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Autopsy reports released for man, boy in Lone Tree murder-suicide

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Posted at 1:41 PM, Oct 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-17 15:41:31-04

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. – The autopsy reports for the Lone Tree man who shot and killed his son and then himself in late September show that both died of wounds from point-blank range gunshots.

The autopsies for 10-year-old Ty Tesoriero and his father, 48-year-old Anthony Tesoriero, were done on the morning of Sept. 22 – a day after the murder-suicide occurred – according to the reports obtained from the Douglas County Coroner’s Office. A Lone Tree police detective and Douglas County Sheriff's Office investigator were present for both autopsies.

Reports for both confirmed that Anthony shot his son and then himself in the early-morning hours of Sept. 21, just eight hours after Anthony learned he would likely lose custody of Ty.

The reports say Anthony shot Ty in the front of his head at point-blank range. The wound was a through-and-through gunshot wound, the report said.

Anthony also died of a through-and-through gunshot wound to the front of his head, the report says. It was also a contact-range wound, the report said.

It also noted that his toxicology report show he had a concentration of 32 ng/ML of Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication sometimes sold under the brand name Xanax, in his blood when he died. Those levels were in the range for typical dosages.

But the toxicology report showed that he also had a blood concentration of 65 ng/ML of hydromorphone, a powerful opiate, in his blood.

According to National Library of Medicine’s TOXNET database, a study of 33 deaths linked to hydromorphone indicated that fatalities caused by the drug occurred at concentrations of 51 ng/ML or higher, but that “tolerant” users of the drug “may achieve incidental concentrations that would otherwise be considered fatal.”

Ty’s toxicology report showed he had a small concentration of hydromorphone – 3.1 ng/ML – in his blood as well.

The autopsy report for Anthony says there were “notes found at the scene” and added that Anthony “reportedly has a history of recent life stressors.”

The state is investigating the case and a lawmaker has vowed to change state law to be sure what happened to Ty does not happen again.

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