substantial and obvious. IV. FACTUAL SUMMARY A. Mr. Foster's Background and Activities on July 20, 1993 Vincent W. Foster, Jr., was born on January 15, 1945, in Hope, Arkansas, to Alice Mae and Vincent W. Foster. He had two sisters, Sheila and Sharon. He was graduated from Hope High School in 1963 and from Davidson College in 1967. He married Elizabeth (Lisa) Braden in 1968, and they had three children, two boys and a girl. Mr. Foster was graduated first in his class from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1971, where he was Managing Editor of the Law Review. He joined the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock in 1971 as an associate, and he became a Member of the Firm in 1974. Mr. Foster left the Rose Law Firm and moved to Washington in January 1993 to serve as Deputy White House Counsel. He initially lived in Washington with his sister Sheila Anthony and her husband Beryl Anthony. Mrs. Lisa Foster moved to Washington in early June 1993, and the family lived in a house in the Georgetown section of Washington. On the morning of Tuesday, July 20, 1993, six months into the Clinton Administration, Mr. Foster drove his gray Honda Accord to the White House from the house in Georgetown where he and his family were living. After dropping off his older son and his daughter on the way to work, Mr. Foster arrived at the suite on the second floor of the White House's West Wing where White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum and Mr. Foster had offices. Three assistants (Mr. Nussbaum's assistants Betsy Pond and Linda Tripp and Mr. Foster's assistant Deborah Gorham) and an intern (Thomas Castleton) had desks in the outer office of the suite. According to the testimony of a number of witnesses, Mr. Foster attended the morning Rose Garden ceremony announcing the nomination of Louis J. Freeh to be Director of the FBI. According to Ms. Tripp and Ms. Pond, at about 12:00 or 12:30 p.m., Mr. Foster asked them for lunch from the White House mess. After eating lunch in his office, Mr. Foster left the Counsel's suite. He was seen leaving by Ms. Tripp, Ms. Pond, and Mr. Castleton. The OIC, like the other investigative bodies before us, has not learned of or located anyone who definitively saw Mr. Foster from the time he left the White House until near 6:00 p.m., at which time a private citizen found Mr. Foster dead in Fort Marcy Park. B. Fort Marcy Fort Marcy was constructed as a Civil War earthwork fortification. It is located between the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GW Parkway) and Chain Bridge Road in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., approximately 6.5 miles by car from downtown Washington. The GW Parkway, on which there is virtually constant automobile traffic, runs along the Virginia side of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon to the Capital Beltway. Several bridges connect the Parkway (or roads leading to the Parkway) to Washington. A parking lot for the park is adjacent to the outbound side of the GW Parkway. Inside the park, as of July 1993, were two cannons -- one closer to the GW Parkway and a second (the one near which Mr. Foster was found) closer to Chain Bridge Road. That second cannon is approximately 200 yards from the parking area. Thirty-one witnesses, 19 of whom observed Mr. Foster's body, have provided relevant testimony about their activities and observations in and around the Fort Marcy Park area on July 20, 1993. They include: 6 private citizens (one of whom discovered and observed Mr. Foster's body); 13 Park Police personnel (9 of whom observed Mr. Foster's body); 11 Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) personnel (8 of whom observed the body); and Dr. Haut, the doctor representing the Medical Examiner's Office who responded to the scene and examined the body. Between about 2:45 and 3:05 p.m., a citizen (C1) driving outbound on GW Parkway saw "a dark metallic grey, Japanese sedan" occupied by a single, white male abruptly enter Fort Marcy Park. C1 said in his initial 1993 statement to the Park Police that the license plate was from Ohio or Arkansas. Months later, on April 18, 1994, during Mr. Fiske's investigation, C1 was shown photographs of Mr. Foster's car. C1 stated that the car in the photographs looked "similar" to the car he recalled, but that the license plate on it differed from that which he recalled. Another citizen (C2) drove his rental car into the Fort Marcy parking lot at approximately 4:30 p.m. While there, C2 saw one unoccupied car, which he described as a "rust brown colored car with Arkansas license plates." C2 also saw another nearby car; that car was occupied by a man who exited his car as C2 exited his own car. C2 described this man as having "a look like he had a ... an agenda," although "everything I based my observation of this guy, was from my gut, more than anything else." C2 and the man did not speak to one another. C2 went into the park to urinate, and the other man had reentered his car by the time C2 returned to the parking lot. C2 then left the park in his car. A man (C3) and woman (C4) pulled into the Fort Marcy parking area in C4's white Nissan at about 5:00 p.m. and were still at Fort Marcy when police and rescue personnel arrived shortly after 6:00 p.m. While C3 and C4 were at Fort Marcy, another citizen (C5) drove his white van into the parking lot to urinate. C5 said that he exited his van, and while walking through the park, found Mr. Foster's body near the second cannon, the cannon closer to Chain Bridge Road. C5 then left Fort Marcy and drove approximately 2.75 miles further outbound on the GW Parkway to a parking area near GW Parkway Headquarters; there, C5 reported the dead body to two off-duty Park Service employees who called 911. Numerous Park Police and FCFRD personnel then responded to Fort Marcy Park. In the initial response, two groups of FCFRD personnel, as well as Park Police Officer Kevin Fornshill, arrived at Fort Marcy Park at approximately the same time -- about 6:10 p.m. They then split into teams to search the park. Officer Fornshill and FCFRD personnel George Gonzalez and Todd Hall composed one group; FCFRD personnel Richard Arthur, James Iacone, Jennifer Wacha, and Ralph Pisani formed the other. The Fornshill-Hall Gonzalez group first reached the body of Mr. Foster, and the other group joined them soon thereafter. Twelve additional Park Police personnel subsequently arrived at Fort Marcy Park. Officer Franz Ferstl was the responding beat officer and, as such, was responsible for preparing the incident report. He responded to the scene at the same time as Officer Julie Spetz. Sergeant Robert Edwards, the District supervisor, also arrived on the scene. Ferstl, Spetz, and Edwards arrived before approximately 6:15 p.m., according to the report of Officer Christine Hodakievic, who arrived at approximately 6:15 p.m. and recorded the names of those officers already on the scene (Fornshill, Ferstl, Spetz, and Edwards). Lieutenant Patrick Gavin arrived in a supervisory role at roughly 6:30 p.m., according to his recollection. According to their reports, Investigators Cheryl Braun and John Rolla, the lead Park Police investigators, arrived along with Investigator Renee Abt at about 6:35 p.m. They received investigative assistance from Officer Hodakievic, who was an investigator in training at that time. Peter Simonello, the Park Police identification technician responsible for gathering physical evidence, arrived shortly thereafter. At the scene, Park Police investigators and the Park Police identification technician conducted interviews, examined the body and Mr. Foster's car, made notes, took photographs, and collected evidence. Later, five of the Park Police personnel prepared typed reports: the responding beat officer (Ferstl), the two lead investigators (Rolla and Braun), Officer Hodakievic, and the identification technician (Simonello). Several evidence receipts were prepared to record physical evidence obtained at the scene. When the Park Police and rescue personnel found Mr. Foster's body, he was lying on his back on a berm in front of the second cannon, the cannon nearer Chain Bridge Road. He was dead and had a gun in his right hand (with his thumb trapped in the trigger guard). Gunshot residue-like material was observed on his right hand. When the Park Police lifted and turned over the body later that evening, they noted a wound out the back of his head, and blood on the ground underneath his head and back. They observed no signs of a struggle. Park Police also found a gray, 4-door Honda Accord with Arkansas plates in the parking lot; that car, the police discovered later that evening, was registered to Mr. Foster. The two lead Park Police investigators (Braun and Rolla) photographed and examined the car and, during that examination, found Mr. Foster's White House identification. The car was towed to a Park Police impoundment lot that night. The next day, the car was further photographed and examined at the impoundment lot. Dr. Haut, the medical examiner's representative, arrived at Fort Marcy Park at approximately 7:40 p.m. on July 20 and confirmed the death. The body was then transported by FCFRD ambulance personnel to a morgue at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. The witnesses' recollections of precise details at Fort Marcy Park vary in some respects (the differences will be explored below). Nonetheless, the evidence from the scene -- including the gun, the apparent residue, the nature of the wound, the blood, the lack of any signs of a struggle -- points to the conclusion that death resulted from suicide by gunshot. A final determination of the manner of death depends on a variety of further investigative steps -- most importantly, those associated with forensic science. V. FORENSIC ANALYSES The forensic analyses, in conjunction with the evidence from the scene, confirm that Mr. Foster committed suicide in Fort Marcy Park. A. Autopsy The autopsy occurred on July 21, 1993, in the presence of six persons. Dr. James Beyer, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner of the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, conducted the autopsy, aided by an assistant. Park Police Sergeant Robert Rule and Officer James Morrissette observed the autopsy. Park Police Identification Technicians Hill and Johnson took photographs at the autopsy and collected evidence such as clothing, blood samples, and hair samples. Dr. Beyer prepared an autopsy report. He has supplemented the report with testimony on several occasions. Dr. Beyer has performed over 20,000 autopsies. His responsibility is to determine cause of death and, in the case of a gunshot wound, to determine with the police the manner of death -- suicide, homicide, accident, or undetermined. Dr. Beyer said Dr. Haut contacted him early on July 21, 1993, to advise him of Mr. Foster's death. Dr. Beyer recalled that Dr. Haut indicated that there was a perforating gunshot wound (that is, a gunshot wound with an entrance and exit) and that the Park Police was the investigating agency. Dr. Beyer recalled that when he opened the body bag, there was blood on the right side of the face and on the right shoulder area of the shirt. Dr. Beyer found a large amount of blood in the body bag. The autopsy report states that Mr. Foster's height was 6 feet and 4 1/2 inches and his weight was 197 pounds. The report indicates no problems or abnormalities with the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, liver, gall bladder, spleen, pancreas, adrenal and thyroid glands, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, kidneys, urinary bladder, or genitalia. The report states that the "stomach contains a considerable amount of digested food material whose components cannot be identified." As to the head, the report indicates: Perforating gunshot wound mouth-head; entrance wound is in the posterior oropharynx at a point approximately 7 1/2" from the top of the head; there is also a defect in the tissues of the soft palate and some of these fragments contain probable powder debris. The wound track in the head continues backward and upward with an entrance wound just left of the foremen magnum with tissue