Additional Information on Two Recent Effingham County Deaths

Effingham County Coroner Duane Guffey has released additional information on two recent deaths.

48-year-old David Alexander of Pana collapsed December 17 at the residence of an acquaintance in a rural area north of Effingham.  Alexander was taken by ambulance to the emergency department of St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham, where he was pronounced dead.  An autopsy was performed the following day and results of the examination are now available.

The final autopsy report indicates Alexander died from coronary artery thrombosis.  The report also indicates Alexander had a toxic level of alpha PVP (bath salts) in his system and listed that as a contributing factor in Alexander's death.

   --

Additional information was also released on the December 22 death of Toby Bushue of Edgewood.

The 37-year-old Bushue was found unresponsive at a residence in Farina.  He was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony's where he was pronounced dead in the emergency department.

An autopsy was performed the same day.  Final toxicology reports indicate Bushue had a blood alcohol content of .479.  The cause of death was alcohol toxicity.