2nd Autopsy on Hess Fails to Convince Kin

A second autopsy has failed to convince the family of Rudolf Hess that the former Nazi leader committed suicide, the family’s lawyer said today.

Alfred Seidl disagreed with British authorities, who say Hess strangled himself with an electrical cord in Berlin’s Spandau prison Monday at age 93 after leaving a suicide note.

“The doubts about the suicide assertion have not been removed in any way,” the family lawyer told the Associated Press in a telephone interview late today.

He said Dr. Wolfgang Spann, a Munich forensic medicine specialist, conducted the second autopsy earlier today at the family’s request.

‘Violent Force’

Seidl said that imprints found in Hess’ neck show the “influence of an outside, violent force” although he did not elaborate. Seidl previously indicated he thought someone else may have killed Hess.

“Whether these imprints come from a cord, we don’t know,” he added.

Seidl said Hess’ body is now in the Forensic Medicine Institute of state-run Munich University, and the family would release the full results of the second autopsy on Monday.

Wolf Ruediger Hess, the Nazi criminal’s son, had told the Associated Press earlier in the day he had requested the second autopsy.

Son Still Has Doubts

“In my opinion, neither the farewell note nor the British autopsy has removed my doubts about what has been called the suicide of my father,” Hess said.

Asked about the contents of the note found in Rudolf Hess’ pocket after his death, the younger Hess said: “I have not seen either the original or a copy of the letter left behind by my father. A spokesman (for the Allies) read its contents to me in broken German.”

He added, “The letter is no proof of suicide. You can forget it.”