damage to the brain stem and left cerebral hemisphere with an irregular exit scalp and skull defect near the midline in the occipital region. No metallic fragments recovered. The report contains a diagram of the head and brain area that depicts the entrance wound and the fracture line. A separate diagram depicts the fracture lines, exit, and skull damage. A third page of diagrams of the head area states "perforating gunshot wound" and describes the entrance wound as follows: "Entrance -- mouth -- posterior oropharynx -- large defect -- soft palate defect / powder debris identified." It describes the exit wound as a wound of 1 1/4" x 1". The report indicates "backward" and "upward" as the direction of the bullet through the head. With respect to the wound, Dr. Beyer stated: "The entrance wound was in the back of the mouth, what we call the posterior oropharynx, where a large defect was present. There was also a soft palate tissue defect, and powder debris could be identified in the area of the soft palate and the back of the mouth. The exit wound is depicted [in the autopsy report] as being present three inches from the top of the head, approximately in the midline, and there is an irregular wound measuring one and one quarter inch by one inch. " There was "good alignment" between the entrance and exit wounds, and there was "no reason to think that this was not an entrance and exit defect configuration." As the report indicates, Dr. Beyer did not recover any bullets or bullet fragments from the body. The report states that "sections of soft palate" were "positive for powder debris," and Dr. Beyer said that the gunpowder debris in the mouth was "grossly present,'" meaning that it could be seen with the naked eye, and was present in a "large amount." Thus, Dr. Beyer stated that "the obvious finding was that the muzzle of the weapon had to be in his mouth, close to the back of his throat, back of his mouth." Dr. Beyer said that he performed "an external examination of the body, with photography of the body. We then examine the body for any identifying marks, such as scars, tatoos or wounds." Dr. Beyer stated that he recalls observing powder debris on the right hand. He recalled gunpowder debris on the left hand to a much lesser degree. (The diagrams in the autopsy report indicate "black material" on both the right hand and the left hand.) Dr. Beyer also recalled a "tannish brown indentation" across the back of the right thumb (the thumb which had been in the trigger guard). Dr. Beyer said that observation of Mr. Foster's body revealed no wounds on the neck, hands, buttocks, shoulder, back, or any portion of the body other than the head; he said, moreover, that any such wounds would have been registered on the anatomic diagram. Dr. Beyer stated that "there was no evidence of any trauma to the individual other than the gunshot wound." Dr. Beyer concluded that this was a self-inflicted wound based upon the fact that there was no evidence of any trauma other than the gunshot wound, and "no evidence of any central nervous system depression or diseased state that would have permitted, in my estimation, somebody to walk up and put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger." Dr. Beyer's conclusions were reviewed by two sets of experts, one set retained by the OIC and the other by Mr. Fiske's Office. Their analyses of Dr. Beyer's findings and of the relevant laboratory analyses are outlined below. They confirm the conclusions reached at the autopsy. B. Laboratory Analyses A number of photographs were taken at Fort Marcy Park and at the autopsy. In addition, at both the scene and the autopsy, the Park Police obtained physical evidence. Evidence receipts show that, at the Fort Marcy scene, the Park Police obtained physical evidence and clothing, including the following: * Colt Army Special .38 caliber revolver, 4", 6-shot (obtained from "right hand victim") * round .38 caliber RP 38 SPL HV (from "revolver") * casing .38 caliber RP 38 SPL HV (from "revolver") * eyeglasses (from berm) * Seiko quartz wrist watch (from "Deceased left wrist") * pager (from "Deceased right side waist area") * silver colored ring (from "Deceased right ring finger") * gold colored band type ring (from "Deceased left ring finger'') * black suit jacket (from "front passenger seat of gray Honda") * blue silk tie with swans (on "top of coat on front passenger seat") * White House Identification (from "under coat on front passenger seat") * brown leather wallet (from "inside suit jacket pocket of suit jacket from front passenger seat") At the autopsy, the Park Police obtained physical evidence and clothing, including the following: * one vial of blood * lock seal envelope containing pulled head hairs * white colored long sleeve button down shirt with blood stain * white colored short sleeve t-shirt with blood stain * pair white colored boxer shorts * pair blue gray colored pants with black colored belt * pair black colored socks * pair black colored dress shoes, size 11M The Park Police and Medical Examiner's Office caused several laboratory tests of the evidence to be performed during the initial 1993 investigation. In addition, Mr. Fiske's Office and the OIC submitted physical evidence collected during the investigation of Mr. Foster's death to the FBI Laboratory, which has produced reports analyzing physical evidence. The OIC also submitted physical evidence to Dr. Lee, and he, too, produced a report based on his laboratory analyses. The following summarizes the relevant laboratory analyses. 1. Gun a. Operation The .38 caliber revolver recovered from Mr. Foster's hand at Fort Marcy Park had a four-inch barrel and a capacity of six shots. It had one live round and one spent casing. Had the trigger been pulled again, the next shot would have fired the remaining round. In August 1993, at the request of the Park Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Laboratory examined the revolver and found that it functioned. The ATF Laboratory determined that the cartridge case found in the cylinder under the hammer was fired in that gun. The FBI Laboratory also test-fired the gun and determined that it "functioned normally" and that the trigger pulls were normal. The .38 caliber cartridge case "was identified as having been fired in the . . . revolver. " Like the expended cartridge, the unexpended cartridge was .38 caliber manufactured by Remington. They bore similar headstamps. Dr. Lee also test-fired the revolver and found that it was operable. b. Serial Numbers An ATF report on the gun's two serial numbers revealed a purchase at the Seattle Hardware Company in Seattle, Washington, on September 14, 1913, and at the Gus Habich Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 29, 1913. The gun could not be further traced. Laboratory examination of the gun found no indication of any alteration of the serial number of the weapon. . . . The additional serial number on the crane of the firearm most likely occurred at some time when the eighty year-old weapon was repaired. There is no realistic way to determine when such a repair occurred. The exchange of the two numbers between the frame and the crane is a condition noted on many similar firearms in the Laboratory's Reference Firearms Collection and is not considered significant. c. Ammunition Dr. Lee noted that the ammunition found in this weapon was type "RP .38 SPL HV," manufactured by Remington Peters. Dr. Lee stated that information from the manufacturer indicated that this ammunition was discontinued in 1975, and that the cartridge therefore would have been manufactured prior to that time. d. DNA DNA consistent with Mr. Foster's DNA was detected on the muzzle portion of the barrel of the revolver. In particular, DNA type DQ alpha 2, 4 was detected on the gun and in Mr. Foster's blood. e. Blood The gun was recovered at the scene by Park Police Technician Simonello and subsequently packaged in brown paper for storage in an evidence locker. While the Park Police's subsequent examinations for fingerprints and other evidence could have removed some trace evidence that might have existed on the gun, Dr. Lee examined the gun and reported that "small specks of brownish-colored deposits were noted." Dr. Lee found that "some of these deposits gave positive results with a chemical test for blood" although the "quantity of sample present was insufficient for further analysis." Dr. Lee also reported that "macroscopic and microscopic examination of [the] piece of paper" originally wrapped around the barrel of the revolver for evidence storage "revealed the presence of reddish-colored particles. These stains also gave positive results with a chemical test for blood." Dr. Lee stated that "this fact suggests that the barrel of the weapon was in contact or at close range to a source of liquid blood." Dr. Lee further stated that "blood spatters and tissuelike materials were noted on the fingerprint lift tape from the weapon." Dr. Lee concluded that "the presence of blood and tissue-like materials on the lifts is another strong indication that this weapon was fired while in contact with or close to a blood source." f. Fingerprints Identification Technician E.J. Smith of the Park Police examined the gun for latent fingerprints on July 23, 1993. The results were negative. The FBI Laboratory later examined the gun and similarly detected no latent prints on the exterior surface of the weapon. In his report to the OIC, Dr. Lee explained that "the handle grip area of [the .38 Colt revolver] is textured and is not typical of the type of surface which commonly results in the development of identifiable latent fingerprints." He also noted that the fingerprint powder method was used when the Park Police initially tested the gun; "although the fingerprint powder method is one of the most common techniques used in the latent print field, there are also newer technologies, such as cyanoacrylate fuming, laser, and forensic lighting techniques which could have been used in this case. It is unknown at this time whether these techniques would have provided additional information" had they initially been employed. The FBI Laboratory also noted that a lack of fingerprints is not extraordinary and that "generally, the determining factors in leaving latent prints are having a transferable substance, i.e., sweat, sebaceous oil or other substance on the fingers, and having a surface that is receptive to receiving the substance that forms the latent prints. A clean, smooth, flat surface is most receptive for transfer of any substance from the fingers," and the surface of the grip handle at issue here was textured, not smooth. g. Marks on Body from Gunshot and Gun (1) Gunshot Residue on Hands The photographs of Mr. Foster's right hand taken at Fort Marcy Park and during the autopsy depict black gunshot residuelike material on the right forefinger and the area between the thumb and forefinger. The autopsy report also noted material on the forefinger area of the left hand. During the Park Police investigation, the ATF Laboratory found that gunshot residue patterns reproduced in the laboratory were consistent with those seen in the photographs taken by the Park Police at the scene. The FBI Laboratory similarly stated that gunshot residue on the right forefinger area of the right hand is "consistent with the disposition of smoke from muzzle blast or cylinder blast when the . . . revolver is fired using ammunition like that represented by" the cartridge and casing recovered from the gun "when this area of the right hand is positioned near the front of the cylinder or to the side of and near the muzzle." Dr. Lee conducted test firings using a laboratory standard weapon and the same kind of ammunition that was found in the revolver recovered from Mr. Foster's hand. With the standard weapon, little or no observable gunpowder particles were released from the cylinder area or onto the shooter's hand. However, Dr. Lee reported that each test-fired shot of the revolver found in Mr. Foster's hand at Fort Marcy Park produced a significant amount of unburned and partially burned gunpowder. Relatedly, Dr. Lee reported that the gun had an "extraordinary front cylinder gap" (the space between the cylinder and the barrel) of .01 inch through which gunpowder residue is expelled when the gun is fired. Dr. Lee stated that the gap was one "possible cause of the deposit of a large amount of gunshot residue particles on Mr. Foster's body and clothing." (2) Indentation on Thumb The revolver was recovered from Mr. Foster's right hand at the scene at Fort Marcy Park by Park Police Technician Simonello. Technician Simonello reported that Mr. Foster's thumb was trapped in the trigger guard of the gun. Consistent with Technician Simonello's observation, the autopsy photographs depict an indentation mark on the inside of the right thumb. The mark on the inside of the right thumb which is visible in the [autopsy] photograph is consistent with a mark produced by the trigger of the . . . revolver when this portion of the right thumb is wedged between the front of the trigger and the inside of the front of the trigger guard of the . . . revolver when the trigger rebounds (moves forward). The trigger of the . . . revolver automatically rebounds when released after firing (single or double action) or whenever the trigger is released after it is moved to the rear. This mark is consistent with the position of the right thumb of the victim in the trigger guard of the revolver in [three Polaroid] photographs. Part V Continues h. Summary: Gun Dr. Lee concluded, "based on laboratory observations and the examination of the scene photographs,'' that "the revolver . . . is consistent with the weapon which resulted in the death of Mr. Vincent Foster. The barrel of this weapon was likely in Mr. Foster's mouth at the time the weapon was discharged. Gunshot residue noted on Mr. Foster's right hand and the lesser amount of deposits on his left hand indicated that Mr. Foster held the weapon when it was fired." 