Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County sheriff and coroner, said Thursday that Lang had “three superficial, self-inflicted stab wounds” to his chest and no cuts on his back, despite initial reports by law enforcement. A more detailed, official coroner’s report will be released sometime next month, he added.
Botti said investigators believed Lang started the fire himself.
Fresno police Lt. Burke Farrah, head of the department’s homicide unit, said the confusion about the wounds was the result of incorrect information released at the scene by Lt. Joe Gomez, the department’s public information officer. He is waiting for the official coroner’s report, but he said that information gathered during his detectives’ investigation also pointed to suicide.
“Joe made a mistake,” Farrah said. “This is an aberration. Typically, we are very careful.”
He continued: “When you start from a false premise, that’s what allows this to spin out of control.”
Death of John Lang in suspicious Fresno house fire ruled suicide