Elliot Blair’s family late Tuesday revealed new details about the mysterious death of the California public defender, who maintains their belief he was the victim of a violent crime while vacationing with his wife at a Mexican resort.
Blair’s heartbreaking family said in a statement that the incident that led to the 33-year-old’s death occurred on an open walkway outside the front door of her room at her resort — not a fall from a balcony, as previously reported by Mexican authorities .
The family said their loved one was found in his underwear, a sleeping T-shirt and socks – and was not drunk at the time of his death. Blair and his wife Kim, who were staying at the Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito Beach for their one-year anniversary, were familiar with the hotel’s layout, having stayed there several times in the past, the family said.
They claimed that Mexican authorities had repeatedly suggested that his body be cremated, including when the family called a funeral home on Monday. The family said they rebuked the idea because they wanted his body handed over to them so that “a thorough, full and independent investigation” could be carried out.
Blair, who spoke fluent Spanish, died on Saturday, with Mexican authorities claiming in local media it was the result of an accidental fall, the family said.
But the officials cited have yet to contact them, the family said. Relatives said that based on their initial investigations, they still believe he was a “victim of a brutal crime.”
The family also said Blair’s widow was “given multiple versions of what happened to Elliot.”
The only officer who has been in contact with them is the coroner’s office liaison, they said.
The family said the liaison told them on Monday that an autopsy on Blair showed his cause of death was severe head trauma and the case was being referred to prosecutors for a possible homicide investigation.
The liaison said a toxicology report has not yet been finalized.
“The family informed the liaison that they would be conducting their own independent investigation and specifically would hire a private investigative firm and hire an independent forensic pathologist to conduct a medical investigation, including their own toxicology analysis,” the statement said.
The family has criticized the Rosarito Beach Police Department, prosecutors and other Mexican officials for not yet contacting the family. They believe there has been “little to no” police investigation into Blair’s death so far.
A lawyer since 2017, his family called Blair a “brilliant lawyer with a bright future”.
Mom Stella Blair told the Post in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that she was “beyond devastated” by the death of her son.
“Elliot’s tragic, untimely and suspicious death has left a huge hole in the hearts of his family and community that will never be repaired,” the family said in the statement late Tuesday.
California private investigator and former police officer John Jenks, who worked with Blair on several cases, told The Post that the details from the family’s testimony provided some answers but raised even more questions.
“That’s exactly what we feared,” Jenks said. “This is heartbreaking because when Elliot and I worked together, we talked about the quality of policing. If the police do their job properly, the system works. It is heartbreaking to see that there are no police investigations and no one is speaking directly to the family.”
From a professional perspective, Jenks said there were several “red flags,” including the fact that Mexican authorities allegedly immediately suggested that the body be cremated before the investigation was even complete.
“I would definitely investigate that as a cover-up,” Jenks said. “People don’t come with information and evidence. The family clearly believes it was murder and is taking the right steps. And based on what they say here, major head trauma can mean a lot of different things.
“The only thing that gives me a glimmer of hope here is that the coroner’s liaison said there was severe head trauma and the case was referred to the DA’s office for a possible homicide investigation,” Jenks added.