2. Clothing At the autopsy, clothing was removed from Mr. Foster's body and placed on a table in the autopsy room. Park Police Officer Johnson took this clothing and placed it in a single bag for return to the Park Police offices. There, brown wrapping paper was laid on the floor of a photography room and the clothes placed on that paper. The clothes were left to dry in the photography room until Monday, July 26, when Technician Simonello packaged the clothing and put it into an evidence locker. The FBI Laboratory and Dr. Lee independently examined the clothing, examined debris collected from the clothing by the FBI Laboratory during the 1994 investigation conducted by Mr. Fiske's Office, studied photographs taken at the scene and autopsy, and reported a number of findings related to the clothing. a. Gunshot Residue Dr. Lee, in his examinations, reported "small deposits of gunpowder residue and partially burned gunpowder particles" on the shirt. Earlier FBI Laboratory examination of the shirt resulted in a positive reaction for vaporized lead and very fine particulate lead on the front of the shirt. "This type of reaction is consistent with the type of reaction expected when a firearm is discharged in close proximity to this portion of the shirt. It is consistent with muzzle blast or cylinder blast from a revolver like the [submitted] revolver using ammunition like" the cartridge and cartridge case submitted with the gun. The FBI Laboratory further stated that subsequent chemical processing of the . . . shirt in the Laboratory revealed lead residues in a small area near the sixth button from the collar on the front of the . . . shirt. This reaction could have been caused by contact with a source of lead residues. Lead residues were also detected on the underside of the edge of the collar on the left side of the . . . shirt. This small area of lead residues could have been caused by the discharge of a firearm consistent with the positive reaction noted above when the [submitted] shirt was received in the Laboratory. The FBI Laboratory reported that these gunshot residues "are consistent with the cylinder blast or the muzzle blasts" which would be produced if the revolver was fired "in close proximity to the front of this shirt." Similarly, when the ATF Laboratory, at the request of the Park Police, tested Mr. Foster's shirt, it found ''a positive reaction consistent with the discharge of a revolver in close proximity to the upper front of the shirt." b. Bloodstain Patterns as Depicted in Photographs From Scene The FBI Laboratory examined the bloodstain patterns depicted in the Polaroids taken at the scene. The Laboratory Report stated: Photographs of the victim at the incident scene depict apparent blood stains on his face and the right shoulder of his dress shirt. The staining on the shirt covers the top of the shoulder from the neck to the top of the arm and consists of saturating stains typical of having been caused by a flow of blood onto or soaking into the fabric. The stains on his face take the form of two drain tracks and one larger contact stain. . . . The contact stain on the right cheek and jaw of the victim is typical of having been caused by a blotting action, such as would happen if a blood-soaked object was brought in contact with the side of his face and taken away, leaving the observed pattern behind. The closest blood-bearing object which could have caused this staining is the right shoulder of the victim's shirt. The quantity, configuration and distribution of the blood on the shirt and the right cheek and jaw of the victim are consistent with the jaw being in contact with the shoulder of the shirt at some time. Dr. Lee also examined the photographs taken at Fort Marcy Park. He noted that the photographs of the shirt show several areas of bloodstains, including "saturated-type bloodstains" on the "shoulder and collar region.'' On a separate bloodstain issue, Dr. Lee examined the photographs and reported that "high velocity impact type blood spatters were observed on Mr. Foster's face, hands, and shirt." Dr. Lee stated that "this type of blood spatter typically is produced at the time when a weapon is discharged and the spatters result from the backspatter of the gunshot wound." Dr. Lee reported that "these blood spatters are intact and no signs of alteration or smudging were observed." This finding is in conflict with any theory that the fatal shot was fired elsewhere and the head wrapped during movement or cleaned upon arrival -- because those actions likely would have altered, smudged, or eliminated the blood spatters, contrary to what Dr. Lee found. c. Blood Drainage After Movement From Fort Marcy Park and Bloodstains on Clothing at Autopsy Dr. Lee noted that Dr. Beyer had "observed a large amount of liquid blood in the body bag and in Mr. Foster's body," which "further indicates that the location where the body was found is consistent with the primary scene [and that it] is, therefore, unlikely that Mr. Foster's body was moved to the Fort Marcy Park scene from another location." The shirt itself, which was removed at the autopsy after movement of the body to the morgue, contains bloodstains on areas where blood does not appear in the photographs of the body at the scene. Dr. Lee stated that these stains on the shirt "most likely occurred when the body was placed into the body bag and moved from the scene and/or when in the body bag, prior to the collection of the decedent's clothing." As noted below, the experts concluded that the shirt likely would have been more extensively stained when the body was found at the second cannon area at Fort Marcy Park had the body been moved from another location. d. Mineral/Vegetative Material Dr. Lee reported that examination of a photograph of Mr. Foster's shoes taken by the FBI Laboratory at the time of its initial examination revealed brownish smears on the left heel. Dr. Lee further stated that his own macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the shoes revealed the presence of soil-like debris. (The FBI Laboratory photo of the shoes, taken in 1994 at the time of the Laboratory's examination of the clothing, shows traces of soil visible to the naked eye.) Dr. Lee found that "trace materials were located embedded in the grooves of the sole patterns at the heel of [the left shoe]. A portion of this material subsequently was removed. Microscopic and macroscopic examination showed this material to contain mineral particles, including mica, other soil materials, and vegetative matter." Dr. Lee stated that this fact "indicates the sole of the shoe had direct contact with a soil surface containing these materials." e. Lack of Rips, Tears, or Scraping on Clothing Dr. Lee found a small amount of vegetative material on Mr. Foster's shirt that could have resulted from contact with the ground in the park. Dr. Lee found no ripping, tearing, or scratch or scraping-type marks on the shirt. Dr. Lee stated that this fact "suggests that no prolonged moving contact with a soil surface occurred which would cause the type of damage commonly resulting from dragging or similar action." Dr. Lee reported that soil and grasslike materials were similarly present on the pants in the area of the rear pocket, which indicates that the pants had direct contact with a soil surface. Dr. Lee reported that "no dragging-type soil patterns or damage which could have resulted from dragging-type action were observed on these pants." f. Bone Chip Dr. Lee examined debris collected from Mr. Foster's clothing and reported that the debris was "found to contain a bone chip." Dr. Lee stated that DNA was extracted from this bone fragment and amplified, and the DNA profile generated for this bone sample was consistent with the DNA types of Mr. Foster. Based on his analysis of the evidence, Dr. Lee concluded that "this bone chip originated from Mr. Foster and separated from his skull at the time the projectile exited Mr. Foster's head.'' g. Pants Pocket and Oven Mitt William Kennedy, Associate White House Counsel, eventually took possession of Mr. Foster's car on behalf of the Foster family after the Park Police released it on July 28, 1993. Mr. Kennedy maintained contents of the car that had not been taken into evidence by the Park Police, and he produced those contents to investigators from Mr. Fiske's Office. The contents included a kitchen oven mitt that had been in the glove compartment in Mr. Foster's car (the mitt is depicted in the glove compartment in the Park Police photographs of the car taken at the impoundment lot on July 21). Dr. Lee's examinations of this oven mitt and of Mr. Foster's pants (taken into evidence by the Park Police at the autopsy on July 21) produced circumstantial evidence relevant to the investigation. Dr. Lee reported that "macroscopic and microscopic examination of the inside of the front pants pockets revealed the presence of fibers and other materials, including a portion of a sunflower seed husk in the front left pocket. Instrumental analysis of particles removed from the pocket surface revealed the presence of lead. These materials were also found inside the oven mitt located in the glove compartment of Mr. Foster's vehicle. . . . The presence of these trace materials could indicate that they share a common origin. These materials in the pants pocket clearly resulted from the transfer by an intermediate object, such as the Colt weapon." As noted, Dr. Lee also examined the oven mitt recovered from Mr. Foster's car. He reported: "Dark particle residues were located inside of the oven mitt. Instrumental analysis revealed the presence of the elements lead and antimony in these particles; this finding could indicate that an item which had gunshot residue on it, such as the revolver . . ., came in contact with the interior of [the oven mitt]." Dr. Lee further stated that "sunflower-type seed husks were located on the inner surfaces of this oven mitt. These sunflower seed particles were similar to the sunflower seed husks found in Mr. Foster's front, left pants pocket." Dr. Lee stated that "this finding suggests that the sunflower seed husk found inside the pants pocket could have been transferred from the oven mitt through an intermediate object, such as the revolver." Virtually all theories that the manner of death was not suicide assume that Mr. Foster did not previously possess the gun recovered from his hand at Fort Marcy Park. Apart