Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)
Contact:  http://www.pressdemo.com/
Pubdate: Thur, 1 Oct 1998
Author: Mike Geniella

POT FOUND IN DEAD ACTIVIST'S BLOOD

EUREKA -- Humboldt County authorities said Wednesday preliminary drug tests
show Earth First! activist David Chain had smoked marijuana sometime before
he was killed by a falling tree while protesting logging operations by
Pacific Lumber Co.

Traces of marijuana linger in the body for 30 days or more, said Coroner
Frank Jager, so it's possible that Chain hadn't smoked pot for several days
or even weeks before the Sept. 17 accident.

Despite the positive test, Jager said that he isn't yet able to determine
whether the Austin, Texas, man smoked marijuana on the day of his death.

"We plan to conduct further tests which should allow us to determine that,''
Jager said. "But the results could take up to six weeks."

Steven Schectman, an attorney representing Chain's family, criticized
authorities for releasing results of the preliminary drug tests.

"It doesn't mean anything,'' Schectman said. "He could have smoked a little
pot a month ago. It's just another attempt to smear environmental
activists."

Schectman also complained drug tests weren't performed on the logger, whom
activists believe deliberately cut a tree to fall toward Chain and other
activists, who were protesting timber cutting by Pacific Lumber Co. at a
site near Grizzly Creek State Park.

"Why not?'' Schectman asked. "Because they assumed from the beginning that
Chain was responsible for his own death."

Chain, 24, died from severe head injuries after being struck by a falling
redwood, according to autopsy results disclosed Wednesday by Jager.

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Checked-by: Don Beck