Gatti's Will Changed 3 Weeks Before Death

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Arturo Gatti's will was changed just three weeks before the ex-boxing champ died, his brother Fabrizio confirmed Sunday.

"It's the truth," he said when asked during a brief phone call for confirmation of reports the former fighter had bequeathed everything to his wife, Amanda Rodrigues.

Family friend and sports journalist Jeremy Filosa told The Canadian Press that on June 17, Gatti ((Pictured, thanks Al Bello/Getty)) and Rodrigues changed the ex-boxer's will, leaving his full inheritance in her name.

"Everything that Arturo Gatti owns -- past, present and future -- goes to his wife. Nothing goes to his children or mother or brothers or sisters," said Filosa.

Gatti's widow was also named executor of his will and stands to receive $1 million from a life insurance policy, Filosa said, adding the family was made aware of the changes on Friday.

Brazilian police said Friday that Gatti's death was being ruled a suicide -- a conclusion rejected by Gatti's friends and family, who asked a Quebec coroner to re-examine the body, buried July 20 in Montreal.

Rodrigues was released Friday after having been held for nearly three weeks in a Brazilian jail on suspicion of murder.

On Saturday, a celebrity pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ's family said Brazilian authorities overlooked bruises on Gatti's body in the initial autopsy.

"There were some surprises," Dr. Michael Baden said in an interview with The Canadian Press after a seven-hour forensic follow-up in Montreal.

"The first surprise was that it was a partial autopsy, and not a full autopsy; the second was that there were some important findings, like the injuries that had not been identified."

Partial autopsies are unusual in suspected homicides, said Baden, noting that in this case, the body's organs had not been examined.

Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and are also awaiting more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

"There were definite injuries that had not been seen by Brazilian authorities," Baden said.

"But one needs all of the information -- including the toxicology, which is not available yet -- to be able to come to the conclusion as to whether it's homicide or suicide."

Second autopsies often take longer than the first but have the advantage of fresh information, he added. "We had a better idea of what to look for because of the issues that have been raised."

Baden will continue to share information with the Montreal medical examiners overseeing the latest investigation into Gatti'sdeath.

The two Canadian pathologists, described by Baden as "first-rate," will evaluate the additional information before releasing a report on the ex-boxer's death in the coming weeks.

Baden, a U.S. pathologist, is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Here's Global Montreal's TV coverage of the Gatti death...
Paola Samuel is standing in front of a green screen tossing to full screens and voicing over tape...

Baden: Gatti's 2nd Autopsy Yields "Surprises"

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Bruising on the body of slain fighter Arturo Gatti was overlooked by the Brazilian authorities who conducted the initial autopsy, a celebrity pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ's family said Saturday after a seven-hour forensic follow-up.

"There were some surprises," Dr. Michael Baden said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"The first surprise was that it was a partial autopsy, and not a full autopsy; the second was that there were some important findings, like the injuries that had not been identified."

Brazilian authorities said earlier this week that Gatti had committed suicide at a resort in the northeastern part of the country on July 11. His 23-year-old Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was released Friday after being held for nearly three weeks on suspicion of murder.

Partial autopsies are unusual in suspected homicides, said Baden, who described the overlooked injuries as bruises that weren't cited in the initial forensic report.

Baden, who assisted in the autopsy at the family's request, said the Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and are also awaiting more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

"There were definite injuries that had not been seen by Brazilian authorities," Baden said.

"But one needs all of the information -- including the toxicology, which is not available yet -- to be able to come to the conclusion as to whether it's homicide or suicide."

Second autopsies often take longer than the first but have the advantage of fresh information, he added. "We had a better idea of what to look for because of the issues that have been raised."

Baden will continue to share information with the Montreal medical examiners overseeing the latest investigation into Gatti'sdeath.

The two Canadian pathologists, described by Baden as "first-rate," will evaluate the additional information before releasing a report on the ex-boxer's death in the coming weeks.

Baden, a U.S. pathologist, is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Brazilian police said Friday that Gatti hanged himself with a bag strap that he tied around a wooden staircase column more than two metres off the ground, looping it around his neck before stepping off a stool.

That conclusion was rejected by Gatti's friends and family, who asked a Quebec coroner to exhume the body, which was buried July 20 in Montreal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the government also formally asked Brazilian authorities for more information on the investigation into Gatti's death.

