Full Breakdown
Incomplete Toxicology Report Raises Questions About Thomas Crooks
6/9/2026, 11:32:01 PM
Core Event: Missing Toxicology Data in Crooks Autopsy
The toxicology report prepared after the death of Thomas Crooks—who fired shots at President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, ahead of the 2024 election—omits results for three of the eight biological specimens collected. The omitted specimens are bile, one tube of heart blood, and an envelope of hair.
Background & Context: Assassination Attempt and Aftermath
On the day of the attempt, Crooks was shot and killed by law-enforcement officers after discharging several rounds at Trump, who was then the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. A prolonged legal battle eventually yielded the autopsy and toxicology report prepared by Allegheny County Chief Medical Examiner Ariel Goldschmidt. The report’s incompleteness was highlighted after investigative journalist Ken Silva reviewed the document.
Data & Statistics: Specimens Collected and Omitted
- Total specimens collected: eight
- Four tubes of heart blood
- One tube of urine
- Eye fluid
- Bile
- Envelope of hair
- Specimens not tested or not reported: bile, one heart-blood tube, hair envelope
These three missing analyses could have provided additional insight into Crooks’ physiological state at the time of the incident.
Official Statements & Responses
Ariel Goldschmidt’s autopsy confirmed the cause of death and generated a toxicology report that listed findings for five of the eight specimens. The report, however, does not include results for the three omitted samples. Recent FBI records released to the public also show that Crooks exchanged two emails with a Butler County Sheriff deputy in the days preceding the shooting, a detail that has attracted significant attention within Trump-supporter circles.
Criticism & Opposition
Ken Silva, who obtained the toxicology report through a months-long legal effort, has expressed uncertainty about the implications of the missing data. He suggests that the untested specimens might have revealed the presence of psychotropic substances, a possibility that remains unaddressed by the medical examiner’s office.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The primary gap in the public record is the absence of toxicology results for bile, one blood sample, and hair. No official explanation has been provided for why these specimens were excluded from the final report, leaving a discrepancy between the number of samples collected and the data released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The biggest question I have is about this toxicology report which I obtained,” — Ken Silva, Investigative Journalist
- “I didn't think much of the documents, they didn't really seem to show any scandal to me at first until a Twitter sleuth notified me a couple months later and said, 'have you looked at this toxicology report, it seems incomplete.'” — Ken Silva
- “The medical examiner collected eight specimens from Thomas Crooks: four tubes of heart blood, a tube of urine, some eye fluid, bile, and then an envelope of hair,” — Ken Silva
- “Now, these are numbered one through eight, and if you look at the findings, there's three specimens that Goldschmidt – the medical examiner – collected and either didn't test or didn't include in the report: that's the bile, one tube of blood and the envelope of hair.” — Ken Silva
- “So I don't know what to make of it, but these samples, you could argue, would have shown evidence of some kind of, perhaps, psychotropic drug use,” — Ken Silva
What’s Next: Calls for Full Disclosure
Legal analysts and forensic experts have indicated that a complete toxicology analysis could clarify unanswered questions about Crooks’ mental state and possible substance use. Advocacy groups are urging the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office to release the missing test results, and further investigative inquiries may be launched to determine the rationale behind the omissions.