from a variety of other compelling circumstantial and testimonial evidence (discussed below) that the gun belonged to Mr. Foster, the evidence regarding the pants pocket and oven mitt also tends to link Mr. Foster to the gun. Mr. Foster was found by police and rescue personnel with the gun that fired the fatal shot in his hand, and the oven mitt was found in the glove compartment in his car. There is no evidence, moreover, that anyone other than Mr. Foster did place or would have placed this or any other gun into Mr. Foster's pants pocket and into the oven mitt. Those pieces of evidence, when considered together and with all of the other evidence, tend to link Mr. Foster to the gun and thus tend to refute a theory that the manner of death was not suicide. The evidence regarding the pants pocket and oven mitt does not itself compel a finding as to location of death, but it is consistent with a scenario in which Mr. Foster transported the gun from the Foster home in the oven mitt, and carried the gun in his pants pocket as he walked from his car in Fort Marcy Park to the berm near the second cannon. h. Hairs and Fibers In debris collected from Mr. Foster's clothing, the FBI Laboratory reported finding two blond to light brown head hairs of Caucasian origin that were suitable for comparison purposes and dissimilar to those of Mr. Foster. The hairs did not appear to have been forcibly removed. Hair evidence can become important or relevant in a criminal investigation when there is a known suspect and a significant evidentiary question whether the suspect can be forensically linked to another person (a rape or murder victim, for example) or to a particular location. If the suspect is a stranger to the victim or the scene, the presence of the suspect's hair is relevant in assessing whether he or she had contact with the victim or scene. In this case, however, the only known individuals who reasonably might have been compelled to provide hair samples were persons already known to have had contact with Mr. Foster. The FBI Laboratory reported 35 definitive carpet-type fibers in the debris collected from the clothing. Of those fibers, 23 were white fibers. OIC investigators sought to determine a possible source for the fibers -- for the white fibers in particular, in light of the number of white fibers in comparison to the limited number of fibers of other colors. The logical known sources for possible comparison were carpets from locations with which Mr. Foster was known to heave been in contact -- his car, home, and workplace. OIC investigators obtained carpet samples from those sources, including from a white carpet located in 1993 in the house in Washington where Mr. Foster lived with his family. The FBI Laboratory determined that the white fibers obtained from Mr. Foster's clothing were consistent with the samples obtained from that carpet. In sum, therefore, the carpet fiber evidence -- the determination that the white fibers were consistent with a carpet from the Fosters' house and the variety and insignificant number of other fibers -- does not support speculation that Mr. Foster was wrapped and moved in a carpet on July 20. Indeed, the fiber evidence, when considered together with the entirety of the evidence, is inconsistent with such speculation. 3. Eyeglasses When found, Mr. Foster's body was located on a steep berm with his head higher than his feet and his feet pointed essentially straight down the berm. Mr. Foster's eyeglasses were recovered by Park Police Technician Simonello approximately 13 feet below Mr. Foster's feet. a. Blood Dr. Lee stated that "bloodstains were found on both sides of the lenses" of Mr. Foster's eyeglasses. These bloodstains "were less than or equal to 1 mm in size. In addition, bloodlike and tissue-like materials were identified on the [fingerprint] lifts of the eyeglasses. " b. Gunpowder The FBI Laboratory found one piece of ball smokeless powder on the eyeglasses, and it was "physically and chemically similar" to the gunpowder identified in the cartridge case. c. Summary: Eyeglasses Dr. Lee stated that the above facts "support the interpretation that Mr. Foster was wearing his eyeglasses at the time the gun was discharged." The analyses and conclusions of the experts and investigators in this and prior investigations reveal that the location where the glasses were found is consistent with the conclusion that Mr. Foster was wearing the glasses at the time the shot was fired. 4. Surrounding Area a. Gunshot Residue in Soil As part of his examination, Dr. Lee went to Fort Marcy Park with OIC investigators and obtained soil and other materials from the berm on which Mr. Foster's body was found. Dr. Lee examined the soil samples; he reported that "a few unburned and partially deformed gunpowder-like particles were recovered from the soil in the area where Vincent Foster's body was found.'' It cannot be determined "whether these particles were deposited on the ground at the time of Mr. Foster's death or at any other period of time." b. Possible Bloodstains on Vegetation at Scene Dr. Lee stated that one photograph of the scene "shows a view of the vegetation in the areas where Mr. Foster's body was found. Reddish-brown, blood-like stains can be seen on several leaves of the vegetation in this area." He also noted that "a close-up view of some of these blood-like stains can be seen in [a separate] photograph." 5. Contents of Bodily Fluid During the 1993 investigation, the Laboratory of the Virginia Division of Forensic Science found that the blood, vitreous humor, and urine were negative for alcohols and ketones. The Laboratory did not detect "phencyclidine, morphine, cocaine, [or] benzoylecgonine"; "other alkaline extractable drugs"; or "acidic [or] neutral drugs." The FBI Laboratory later conducted more sensitive testing and determined that the blood sample from Mr. Foster contained trazodone. Trazodone was an antidepressant medication prescribed as Desyrel by Mr. Foster's physician on July 19, 1993, and Mr. Foster took one tablet that night, according to his wife. C. Review by Pathologists Because of the importance of the forensic evidence to the conclusion about cause and manner of death, the OIC retained Dr. Brian Blackbourne as an expert pathologist to assist the investigation. Dr. Blackbourne reviewed the relevant reports, photographs, and microscopic slides; toured Fort Marcy Park; and interviewed Dr. Beyer, Dr. Haut, and FBI and Virginia laboratory personnel. He provided a report to the OIC summarizing his work on the forensic issues and setting forth his analysis. Dr. Blackbourne concluded that Mr. Foster "died of a contact gunshot wound of the mouth, perforating his skull and brain." Dr. Blackbourne based that conclusion "upon the autopsy report, diagrams and photographs and my examination of the microscopic slides of the entrance wound in the soft palate and posterior oropharynx which demonstrated extensive soot." Dr. Blackbourne concluded that Mr. Foster was alive at the time the shot was fired. Dr. Blackbourne based this conclusion upon the autopsy report and photographic evidence that there was bleeding beneath the scalp about the gunshot exit wound and beneath the fractures of the back of the skull. Such bleeding requires the heart to be beating at the time these injuries occurred. The autopsy report and my microscopic observation that blood was aspirated into the lungs requires that the person be breathing in order to suck the blood into the small air sacks of the lung. Dr. Blackbourne concluded that Mr. Foster "fired the gun with the muzzle in his mouth, his right thumb pulling the trigger and supporting the gun with both hands and with both index fingers relatively close to the cylinder gap (the space between the cylinder and the barrel)." Dr. Blackbourne reasoned that ''the dense deposit of soot on the soft palate and oropharynx indicated that the gun was discharged in close proximity to the soft palate." In addition, the DNA from the muzzle of the gun was consistent with that of Mr. Foster. Furthermore, "the right thumb was entrapped within the trigger guard by the forward motion of the trigger after the revolver was fired." Finally, Dr. Blackbourne stated that "when a revolver is fired, smoke issues out of the space between the cylinder and the barrel. This smoke will be deposited on skin, clothing or other objects close to the cylinder gap. The autopsy report documents that smoke deposits were noted on the radial aspect of both right and left index fingers. Dr. Beyer told me that there was more deposit on the right as compared to the left index fingers." Dr. Blackbourne concluded that "at the time of his death Vincent Foster was not under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, [or] cocaine." Dr. Blackbourne based this conclusion upon the toxicology reports of the Virginia Division of Forensic Science Toxicology Laboratory and the FBI Laboratory; a meeting with the personnel of the FBI Laboratory; and a discussion with the toxicologist for the Virginia Division of Forensic Science who performed work on the Foster case in 1993. Dr. Blackbourne concluded that the gunshot wound that caused Mr. Foster's death occurred in Fort Marcy Park at the location where his body was discovered. Dr. Blackbourne based this conclusion upon the fact that he would be immediately unconscious following the gunshot wound through the brain. Movement of the body, after the gunshot, by another person(s) would have produced a trail of dripping blood and displaced some of his clothing. If he had been transported from another location, such movement would have resulted in much greater blood soilage of his clothing (as was seen when he later was placed in a body bag and transported to Fairfax Hospital and later to the Medical Examiner's Office). No trail of dripping blood was observed about the body on the scene. His clothing was neat and not displaced. The blood beneath the head and on the face and shoulder is consistent with coming from the entrance and exit wounds. Dr. Blackbourne concluded that the blood draining from the right nostril and right side of the mouth, as documented by Polaroid scene photographs, suggests that an early observer may have caused movement of the head. Dr. Blackbourne based this conclusion upon the fact that blood will pool in the mouth and nasopharynx while the heart is still beating following a gunshot wound of the back of the mouth. This blood may drain toward the dependent side of the head if the volume of blood exceeds the capacity of the mouth. There will be a thin trickle. The broad area of blood covering the right lower face, chin and right side of his neck and extending over the right shoulder and right collar of his shirt would result from the sudden drainage of all of the blood in his mouth. . . . This event occurred prior to taking the Polaroid scene photographs. Based on all of the above evidence, analyses, and conclusions, Dr. Blackbourne concluded that "Vincent Foster committed suicide on July 20, 1993 in Ft. Marcy Park by placing a .38 caliber revolver in his mouth and pulling the trigger. His death was at his own hand." VI. ISSUES RELATING TO EVIDENCE AT SCENE Evidence from the scene and regarding the activities and observations of persons in and around Fort Marcy Park on July 20, 1993, raised certain issues requiring further investigative work. A. Blood Transfer Stain The Polaroids of the body at the scene depict, and many witnesses who observed the body at the scene describe, the position of the head as facing virtually straight, not tilting noticeably to one side or the other. The Polaroids depict a blood transfer stain in the area of the right side of the face. As explained in previous sections, the expert pathologists and Dr. Lee analyzed this blood evidence and the Polaroid photographs. They concluded, based on the blood transfer stain, that the head made contact with the right shoulder at some point before the Polaroids were taken. The testimony and contemporaneous reports point to the conclusion that rescue personnel at the scene handled the decedent's head to check for vital signs and open an airway. B. Quantity of Blood Many who saw the body at Fort Marcy Park after it was lifted and