Gatti, a Montreal native who held two world titles in his 16-year pro career, retired in 2007 with a record of 40-9.

Baden: Brazilian Autopsy On Gatti "Incomplete"

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The celebrity pathologist hired by the family of Arturo Gatti to oversee the second autopsy in the death of the ex-boxing champ says that elements were missed in the initial examination of the body.

"The Brazilian autopsy was not a complete autopsy," Dr. Michael Baden told reporters gathered outside the coroner's office in Montreal Saturday.

"There were a lot of additional findings that were not found by the Brazilian pathologists. It has to await further investigation."

Baden, who assisted the autopsy at the request of the Gatti family, said the Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and they are waiting for more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

The U.S. pathologist is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Brazilian authorities said earlier this week that Gatti had committed suicide at a resort in the northeastern part of the country on July 11.

Gatti's 23-year-old Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, held since July 12 on suspicion of murder, was released Friday.

Brazilian police released more details about the incident Friday, saying Gatti hanged himself with a bag strap that he tied around a wooden staircase column more than two metres off the ground, looping it around his neck and then kicking the stool from underneath him.

That conclusion was rejected by Gatti's family and friends.

A Quebec coroner agreed to exhume the body of the former boxer at the family's request.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the government also formally asked Brazilian authorities for more information on the investigation into Gatti's death.

Gatti's Body Exhumed, Canadian Government Wants More Info

((HT: Montreal Gazette/Mike De Souza))

The Harper government is calling on Brazilian authorities to shed light on the mystery surrounding the death of Montreal boxer Arturo Gatti ((pictured, thanks Teddy Blackburn/Reuters/Montreal Gazette file)).

With the Quebec coroner’s office agreeing to conduct a second autopsy on the body of the former world champion boxer this weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said on Friday that he has also asked his department to look into the matter.

“Today, I have asked officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada to formally seek more information from Brazilian authorities concerning the events surrounding the death, on July 11, 2009, in Brazil, of M. Arturo Gatti, a Canadian citizen,” Cannon said in a statement.

“The government of Canada is seeking more information on the investigation into the death of its citizen, and on the findings of the investigation.”

Cannon said that the government would continue to provide consular assistance to the family in the meantime.

“Our thoughts are with Mr. Gatti’s family during these difficult times,” he said.

After detaining the boxer’s wife for three weeks as a suspect in what they initially described as a homicide, Brazilian police released Amanda Rodrigues, 23, on Thursday.

A lead investigator in the case said that Gatti, 37, had committed suicide, but his family and friends in Montreal are not convinced that the boxer took his own life.

Jeremy Filosa, a Gatti childhood friend, said that the family is very encouraged by Cannon’s decision.

“This is what they wanted the whole time. They were crying out for the government to get involved in this case,” Filosa told Canwest News Service on Friday. “They still have a lot of suspicions and think some of the stuff doesn’t make any sense according to what Brazilian police are stating.”

He said the family has also hired a pathologist, well-known in the world of Hollywood, who will be flown to Montreal over the weekend as an observer to the autopsy.

Genevieve Guilbault, a spokeswoman from the coroner’s office, said the examination by two licensed pathologists from Montreal would begin on Saturday morning. She said the official results would be released in a coroner’s report at the end of the investigation which could take a few months.

Bernard Barre, a family friend who once trained the boxer, also welcomed the government’s announcement.

“We’re really talking about a sports hero for all of Canada,” Barre said. “It’s completely normal that the government is pushing further in this situation which is becoming more ambiguous with contradictory results, so I’m happy to know that someone in the government is getting involved.”

A spokeswoman for Cannon said the minister was not available for an interview to comment further since the file was under review.

“We are closely following the developments,” wrote Cannon’s director of communications, Catherine Loubier, in an e-mail.

In a phone interview given after she was released from jail, Rodrigues speculated that Gatti may have killed himself because he was afraid she would leave him after the two had a violent disagreement on the night before his death.

Meantime, Brazilian police have released new details about their investigation, explaining that Gatti was hanged with a bag strap from a wooden staircase column more than two metres off the ground, the Associated Press reported.

A police spokeswoman from the northeastern city of Recife told the news agency that investigators originally thought he had been strangled because his body was found on the floor.

The original autopsy indicated that Gatti was hanging from the column for about three hours, police said.

