Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 06/99) - Though the death of Fort Good Hope's Caroline Boniface was initially pegged on long-term alcohol abuse, an autopsy was ordered because there were bruises on her body.

"This lady was a long-time abuser of alcohol," said Yellowknife's RCMP G division Staff Sgt. Wylie Grimm, who handled the police investigation.

"She had bruises, but that's an indication of using alcohol to excess. Just to be sure, we had an autopsy done in Edmonton to make sure there was no foul play."

NWT coroner Percy Kinney ordered the autopsy, which was performed by Dr. Graeme Dowling.

Dowling would not comment because he was not convinced the police investigation had concluded, but Kinney was able to explain the effects long-term alcohol abuse has.

"The official results of the autopsy was the cause of death was acute ethanol or drinking alcohol abuse," he said.

"Ethanol is found in drinking alcohol. It's just that alcohol is too generic a term. Rubbing alcohol is alcohol, but you don't drink it. Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, which is what you find in consumables."

Kinney said Boniface's fate was not caused by alcohol poisoning from a single incidence of drinking too much, but rather the cumulative effects during many years.

"There's a difference between alcohol toxicity, which is if you drink too much all at once. Alcohol is a poison so if you drink too much of it in one sitting it will kill you," Percy said.

"Her levels were not high enough to cause death in one sitting, but the long-term prolonged use damages the organs of the body and her official cause of death is acute alcohol abuse."