rolled over at the scene described a quantity of blood behind Mr. Foster's head, under his body, and on the back of his shirt. A reporter and Park Police officers separately visited the scene on July 21 and 22, 1993, and stated that they could identify the spot where the body had been located by the blood soaked into the ground. A reporter placed a stick into the ground where the blood spot was located and estimated the blood depth at one-eighth inch. In addition, as Dr. Lee stated regarding the quantity of blood, the photographs at the autopsy reveal blood staining on the clothes that was not depicted at the scene. Moreover, Dr. Beyer, who performed the autopsy, found a large amount of blood in the body bag. These facts indicate that still more blood drained from the body during movement from the Fort Marcy scene to the autopsy. There has been occasional public suggestion, premised on the supposedly low amount of blood observed at the Fort Marcy scene, that blood must already have drained from the body elsewhere and that the fatal shot therefore must have been fired elsewhere. As revealed by the foregoing descriptions of the evidence, the underlying premise of this theory is erroneous: A quantity of blood was observed at the park under the body and on the back of the head and shirt. Moreover, the suggestion fails to account for the blood that subsequently drained from Mr. Foster's body during movement to the autopsy. The blood-quantity evidence, even when considered in isolation from other evidence, does not support (and indeed contravenes) a suggestion that the fatal shot was fired at a place other than where Mr. Foster was found at Fort Marcy Park. C. Unidentified Persons and Cars The evidence establishes that at least three cars belonging to civilians were in and around the Fort Marcy parking lot area when the first Park Police and FCFRD personnel arrived: (1) Mr. Foster's gray Honda Accord with Arkansas tags; (2) the white Nissan with Maryland tags driven by C4; and (3) the broken- down blue Mercedes driven by C6. The three cars belonging to Mr. Foster, C4, and C6 are the only cars positively identified and known to law enforcement and the OIC that were in the Fort Marcy Park parking lot area in the 6:00- 8:30 p.m. time frame and that belong to persons other than FCFRD personnel, Park Police personnel, towing personnel, and Dr. Haut. During the afternoon, before Park Police and FCFRD personnel were called to the scene at Fort Marcy Park, C2 saw a man in a car next to him; C3 and C4's statements suggest the presence of at least one man in the parking lot and perhaps a jogger; and C6, after her car broke down, saw a man on the entrance ramp to the parking lot who asked her if she needed a ride. Law enforcement and the OIC are not aware of the identities of the persons (other than C5) described by C2, C3, C4, and C6. There is no evidence that any of those unidentified persons (or any identified persons, for that matter) had any connection to Mr. Foster's death; and the totality of the forensic, circumstantial, testimonial, and state-of-mind evidence contrasts with any such speculation. D. Car Locks The Park Police investigators (Braun and Rolla) who entered and searched Mr. Foster's car at Fort Marcy Park said that they were able to enter the car without keys because the car was not locked. James Iacone of the FCFRD stated that he had tried at least one of the doors and that it was locked. That statement contrasts with that of Ralph Pisani of the FCFRD, who said that he, Jennifer Wacha, and Iacone looked into the Honda, but that no one tried the doors. In any event, even were Iacone's recollection more accurate than the others, the statement would be of uncertain significance, inasmuch as it is, of course, possible that one or more of the four doors was locked and one or more unlocked. E. Neighborhood OIC investigators canvassed the area surrounding Fort Marcy Park to determine whether anyone observed, heard, or had knowledge of relevant activity on July 20. That effort did not yield relevant information. F. Pager A Park Police evidence control receipt indicates that at the scene, Investigator Rolla took possession of Mr. Foster's pager from his right waist area. The receipt reveals that the pager, along with other personal property such as Mr. Foster's wallet, rings, and watch, were released to the White House on the evening of July 21 to be returned to the Foster family. Investigator Rolla said that Mr. Foster's pager was off when he recovered it. White House records of pager messages do not indicate messages sent to or from Mr. Foster on July 20. VII. ISSUES RELATING TO CONDUCT OF INITIAL INVESTIGATION Certain issues related to the conduct of the initial 1993 investigation into Mr. Foster's death warrant discussion in this report. A. Photographs Park Police Identification Technician Simonello took 35 millimeter photographs of Mr. Foster's body and of the scene. Park Police investigators also took a number of Polaroids of Mr. Foster's body and of the scene. Polaroids taken at a crime or death scene develop immediately, and thus are useful in the event that problems subsequently occur in developing other film (as occurred here ). Thirteen of the Polaroids provided to Mr. Fiske's Office and the OIC are of the body scene, and five are of the parking lot scene. Of the 13 Polaroids of the body scene, eight are initialed by Investigator Rolla. The backs of the other five say "from C202 Sgt. Edwards 7-20-93 on scene." Officer Ferstl said that he took Polaroids and, without initialing or marking them, gave them to Sergeant Edwards, who gave them to the investigators. Sergeant Edwards does not recall taking Polaroids himself. B. Keys Investigator Rolla said he felt into Mr. Foster's pants pockets at the scene in looking for personal effects. Later, when it became apparent to Investigators Rolla and Braun that they did not have the keys to the car, they went to the hospital to check more thoroughly for keys. The hospital logs indicate that Investigators Rolla and Braun were at the morgue at 9:12 p.m. Investigator Braun thoroughly searched the pants pockets by pulling the pockets inside out, and she found two sets of keys. She prepared an evidence receipt indicating that the keys were taken from the right pants pocket, and she subsequently placed the keys in an evidence locker. C. X-Rays Although no x-rays were produced from the autopsy, the gunshot wound chart in the autopsy report has a mark next to "x-rays made." Dr. Beyer has stated that either he did not take x-rays because the machine was not functioning properly at the time, or that if he attempted to take x-rays, they did not turn out. He stated: I had intended to take x-rays, but our x-ray machine was not functioning properly that day. And if we took any all we got was a totally black, unreadable x-ray, so I have no x-rays in the file. . . . I could very well have tried to use it on the Foster autopsy and got an unreadable x-ray. If his wound had been a penetrating wound, where there was only a wound of entrance, and the missile was retained within the body, then there would have been a requirement that I have an x-ray. Since this was a perforating wound, where there was a wound of entrance and a wound of exit, and I was going to examine the tissue through which the missile path had taken, I concluded we could proceed without the x-ray, rather than delay it six to eight hours. Dr. Beyer's assistant recalled that, at the time of the Foster autopsy, the laboratory had recently obtained a new x-ray machine and that it was not functioning properly. The assistant stated that the machine sometimes would expose the film and sometimes would not. In this case, the assistant recalled moving the machine over Mr. Foster's body in the usual procedure and taking the x-ray. He said that he did not know until near the end of the autopsy that the machine did not expose the film. In addition, like Dr. Beyer and the assistant, the administrative manager of the Medical Examiner's Office recalled "numerous problems" with the x-ray machine in 1993 (which, according to records, had been delivered in June 1993). With respect to the check of the x-ray box on the report, Dr. Beyer stated that he checked that box before the autopsy while completing preliminary information on the form and that he mistakenly did not erase that check mark when the report was finalized. VIII. OTHER ISSUES Several other issues have arisen and been examined by the OIC. A. Gun Observations and Ownership The OIC conducted investigation and analysis with respect to the gun, both as to observations of the gun at the scene and ownership of the gun. 1. Observations of Gun at Scene According to the testimony of the first three official personnel to find the body (Park Police Officer Fornshill and FCFRD personnel Hall and Gonzalez), the gun was in Mr. Foster's hand when they found the body (although Officer Fornshill himself did not see or look for it, but rather was told of it by the others). Those statements contrast with the testimony of C5, the individual who first saw Mr. Foster's body and did not see a gun. Careful evaluation of all of the circumstances and evidence leads to the conclusion that C5 simply did not see the gun that was in Mr. Foster's hand. First, when questioned by the OIC, C5 agreed with a statement attributed to him in an interview report that "there was extreme dense and heavy foliage in the area and in close proximity to the body, and the possibility does exist that there was a gun on rear of hand that he might not have seen." That is supported, moreover, by the testimony of several witnesses establishing that the gun was difficult to see in Mr. Foster's hand when standing in a position above the head on the top of the berm. That is further confirmed by Polaroids taken from above the head that reveal the difficulty of seeing the gun from that angle. The forensic evidence and analyses outlined above also support the conclusion that the gun was in Mr. Foster's hand when C5 saw him. As explained by the pathologists and Dr. Lee, Mr. Foster's DNA was consistent with that on the muzzle of the gun, traces of blood evidence were derived from the gun, residue was on his hand, and residues were on his shirt. In addition, an indentation mark on his thumb suggests that the gun was in the hand for some period of time. The totality of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the gun recovered from Fort Marcy Park was in fact in Mr. Foster's hand when C5 happened upon the body, but that C5 simply did not see it. There are discrepancies in the descriptions of the color and kind of gun seen in Mr. Foster's hand. However, the descriptions provided by the first two persons to observe the gun, as well as of numerous others, are consistent with the gun retrieved from the scene and depicted in the on-the-scene Polaroids. That gun was taken into evidence by Technician Simonello on July 20, and has been maintained by law enforcement since then. 2. Ownership of Gun One follow-up investigative issue concerning the gun relates to its ownership. Virtually all theories that the manner of death was not suicide rest on an assumption that the gun did not belong to Mr. Foster. But testimony, circumstantial evidence, and forensic evidence support the conclusion that the gun did in fact belong to Mr. Foster. Mrs. Alice Mae Foster, Mr. Foster's mother, stated that Mr. Foster, Sr., died in 1991. He had kept a revolver in a drawer of his bedside table, in addition to other guns in the house. In 1991, when Mr. Foster, Sr., had been ill and bedridden for a period of time, Mrs. Alice Mae Foster had all the handguns in the house placed in a box and put into a closet. Subsequent to the death of Mr. Foster, Sr., in 1991, Mrs. Alice Mae Foster gave Mr. Foster, Jr., the box of handguns. Mrs. Lisa Foster similarly recalls that her husband took possession of several handguns from his parents' house near the time of his father's death. She recalled that, after they moved to Washington in 1993, some guns were kept in a bedroom closet. She recalled what she described as a silver-colored gun (she also has referred to it as a "cowboy gun" ), which had been packed in Little Rock and unpacked in Washington. She also recalled a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. She said she found one gun in its usual location on July 20, 1993, the .