Michael Schiavo Wants Terri's Body Cremated If She Dies

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 20, 2003

Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Terri Schiavo's husband Michael wants her body cremated if she dies. Her family says that's because he wants to cover up alleged physical abuse.

If Terri's body is cremated, it would deny any chance the family has to validate a long-held suspicion that Terri's comalike state was caused not by a potassium imbalance that started a heart attack, but by physical abuse.

Suzanne Carr and Bob Schindler, Jr., Terri's brother and sister, appeared on the Fox News Channel over the weekend and said they still want authorities to look into what caused Terri's medical condition.

"Michael has instructed the judge to cremate her body upon her death, which adds even more suspicion to what really happened to Terri," Bob Schindler said.

He added, "We're trying to stop the cremation from happening if Terri does die, so hopefully, we get to the process of investigating what may have happened to Terri that evening."

A bone scan was conducted on Terri in March 1991. The scan showed Terri was the victim of "previous traumas," indicating she may have been beaten or abused. Years later, when the document was finally revealed in Terri's medical files, Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe said too much time had elapsed and would not investigate.

"He's been trying to kill her -- that's the bottom line," said Carla Sauer Iyer, a 39-year-old registered nurse who cared for Terri Schiavo at a nursing home in 1995 and 1996. She says Terri has said words such as "Mommy," "help me" and "pain."

George Felos, Michael's attorney, calls the nurse's statements, "a bunch of garbage." He claims Michael has been insistent that Terri receive the best medical care possible. Felos pointed to court records of other caregivers who say they have never seen Terri communicate. "It didn't happen, it's a fabrication."

Yet, videos on the parents' web site clearly show Terri communicating with expressions to doctors and her parents.