BREWER — A Vermont family is seeking an autopsy for a relative who was found dead on the banks of the Penobscot River in Maine.
Valerie Lombardo, 42, was found on the ground near the Interstate 395 bridge on April 4. Lombardo was living in a homeless camp under the bridge, according to Brewer police.
Officials reportedly told the family that Valerie Lombardo overdosed or died of exposure. The family has not yet received the results of her toxicology report, according to her sister-in-law.
Stephanie Lombardo, who is married to Valerie’s twin brother, has started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for a private autopsy, the Bangor Daily News reported Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office told the newspaper the decision to perform an autopsy varies by case. She did not comment specifically on Valerie Lombardo’s case.
Brewer police declined to comment because the investigation is still active.
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