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. She did not find the other gun on or after July 20, 1993. On July 29, 1993, Mrs. Foster was shown a photograph of the gun retrieved from the scene and, according to the Park Police interview report, was unable to identify it from the photograph. On May 9, 1994, she was shown the actual gun that was recovered and said, according to the interview report, that the gun "may be a gun which she formerly saw in her residence in Little Rock, Arkansas" and that "she may have seen the handgun . . . at her residence in Washington." She stated to the OIC in November 1995, when viewing the gun recovered from Mr. Foster's hand, that it was the gun she unpacked in Washington but had not subsequently found, although she said she seemed to remember the front of the gun looking lighter in color when she saw it during the move to Washington. Webster Hubbell stated that, on the night of Mr. Foster's death, Lisa Foster went upstairs in the Foster house with him. While there, she looked into the top of a closet, pulled out a "squared-off" gun, and said, according to Hubbell, that one of the guns was missing. To Hubbell's knowledge, the "other gun" was never found at the Foster house. Sharon Bowman, one of Mr. Foster's sisters, recalled that her father kept a black revolver in a drawer of his bedside table. She said that she had retrieved various handguns from her parents' house, placed them in a shoebox, and put them in her mother's closet (and Ms. Bowman said they later were given to Mr. Foster, Jr.) During the 1993 Park Police investigation, John Sloan, a family friend of the Fosters, wrote a letter to Captain Hume of the Park Police, stating that he had shown Sharon Bowman a photograph of the gun. According to the letter, Ms. Bowman stated that it "looked like a gun she had seen in her father's collection," and particularly pointed out the "'wavelike' detailing at the base of the grip." Ms. Bowman was later shown the revolver recovered from Fort Marcy Park. She indicated that it looked like one that her father kept in the house in Hope, but she could not positively identify it. Mr. Foster's other sister, Sheila Anthony, said she had no personal knowledge about the gun found in Mr. Foster's hand at Fort Marcy Park. She recalled, however, that her sister, Sharon Bowman, and her brother had removed guns from their father's house near the father's death. Mr. Foster's older son said he knew his father had an old .38 caliber revolver. He saw it being unpacked at their house in Washington when they moved there. Mr. Foster told his son that he had received this gun from his father (Vincent Foster, Sr.). The older son did not know where the gun was kept in Washington. The son was unable to conclusively identify the gun recovered on July 20, 1993, from Mr. Foster's hand as the one he had previously seen. Mr. Foster's younger son stated that he saw one or two handguns in a shoebox along with a number of loose bullets while unpacking in Washington. The younger son stated that these items came from his grandfather's house. He described his grandfather's guns as a small, pearl-handled gun, and one or two revolvers. He believes his father placed the guns in a closet in Washington. Mr. Foster's daughter stated she recalled someone unpacking a handgun at the house when they initially moved to Washington, although she never saw any other guns in their Washington house. To sum up, the testimony establishes that, near the time of his father's death, Mr. Foster took possession of some handguns that had belonged to his father. The testimony also establishes that guns, including (according to the older son) a .38 caliber revolver, were taken to Washington by the Foster family in 1993. Mrs. Lisa Foster said that she recalls two guns in a bedroom closet in Washington, one of which was missing when she looked in the closet after Mr. Foster's death, and that the missing gun was the one found at the scene. Ms. Bowman has said the gun found at the scene looks like a gun previously kept by her father. In addition, forensic examinations of Mr. Foster's pants pocket and the oven mitt support the conclusion that Mr. Foster carried, and thus possessed, a gun at a time close to his death. As explained above, that evidence tends to link Mr. Foster to the gun recovered from his hand. This combination of testimonial, circumstantial, and forensic evidence supports the conclusion that the gun found in Mr. Foster's hand belonged to Mr. Foster. B. Briefcase There are some discrepancies in statements regarding whether a briefcase was in Mr. Foster's car at Fort Marcy Park. Mr. Foster's black briefcase was in his office on July 22 when documents in the office were reviewed by Mr. Nussbaum in the presence of law enforcement officials. Four days later, a torn note was reportedly found in that briefcase by an Associate White House Counsel. To determine whether a briefcase (and perhaps that black briefcase) was in Mr. Foster's car at Fort Marcy Park, five related questions must be considered: 1. Did those who saw Mr. Foster leave the White House on July 20 see him with a briefcase? 2. Was a briefcase observed in Mr. Foster's car at Fort Marcy Park? 3. Did the Park Police return a briefcase to the Secret Service that evening? 4. Was a briefcase in Mr. Foster's office at the White House after his death? 5. How many briefcases did Mr. Foster use? 1. Mr. Foster's Departure From the White House Linda Tripp, Betsy Pond, and Tom Castleton -- all of whom worked in the Counsel's suite of offices -- said they saw Mr. Foster leave the Counsel's suite on July 20. They were interviewed separately by the Park Police on July 22, 1993. The Park Police report of the interview with Ms. Tripp states: Ms. Tripp makes it a habit to notice what the staff members are taking with them when they leave the office in order to determine for herself how long she may expect them to be away from the office. Ms. Tripp was absolutely certain that Mr. Foster did not carry anything in the way of a briefcase, bag, umbrella, etc. out of the office. Ms. Tripp confirmed to the OIC that this report accurately reflected her recollection. The relevant portion of the Park Police report of Ms. Pond's interview of July 22, 1993, does not address what Mr. Foster carried when he left the office. In a later interview, Ms. Pond stated that "I think I remember his jacket swung over his shoulder" and said "not that I recall" to the question whether Mr. Foster was carrying a briefcase. The Park Police report of Mr. Castleton's interview of July 22, 1993, does not address what Mr. Foster carried when he left the office. When questioned over eight months later, Mr. Castleton recalled Mr. Foster carrying a briefcase, and Mr. Castleton has said that it "looked very much like the one" that was in Mr. Foster's office on July 22. The testimony of Ms. Tripp, Ms. Pond, and Mr. Castleton thus conflicts as to whether Foster carried a briefcase when he left the Counsel's suite -- two saying that he did not and one saying that he did. 2. Mr. Foster's Car at Fort Marcy The Park Police officers who searched Mr. Foster's car at Fort Marcy Park (Braun and Rolla) stated there was no briefcase in the car. The Park Police technician who inventoried the car on July 21, E.J. Smith, stated that no briefcase was found. The Polaroids of the interior of Mr. Foster's car taken at Fort Marcy Park, and the photographs taken the next day at the impoundment lot, do not show a briefcase in the car. (The photos from Fort Marcy show a white canvas bag in front of the rear seat on the driver's side of the car.) In addition, four other persons at Fort Marcy Park specifically recall looking into Mr. Foster's car but do not recall a briefcase. Officer Fornshill of the Park Police stated that he looked into the car (although not closely) but did not see a briefcase. Wacha, Iacone, and Pisani of the FCFRD also said that they did not recall seeing a briefcase. Four other persons have varying, but imprecise, degrees of recollection of a briefcase in somecar at Fort Marcy Park. Todd Hall of the FCFRD stated in a March 18, 1994, interview and in a January 5, 1995, statement to the OIC, that he recalled a briefcase of uncertain color in the car with Arkansas plates. However, in a July 20, 1994, Senate deposition, he stated "We saw a suit coat and I think his briefcase, something like that. . . . All I know for sure I saw was his suit coat. And I thought I may have seen, he may have had a briefcase or something in there." George Gonzalez of the FCFRD said in one statement that he saw a black briefcase/attache case in the car with Arkansas plates. In a later statement, however, Gonzalez stated, "I can't say if I saw a briefcase or papers. I can't correctly say whether I saw it or not. . . . I think the tie was in there and the jacket was in there. That's what I remember. That's all I can really remember." He also said that what he recalled could have been a canvas bag that was found in Mr. Foster's car. Gonzalez was not present when the Park Police entered the Honda. C5 testified that he "would just about bet" that a "brown briefcase" was in the car, although he "wouldn't bet [his] life on it." C5's statements and a reenactment conducted with C5 at the scene by investigators reveal, however, that C5 was describing the car of C4, not Mr. Foster's car, when he referred to the briefcase. C2 testified that he saw a briefcase -- as well as wine coolers -- in a car with Arkansas plates that was parked in the parking lot. He stated: "I looked and I saw the briefcase and saw the jacket, saw the wine coolers, it was two of them. I remember exactly how they were laying in the back seat of the car." (There is no other evidence that wine coolers were in Mr. Foster's car. ) 3. Park Police Communications With Secret Service An official Secret Service report prepared at 10:01 p.m. on July 20 states in relevant part: SA Tom Canavit, WFO PI squad, advised that he has been in contact with US Park Police and was assured that if any materials of a sensitive nature (schedules of the POTUS, etc.) were recovered, they would immediately be turned over to the USSS. (At the time of this writing, no such materials were located). 4. Mr. Foster's Office at the White House White House employee Patsy Thomasson testified that she saw Mr. Foster's briefcase by the desk in Foster's office on the night of July 20 and indeed looked into the top of that briefcase for a note. As noted above, the testimony of White House, Department of Justice, FBI, and Park Police personnel confirms that Mr. Foster's black briefcase was in his White House office on July 22, two days after his death, during the review of documents in Mr. Foster's office. 5. Mr. Foster's Briefcase The OIC is aware of only one briefcase used in Washington by Mr. Foster, the black briefcase that Ms. Thomasson observed in Mr. Foster's White House office on the night of July 20 and that a number of other witnesses observed there on July 22. 