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Traficant cremated, family rep discloses
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Traficant
YOUNGSTOWN
Even in death, former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is generating controversy.
Traficant’s family, through a spokeswoman, finally clarified Tuesday that the former congressman was cremated early Monday. That was followed by a private service with his remains, attended by family and very close friends.
On Monday afternoon, Heidi Hanni, Traficant family spokeswoman and an attorney, told The Vindicator Traficant had been buried at an undisclosed location.
However, Dr. Joseph Ohr, forensic pathologist for the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office, said he conducted an autopsy on the body of Traficant between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Dr. Ohr also said Traficant’s body was taken by the funeral home handling the arrangements for Traficant sometime after 5:45 p.m. Monday. Rossi Brothers & Lellio Funeral Home in Boardman handled the arrangements for Traficant.
When told about Dr. Ohr’s statements, Hanni said, “I’m really frustrated right now,” and “I’m getting conflicting reports.”
At his request, Traficant’s family donated his eyes, skin and bone marrow, she said.
Hanni said she’s been restricted by family members in what she can discuss as they want to protect their privacy and are mourning Traficant’s passing.
She eventually confirmed Traficant’s ashes were in an urn with his family.
The preliminary ruling by Dr. Ohr was “positional asphyxia” — meaning Traficant wasn’t able to breathe after the tractor he was driving fell on top of him on his family farm in Greenford.
A final ruling will be made in six to eight weeks, he said.
Traficant was seriously injured Sept. 23 when driving a 1943 Ford tractor at his family’s 76-acre farm on West South Range Road when the vehicle struck a large steel blade on the ground, about 140 feet into a large pole barn, Goshen police say. That caused the tractor to roll over backward onto Traficant, still in the driver’s seat, and he was trapped under the vehicle.
The preliminary report also showed no evidence of a heart attack or that Traficant died from being crushed by the tractor, Dr. Ohr said.
The only visible injury Traficant had was a small laceration above his left eye, he said.
With “no hope” of recovery, Hanni said Traficant was taken Friday from St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown to the Hospice House in Beaver Township “to make him as comfortable as possible.” He died there at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Traficant spent 17 years in the U.S. House before being expelled July 24, 2002, after being convicted of 10 felony counts including racketeering, bribery, tax evasion and obstruction of justice. He was only the second U.S. House member to be expelled since the Civil War.
Traficant spent a little more than seven years in federal prison and was released Sept. 2, 2009.