Fischer’s Death a Suicide, Coroner’s Office Reports

The Orange County coroner’s office ruled Friday that forensic pathologist Walter Fischer’s shooting death on Monday was a suicide.

A preliminary autopsy report showed that Fischer had shot himself twice in the chest with a .32-caliber revolver while sitting in his car in a parking lot in Orange.

Coroner’s spokesman Lt. Dick Olson said it is not uncommon for suicide victims to shoot themselves twice. Either Fischer fired the second shot before losing consciousness or he pulled the trigger again in a spasmodic reaction, sources in the coroner’s office said.

Fischer, 56, of Villa Park, was one of three partners in a forensic pathology group that holds a county contract to perform autopsies for the county coroner’s office. His work had come under criticism in recent months, and close friends say he was highly despondent.

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Police said immediately after the shooting that it appeared to be a suicide, but added that they were waiting for the official announcement from the coroner’s office. The coroner’s ruling comes ahead of the complete autopsy report, which isn’t expected until next week.

Fischer had left for work at his office in Anaheim Monday morning, but never arrived. He was found slumped in the front seat of his car by a security guard patrolling a large vacant parking lot near The City Drive and Garden Grove Boulevard.

The autopsy was performed by Dr. Armand Dollinger, chief forensic pathologist for Kern County.