6. Summary: Briefcase Based on careful consideration of all of the evidence, the conclusions significantly supported are: (a) Mr. Foster's black briefcase remained in his office when he left on July 20; and (b) neither it nor another briefcase was in his car at Fort Marcy Park. C. Notification According to Secret Service records, the Secret Service was notified of Mr. Foster's death at about 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on July 20. The records reflect that various White House officials were then contacted. An Arkansas Trooper has stated that, while on duty at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, he was notified of Mr. Foster's death by Helen Dickey, at the time a 22-year-old personal assistant of the Clintons who lived on the third floor of the White House Residence. The trooper described Dickey as "hysterical" and "very upset" when she called. The trooper, who was working a shift until 10:30 p.m. Arkansas time that night, stated that Dickey called him before 7:30 p.m. Arkansas time (8:30 p.m. Eastern time); according to the interview report, he said "he could possibly be mistaken about the time the call from Dickey was received. The call could have been as late as 8:30 PM, Arkansas time. However, he still felt his best recollection was that the call was received sometime between 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM [Arkansas time]." Helen Dickey stated that she was first notified of Mr. Foster's death by an employee of the White House Usher's Office at about 10:00 p.m. and that she became very upset. (The Dickeys had lived next door to the Fosters in Little Rock when Helen was younger. ) She then contacted her mother in Virginia and her father in Georgia from a phone on the second floor of the White House Residence. Dickey stated that she later called (from a different phone) the Arkansas Governor's Mansion and talked to the trooper at approximately 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. There are two other pieces of relevant evidence with respect to Ms. Dickey's statement. First, Ms. Dickey's diary entry for July 20 (written within a few days of the event) states in relevant part: I watched [Larry King Live] and about 10:30 [the Usher's Office employee] came up and told me they had found Vince Foster's body and that he'd killed himself. I waited for the punchline and lost it. I called Mom and Dad . . . . We went to Lisa's, and everyone was there . . . Second, the Usher's Office employee confirmed that he notified Ms. Dickey of Mr. Foster's death shortly after 10:00 p.m. and said that Ms. Dickey immediately became hysterical, started screaming and crying, and ran downstairs. The Usher's Office employee "firmly believes he was the first to inform Dickey of the news of Foster's death because of her extreme reaction to the news." The totality of the evidence -- including the diary entry, the testimony of the Usher's Office employee, and the lack of any other evidence that White House or Secret Service personnel had knowledge of Mr. Foster's death at a time earlier than when the Park Police first notified the Secret Service -- does not support a conclusion that Ms. Dickey knew about Mr. Foster's death at some earlier time. D. Search for Bullet During the Park Police, Fiske, and OIC investigations, searches were conducted of Fort Marcy Park for the bullet that caused Mr. Foster's death. On July 22, 1993, four Park Police personnel (Hill, Johnson, Rule, and Morrissette) searched with a metal detector the immediate area where the body was found. Their search for the bullet was unsuccessful. Investigators in Mr. Fiske's Office conducted a search in the area where Mr. Foster's body was found. Their search for the bullet fired from Mr. Foster's gun was unsuccessful. With the assistance of Dr. Lee, the National Park Service, and a large number of investigators, the OIC organized a broader search of Fort Marcy Park for the fatal bullet. The search was led by Richard K. Graham, an expert in crime scene metal detection. The search plan was devised utilizing information obtained through ballistics tests performed by the Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. The search did not locate a bullet fired from the gun recovered from Mr. Foster's hand. That the search did not uncover the fatal bullet does not affect the conclusion that Mr. Foster committed suicide in Fort Marcy Park. Because a search covering the maximum range estimates "would have included a vast area . . . , a search which was limited in scope to the highest probability areas, closer to the minimum range estimates, was undertaken." In other words, while the OIC search covered a broader area than previous searches, "the maximum range estimates" predicted the possibility that "the bullet could have cleared the tree tops in Ft. Marcy and landed well outside the park." Moreover, although lines ultimately were laid out within the park along the outer limits of a 90 degree arc to a distance of 175 meters, which represented the "highest probability areas," a full search of even the 90 degree-175 meter range would have included areas outside the park that were not searched. In addition, because "dense foliage and trees surround the area where Foster's body was discovered, and since there is a . . . cannon approximately 12.5 feet directly behind the location where the body lay, there is a distinct possibility the bullet's trajectory was altered due to its striking or ricocheting off a natural or man-made obstruction." Another variable is that "Foster's head could have been turned to one side or the other when the shot was fired." IX. STATE OF MIND In a death investigation, state-of-mind evidence can buttress the forensic and other evidence and, in that respect, is an issue within the scope of the investigation. For that reason, the OIC intensively examined Mr. Foster's state of mind and activities before his death. The OIC reconstructed and examined previously unreviewed documents from Mr. Foster's White House office. The OIC sought relevant documents from other sources. The OIC interviewed Mr. Foster's wife, sisters, mother, children, and other relatives; numerous friends in Arkansas and Washington; many colleagues who worked closely with him at the Rose Law Firm or the White House; and various other persons with potentially important information. During this effort, the OIC gathered extensive evidence relating to Mr. Foster's state of mind and activities. The OIC is grateful to the Foster family members -- including Alice Mae Foster, Lisa Foster, Sharon Bowman, Sheila Anthony, Beryl Anthony, and the Foster children, among others -- for cooperating with this and prior investigations under painful and difficult circumstances. Lisa Foster and Mr. Foster's mother, Alice Mae Foster, not only spoke with OIC investigators at some length, but also provided additional information and assistance at their homes in Arkansas. A. Dr. Berman's Analysis Suicide, perhaps contrary to popular understanding, is a common manner of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide was the ninth leading cause of death among Americans in the period from 1980 through 1992. The CDC's statistics reveal that more individuals in the United States died by suicide than by homicide in every year since 1981. In the United States in 1993, 31,102 individuals committed suicide, and 18,940 of them committed suicide with a firearm. During 1993, therefore, there were approximately 85 suicides per day, and 52 suicides by firearm per day, in the United States. The OIC retained Dr. Alan Berman to review and analyze state-of-mind evidence gathered by the OIC in the course of its investigation. Dr. Berman, as noted above, has extensive experience and expertise in the study of suicide. He examined the evidence and reported his findings to the OIC. In his report, Dr. Berman first noted that "descriptors used by interviewees with regard to Vincent Foster's basic personality were extraordinarily consistent in describing a controlled, private, perfectionistic character whose public persona as a man of integrity, honesty, and unimpeachable reputation was of utmost importance." Mr. Foster's life, after "arriving in Washington, was filled with long, intense and demanding hours of work." Dr. Berman noted that Mr. Foster's May 8 commencement address to the University of Arkansas School of Law was "replete with reflections upon and regret regarding the changes wrought by his experiences in Washington." Mr. Foster had "uncharacteristically . . . talked of quitting," but considered a return to Little Rock to be a "humiliation." Dr. Berman reported that "mistakes, real or perceived, posed a profound threat to his self-esteem/self-worth and represented evidence for a lack of control over his environment. Feelings of unworthiness, inferiority, and guilt followed and were difficult for him to tolerate. There are signs of an intense and profound anguish, harsh self-evaluation, shame, and chronic fear. All these on top of an evident clinical depression and his separation from the comforts and security of Little Rock. He, furthermore, faced a feared humiliation should he resign and return to Little Rock." The torn note "highlights his preoccupation with themes of guilt, anger, and his need to protect others." Dr. Berman noted that Mr. Foster's admission to his sister on the Friday before his death that he was depressed was a "profound expression of his depression." Dr. Berman also noted Mr. Foster's July 19 call to Dr. Larry Watkins in Little Rock, during which Mr. Foster referred to symptoms of a mild depression and to stress, criticism, and long hours. Dr. Berman stated that Mr. Foster was "not a helpseeker" and was "reluctant to seek help" although he was "aware he was in trouble psychologically." Dr. Berman stated that "this difficulty accepting the vulnerable position is common to successful executives." Dr. Berman stated that "by the Friday before his death he was desperate; calling for names of psychiatrists was a clear . . . admission of his failure. He was ambivalent and fearful about this helpseeking." He ultimately "preferred the safety of his family physician . . . to the immediacy and presence of other, unknown professionals in the DC area." Dr. Berman said that Mr. Foster's "last 96 hours show clear signs of crisis and uncharacteristic vulnerability." Dr. Berman concluded, furthermore, that "there is little doubt that Foster was clinically depressed . . . in early 1993, and, perhaps, sub-clinically even before this." Dr. Berman noted that there was some history of depression in the family. Dr. Berman explained that for certain executives facing difficult circumstances, "in essence, death is preferred to preserve one's identity. The suicide has an inability to tolerate an altered view of himself; suicide maintains a selfview and escapes having to incorporate discordant implications about the self. These types of suicides are typically complete surprises to others in the available support system." As to why Mr. Foster was overwhelmed at that particular time, Dr Berman explained that Mr. Foster was "under an increasing burden of intense external stress, a loss of security, a painful scanning of his environment for negative judgments regarding his performance, a rigid hold of perfectionistic self-demands, a breakdown in and the absence of his usual ability to handle that stress primarily due to the impact of a mental disorder which was undertreated." Mr. Foster apparently did not leave a note that specifically refers to or contemplates suicide. Dr. Berman indicated that the great majority of persons committing suicide do not leave a note. Dr. Berman also stated, with respect to the lack of a note in this case, that Mr. Foster was "intensely self-focused at this point; overwhelmed and out of control." As to the Fort Marcy Park location, Dr. Berman stated that Mr. Foster "was ambivalent to the end" and may have driven for a while before going to Fort Marcy Park. He may have "simply and inadvertently happened upon the park or he may have purposely picked it off the area map found in his car." Dr. Berman stated that Mr. Foster's suicide in Fort Marcy Park is "similar to the typical male physician who suicides by seeking the guaranteed privacy of a hotel room, and a 'do not disturb' sign" In sum, Dr. Berman, based on his evaluation of the evidence, concluded: "In my opinion and to a 100% degree of medical certainty, the death of Vincent Foster was a suicide. No plausible evidence has been presented to support any other conclusion" B. Evidence The OIC, like other investigations before, is not aware of a single, obvious triggering event that might have motivated Mr. Foster to commit suicide. Therefore, the following is simply a brief outline of some of the evidence relevant to the ultimate determination that Mr. Foster's state of mind was consistent with suicide. This outline is not designed to set forth or to suggest some particular reason or set of reasons why Mr. Foster committed suicide. Rather, the issue for purposes of the death investigation is whether Mr. Foster committed suicide, and this outline is designed to show that, as Dr. Berman concluded, compelling evidence exists that Mr. Foster was distressed or depressed in a manner consistent