Toxicology results for Sarah Botill, the 15-year-old daughter of a Gilroy firefighter who died Dec. 5, show only a moderate amount of alcohol in her system and no evidence of other drugs - ruling out the possibility of alcohol poisoning, a pathologist said.
Gilroy Police Sgt. Noel Provost said that the toxicology results could be considered consistent with the 12 ounces of vodka mixed with sparkling cider that investigators believe Botill and her two friends consumed together at a birthday sleepover early that morning.
Botill's blood alcohol level measured .04 percent at the time of her death, Provost said. That amount is equivalent to a 100-pound person having one drink in an hour, according to a blood alcohol calculator using information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Robert Lawrence, a forensic pathologist with Stockton-based Delta Pathology Associates, said such a small amount of alcohol could not be lethal.
"That couldn't be the cause of death," he said.
Typically, a person with little to no experience drinking alcohol would not die from a blood alcohol content of less than .30 percent. At least .40 percent would be required to kill most people, Lawrence said.
He said it would make sense to investigate the typical things that cause young people's deaths, such as a seizure, cardiac arrhythmia - an irregular heart rate - or an asthma attack.
A preliminary coroner's reported indicated that Botill died of pulmonary vascular congestion with mild edema.
Arnold Josselson, a medical doctor and consultant for Emeryville-based American Medical Forensic Specialists, said in December that condition was a "non-specific finding" that could represent various causes of death.
Cpt. Pete Rode of the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office said that, pending additional test results, it will be up to a forensic pathologist to try and put all the evidence together to determine a cause of death.
"This is just a piece of the puzzle," Rode said. "It won't tell you the whole picture."
A forensic pathologist will take a look at the toxicology tests along with other autopsy results and make a finding and full report within the next week or two, Rode said.
But Provost pointed out that it's possible that the coroner would not be able to make a conclusive finding. He added that each bit of information that becomes public makes it difficult for the Botill family, causing them to relive the horror of the night she passed.
When completed, the coroner's office report will be turned over to District Attorney Dolores Carr's office, which will determine if any charges will be filed related to the events. Botill's 18-year-old friend, Kayla Dunigan, legally an adult, brought the vodka, which she took from her father's cabinet, to the sleepover. She could face charges related to supplying alcohol to a minor, police have said.
Amy Cornell, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, said the district attorney has not filed any charges regarding the matter because it has not received any information about the case, which is still under investigation.
Cornell said she could not comment on how Botill's blood alcohol content could impact any potential charges without the DA's office having details on the case.
Mike and Michelle Botill, Sarah's parents, were notified of the toxicology test results Tuesday morning, Provost said.
The Botills' daughter died at Saint Louise Regional Hospital late Saturday morning on Dec. 5. Emergency personnel responded to a call at 8:44 a.m. to the home of former Gilroy City Councilman Roland Velasco and his stepdaughter on Bunting Court. The call reported a teenager having trouble breathing. Botill was alive but unresponsive when fire and police responded.
Botill's father, Mike Botill, had no comment on the new findings. Velasco did not return calls seeking comment.
Jonathan Partridge Jonathan Partridge covers City Hall for The Dispatch. Reach him at 847-7109 or e-mail him at jpartridge@svnewspapers.com.
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