The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office issued new findings in the decades-old murder case of Rhoda Nathan, who was brutally killed in a Blue Ash hotel room in 1994.In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton County Prosecutor Pillich’s office slammed the actions of Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco who, on Monday, announced that a review of Nathan’s autopsy showed she did not have hepatitis B, directly contradicting the autopsy report filed in the case three decades ago.”The coroner did NOT uncover new information about the victim’s medical history,” Pillich’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “She reviewed a laboratory report belonging to Elwood Jones and mistakenly attributed Mr. Jones’s negative Hepatitis B test result to the victim. This was a misreading of a test done through the coroner’s office, not a correction of any prior diagnosis involving the victim and not newly discovered evidence.”Monday, Sammarco said in a statement that a review of archived records in the case, a laboratory report was discovered that “indicated Ms. Nathan was negative for Hepatitis B.”In a new statement on Tuesday, Sammarco said she received results that stated the blood specimen for Nathan was “Hepatitis B surface antigen positive,” going against Monday’s statement.”Today I am in receipt of a document titled Microbiology Reference Laboratory Test Report provided by attorney David Hine. In that document there are reference numbers that correspond to our autopsy and death record numbers, H-377-94 and 122981 respectively. Additionally, in the body of the report there is a reference to cadaver specimen. The printed results state that the blood specimen was Hepatitis B surface antigen positive. Considering the correlation of the numbers on the report with our records, it appears that this is the actual Hepatitis B test result for Rhoda Nathan,” Sammarco said.When the case was dismissed earlier this month, Pillich said more modern forensic testing ruled Jones out as a suspect, saying a coroner had done a report on Nathan that revealed she had Hepatitis B.”The record is clear. On Sept. 8, 1994, testing done through the coroner’s office showed Rhoda Nathan had Hepatitis B. This test was stipulated to by both parties in a federal habeas action,” a statement from Pillich’s office says. “On Sept. 16, 1994, testing done through the coroner’s office showed Elwood Jones did not have Hepatitis B.”Accuracy matters, particularly in cases this significant. Assigning the wrong test result to the wrong individual leads to incorrect public conclusions and unnecessary confusion. We are correcting the record so the facts are clear and properly understood,” the statement continues. “Prosecutor Pillich is surprised the coroner would rush to a judgement before having a conversation with the prosecutor’s office, where prosecutors who have long handled this case would have been happy to share a full understanding of the facts.”In an email sent to Sammarco’s office Tuesday, David Hine, an attorney representing Jones, demanded a “full retraction and a public apology,” for her findings released on Monday.”You claim that you were acting in the best interests of Hamilton County and your constituents, but irony and hypocrisy abound,” Hine’s email reads, in part. “Although you say you were trying to give the people of Hamilton County the facts, all you have done is spread misinformation…You should have no difficulty issuing an immediate retraction and full public apology, making clear that your statements were ill-informed and that the actual evidence demonstrates that Ms. Nathan did test positive for Hepatitis B while Mr. Jones—whose tests you incorrectly attributed to Ms. Nathan—did not. Without such a response, we will likely need to involve the courts,” the email concludes.”Both Pillich and Jones’ legal team say Sammarco’s findings announced Monday were actually a misreading of a negative test conducted on Jones, not one conducted on Rhoda Nathan.In the statement attributed to Pillich, she said, “We do not take this matter lightly. A man’s life is at stake. And a victim and her family are still without justice. There is no excuse to get the facts wrong, as happened here. I and my team spent months reviewing this case. I am confident we came to the right conclusion.”Pillich’s office says they requested “the coroner rescind her incorrect statement of the records,” as well as issue an apology to Jones.“I can’t imagine the impact this fake information had on Rhoda Nathan’s family,” Pillich added.

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio —

The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office issued new findings in the decades-old murder case of Rhoda Nathan, who was brutally killed in a Blue Ash hotel room in 1994.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton County Prosecutor Pillich’s office slammed the actions of Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco who, on Monday, announced that a review of Nathan’s autopsy showed she did not have hepatitis B, directly contradicting the autopsy report filed in the case three decades ago.

“The coroner did NOT uncover new information about the victim’s medical history,” Pillich’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “She reviewed a laboratory report belonging to Elwood Jones and mistakenly attributed Mr. Jones’s negative Hepatitis B test result to the victim. This was a misreading of a test done through the coroner’s office, not a correction of any prior diagnosis involving the victim and not newly discovered evidence.”

Monday, Sammarco said in a statement that a review of archived records in the case, a laboratory report was discovered that “indicated Ms. Nathan was negative for Hepatitis B.”

In a new statement on Tuesday, Sammarco said she received results that stated the blood specimen for Nathan was “Hepatitis B surface antigen positive,” going against Monday’s statement.

“Today I am in receipt of a document titled Microbiology Reference Laboratory Test Report provided by attorney David Hine. In that document there are reference numbers that correspond to our autopsy and death record numbers, H-377-94 and 122981 respectively. Additionally, in the body of the report there is a reference to cadaver specimen. The printed results state that the blood specimen was Hepatitis B surface antigen positive. Considering the correlation of the numbers on the report with our records, it appears that this is the actual Hepatitis B test result for Rhoda Nathan,” Sammarco said.

When the case was dismissed earlier this month, Pillich said more modern forensic testing ruled Jones out as a suspect, saying a coroner had done a report on Nathan that revealed she had Hepatitis B.

“The record is clear. On Sept. 8, 1994, testing done through the coroner’s office showed Rhoda Nathan had Hepatitis B. This test was stipulated to by both parties in a federal habeas action,” a statement from Pillich’s office says. “On Sept. 16, 1994, testing done through the coroner’s office showed Elwood Jones did not have Hepatitis B.

“Accuracy matters, particularly in cases this significant. Assigning the wrong test result to the wrong individual leads to incorrect public conclusions and unnecessary confusion. We are correcting the record so the facts are clear and properly understood,” the statement continues. “Prosecutor Pillich is surprised the coroner would rush to a judgement before having a conversation with the prosecutor’s office, where prosecutors who have long handled this case would have been happy to share a full understanding of the facts.”

In an email sent to Sammarco’s office Tuesday, David Hine, an attorney representing Jones, demanded a “full retraction and a public apology,” for her findings released on Monday.

“You claim that you were acting in the best interests of Hamilton County and your constituents, but irony and hypocrisy abound,” Hine’s email reads, in part. “Although you say you were trying to give the people of Hamilton County the facts, all you have done is spread misinformation…You should have no difficulty issuing an immediate retraction and full public apology, making clear that your statements were ill-informed and that the actual evidence demonstrates that Ms. Nathan did test positive for Hepatitis B while Mr. Jones—whose tests you incorrectly attributed to Ms. Nathan—did not. Without such a response, we will likely need to involve the courts,” the email concludes.”

Both Pillich and Jones’ legal team say Sammarco’s findings announced Monday were actually a misreading of a negative test conducted on Jones, not one conducted on Rhoda Nathan.

In the statement attributed to Pillich, she said, “We do not take this matter lightly. A man’s life is at stake. And a victim and her family are still without justice. There is no excuse to get the facts wrong, as happened here. I and my team spent months reviewing this case. I am confident we came to the right conclusion.”

Pillich’s office says they requested “the coroner rescind her incorrect statement of the records,” as well as issue an apology to Jones.

“I can’t imagine the impact this fake information had on Rhoda Nathan’s family,” Pillich added.