with suicide. To begin with, in his six months in the White House, Mr. Foster was involved in work related to a number of important and difficult issues. The issues included, for example, the appointments and vetting of an Attorney General, a Supreme Court Justice, as well as many others (some of which developed into difficult situations abounding with unfavorable public comment); legal issues related to health care, such as medical malpractice reform; litigation related to the Health Care Task Force; the dismissal of White House Travel Office employees and the ensuing fallout from that incident; the Clintons' tax returns (which involved an issue regarding treatment of the Clintons' 1992 sale of their interest in Whitewater); the Clintons' blind trust; liaison with the White House Usher's Office over issues related to the White House Residence; and issues related to the Freedom of Information Act. The work proved to be difficult and stressful. In a letter to a friend in Arkansas on March 4, 1993, for example, Mr. Foster wrote: "I have never worked so hard for so long in my life. The legal issues are mind boggling and the time pressures are immense. . . . The pressure, financial sacrifice and family disruption are the price of public service at this level. As they say, 'The wind blows hardest at the top of the mountain.'" During that six-month period, certain other aspects of Mr. Foster's life also came under some scrutiny. For example, in May 1993, a controversy arose over membership of Administration officials in the Country Club of Little Rock, which had had no black members. Mr. Foster was a member of that club and resigned from it that month. On a copy of a May 11, 1993, newspaper article in Mr. Foster's office that mentioned the controversy, Mr. Foster wrote, "I wish I had done more." At the same time, the White House staff generally was subject to media criticism during the first six months of the Administration. Some public criticism suggested incompetence, if not malfeasance, by staff members. Mr. Foster himself was mentioned in some of the critical editorial commentary. Numerous witnesses said that Mr. Foster was concerned and/or upset over the press criticism. According to Mr. Foster's brother-in- law, former Congressman Beryl Anthony, Mr. Foster said words to the effect that he had "spent a lifetime building [his] reputation" and was "in the process of having it tarnished." As Dr. Berman noted, reputation was clearly important to Mr. Foster. Indeed, in the May 8, 1993, commencement address, Mr. Foster said that "dents to the reputation in the legal profession are irreparable" and that "no victory, no advantage, no fee, no favor . . . is worth even a blemish on your reputation for intellect and integrity." He emphasized that the "reputation you develop for intellectual and ethical integrity will be your greatest asset or your worst enemy." In that commencement address, Mr. Foster also noted that there will be "failures, and criticisms and bad press and lies, stormy days and cloudy days." He advised to "take time out for yourself. Have some fun, go fishing, every once in a while take a walk in the woods by yourself."' He suggested that "if you find yourself getting burned out or unfulfilled, unappreciated. . . . have the courage to make a change." The Travel Office matter, in particular, was the subject of public controversy beginning in May 1993 and continuing through Mr. Foster's death. Criticism focused on the White House's handling of the matter before and after the May 19 firings. Legislation enacted on July 2, 1993, required the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the Travel Office firings. There was a possibility of some form of congressional review, or perhaps special counsel investigation, as well as the GAO investigation. During the week of July 12, Mr. Foster contacted private attorneys seeking advice in connection with the Travel Office incident. At some point in the last weeks of his life, Mr. Foster wrote a note that he had "made mistakes from ignorance, inexperience and overwork" and that he "was not meant for the job or the spotlight of public life in Washington. Here ruining people is considered sport." During that same period, according to Mr. Foster's immediate superior, Counsel Bernard Nussbaum, Mr. Foster's work effort decreased noticeably. According to William Kennedy, Sheila Anthony, and Lisa Foster, Mr. Foster said he was considering resigning. Mr. Foster's sister Sheila Anthony said that Mr. Foster told her on Friday, July 16 that he was depressed. She furnished him the names of three psychiatrists. Mr. Foster did not speak to any of the three psychiatrists, although phone records show that Mr. Foster attempted to contact one of them on July 16. When Mr. Foster was found at Fort Marcy Park, a list of the three psychiatrists was in his wallet. Lisa Foster said that her husband cried while talking to her on Friday night, July 16 and that Mr. Foster mentioned resigning during the weekend of July 16-18. Meanwhile, Mr. Foster's mother, Alice Mae Foster, said that she talked to her son a day or two before his death and that he said he was unhappy because of his job and that it was "such a grind." On Monday, July 19, Mr. Foster contacted Dr. Larry Watkins, his physician in Little Rock, and was prescribed an antidepressant. Watkins' typed notes of July 21 say the following: I talked to Vince on 7/19/93, at which time he complained of anorexia and insomnia. He had no GI [gastrointestinal] symptoms. We discussed the possibility of taking Axid or Zantac to help with any ulcer symptoms as he was under a lot of stress. He was concerned about the criticism they were getting and the long hours he was working at the White House. He did feel that he had some mild depression. I started him on Desyrel, 50 mg. He was to start with one at bedtime and move up to three. . . . I received word at 10:20 p.m. on 7/20/93 that he had committed suicide. Dr. Watkins said that it was unusual, even unprecedented, for Mr. Foster to call him directly. Lisa Foster said that Mr. Foster took one tablet of the antidepressant medication on the night of the 19th. In short, the OIC cannot set forth a particular reason or set of reasons why Mr. Foster committed suicide. The important issue, from the standpoint of the death investigation, is whether Mr. Foster committed suicide. On that issue, the state-of-mind evidence is compelling, and it demonstrates that Mr. Foster was, in fact, distressed or depressed in a manner consistent with suicide. Indeed, the evidence was sufficient for Dr. Berman to conclude that "to a 100% degree of medical certainty, the death of Vincent Foster was a suicide." X. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS To sum up, the OIC has investigated the cause and manner of Mr. Foster's death. To ensure that all relevant issues were fully considered, carefully analyzed, and properly assessed, the OIC retained a number of experienced experts and criminal investigators. The experts included Dr. Brian D. Blackbourne, Dr. Henry C. Lee, and Dr. Alan L. Berman. The investigators included an FBI agent detailed from the FBI-MPD Cold Case Homicide Squad in Washington, D.C.; an investigator who also had extensive homicide experience as a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., for over 20 years; and two other OIC investigators who had experience as FBI agents investigating the murders of federal officials and other homicides. The OIC legal staff in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock, Arkansas, participated in assessing the evidence, examining the analyses and conclusions of the OIC experts and investigators, and preparing this report. The autopsy report and the reports of the pathologists retained by the OIC and Mr. Fiske's Office demonstrate that the cause of death was a gunshot wound through the back of Mr. Foster's mouth and out the back of his head. The autopsy photographs depict the wound in the back of the head, and the photographs show the trajectory rod through the wound. The evidence, including the photographic evidence, reveals no other trauma or wounds on Mr. Foster's body. The available evidence points clearly to suicide as the manner of death. That conclusion is based on the evidence gathered and the analyses performed during previous investigations, and the additional evidence gathered and analyses performed during the OIC investigation, including the evaluations of Dr. Lee, Dr. Blackbourne, Dr. Berman, and the various OIC investigators. When police and rescue personnel arrived at the scene, they found Mr. Foster dead with a gun in his right hand. That gun, the evidence tends to show, belonged to Mr. Foster. Gunshot residue-like material was observed on Mr. Foster's right hand in a manner consistent both with test firings of the gun and with the gun's cylinder gap. Gunshot residue was found in his mouth. DNA consistent with that of Mr. Foster was found on the gun. Blood was detected on the paper initially used to package the gun. Blood spatters were detected on the lifts from the gun. In addition, lead residue was found on the clothes worn by Mr. Foster when found at the scene. This evidence, taken together, leads to the conclusion that Mr. Foster fired this gun into his mouth. This evidence also leads to the conclusion that this shot was fired while he was wearing the clothes in which he was found. Mr. Foster's thumb was trapped in the trigger guard, and the trigger caused a noticeable indentation on the thumb, demonstrating that the gun remained in his hand after firing. The police detected no signs of a struggle at the scene, and examination of Mr. Foster's clothes by Dr. Lee revealed no evidence of a struggle or of dragging. Nor does the evidence reveal that Mr. Foster was intoxicated or drugged. Dr. Lee found gunshot residue in a sample of the soil from the place where Mr. Foster was found. He also found a bone chip containing DNA consistent with that of Mr. Foster in debris from the clothing. Dr. Lee observed blood-like spatter on vegetation in the photographs of the scene. Investigators found a quantity of blood under Mr. Foster's back and head when the body was turned, and Dr. Beyer, who performed the autopsy, found a large amount of blood in the body bag. In addition, the blood spatters on Mr. Foster's face had not been altered or smudged, contrary to what likely would have occurred had the body been moved and the head wrapped or cleaned. Fort Marcy Park is publicly accessible and traveled; Mr. Foster was discovered in that park in broad daylight; and no one saw Mr. Foster being carried into the park. All of this evidence, taken together, leads to the conclusion that the shot was fired by Mr. Foster where he was found in Fort Marcy Park. The evidence with respect to state of mind points as well to suicide. Mr. Foster told his sister four days before his death that he was depressed; he cried at dinner with his wife four days before his death; he told his mother a day or two before his death that he was unhappy because work was "a grind"; he was consulting attorneys for legal advice the week before his death; he told several people he was considering resignation; he wrote a note that he "was not meant for the job or the spotlight of public life in Washington. Here ruining people is considered sport." The day before his death, he contacted a physician and indicated that he was under stress. He was prescribed antidepressant medication and took one tablet that evening. Dr. Berman concluded that Mr. Foster's "last 96 hours show clear signs of crisis and uncharacteristic vulnerability." Dr. Berman stated, furthermore, that "there is little doubt that Foster was clinically depressed . . . in early 1993, and, perhaps, sub-clinically even before this." Dr. Berman concluded that "in my opinion and to a 100% degree of medical certainty, the death of Vincent Foster was a suicide. No plausible evidence has been presented to support any other conclusion." In sum, based on all of the available evidence, which is considerable, the OIC agrees with the conclusion reached by every official entity that has examined the issue: Mr. Foster committed suicide by gunshot in Fort Marcy Park on July 20, 1993.