Gatti’s 11-month-old son remains in Brazil, where he is being cared for by Rodrigues’ family.

Gatti, who was born in Italy and raised in Montreal, turned professional at the age of 19 and went on to win two world boxing titles before retiring in 2007 with a record of 40-9.

GlobalTV's Domenic Fazioli has your local reaction...Kevin Newman is your anchor...

Brazilian Police: Gatti Hanged Himself

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Arturo Gatti ((pictured, thanks CP)) hanged himself with a handbag strap from a staircase column more than seven feet off the ground, Brazilian police said Friday as they released new details about the boxer's death.

Milena Saraiva, a spokeswoman for police in the northeastern city of Recife, provided more information about Gatti's suicide a day after authorities reversed their stance on the case. Until Thursday, they insisted it was a homicide and the boxer's wife was tagged as the primary suspect.

"This case has been resolved. While the evidence at the scene first led us to think Gatti was murdered, the autopsy results and a detailed crime scene analysis simply pointed to a different outcome," Saraiva said.

On Thursday, a judge ordered the release of Gatti's wife, 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues, who had been held since July 12 in Recife. She and Gatti arrived with their 10-month-old son a few days before in the resort town of Porto de Galinhas, where they rented a two-level apartment.

Police ultimately concluded that Gatti hanged himself in the apartment early on July 11 from a wooden staircase column that was 7.3 feet off the ground. He stood on a stool and kicked it out from underneath him, police said. The autopsy report said Gatti was suspended for about three hours before his body fell to the floor.

Rodrigues said she was sleeping with the pair's son in an upstairs bedroom. She told police she went downstairs about 6 a.m. to get milk for the boy and saw Gatti's body on the floor, but assumed he was drunkenly sleeping. It was not until she went back downstairs at 9 a.m. that she discovered Gatti was dead and called police. Saraiva said no suicide note was found.

"The first investigators to arrive at the scene only saw his body on the floor and the bloodied strap near his body," Saraiva said. "They assumed his wife strangled him."

Saraiva said 17 witnesses told police that the pair got into a loud fight on a street near the beach in Porto de Galinhas the night before Gatti died. Saraiva said Gatti had seven cans of beer, along with two bottles of wine, over the course of dinner and partying at a bar.

Witnesses told police Gatti at one point picked up Rodrigues, who weighs about 100 pounds, by her chin with his right hand and tossed her to the ground.

Saraiva said at that point a security guard for a local hotel intervened, only to be punched in the face by Gatti. A small crowd that had gathered around the scene grew angry, with some throwing stones and even a bicycle at the boxer, the police spokeswoman said.

One stone hit Gatti in the back of the head, causing a wound that police originally said was caused by a small steak knife that was found near his body -- and which police showed off to reporters the day after Gatti's death.

The fracas eventually broke up, and Gatti and Rodrigues returned to the apartment in separate taxis.

In an telephone interview with the Associated Press as she walked out of jail Thursday, Rodrigues said Gatti may have killed himself because he feared she would leave him after their fight, one of many during a rocky two-year marriage.

"I believe that when we got home and he saw that he hurt me, he thought I would leave him, that I would tell him to just let me go, that I would separate from him," she said. "He did that in a moment of weakness. He was drunk, maybe he didn't know what he was doing, maybe he thought I would leave him the next day."

According to records at the Court of Quebec's criminal and penal division, Gatti was charged on April 16 for violating a restraining order that had been filed against him. Records didn't indicate who filed the restraining order, but Gatti's mother, Ida, confirmed it was Rodrigues who had taken one out against him.

Gatti, who captured two world titles in his 16-year pro career, retired in 2007 with a record of 40-9.

Gatti manager Pat Lynch said at a Thursday night memorial service for the boxer in northern New Jersey he was shocked when he heard about the suicide ruling and hopes the Canadian government will get involved.

"I'm not going to rest," he said. "We've got a lot of investigation ahead of us."

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday in a statement that government officials will seek more information from Brazilian authorities on the Gatti investigation and its findings.

Gatti Death Ruled Suicide

The cororners report is in on the death of former boxer Arturo Gatti...and the verdict is...suicide. The former Welterweight champion's body was found on July 11th by his wife in Brazil. Unfortunately, the Brazillian authorities assumed that his wife, Amanda Rodrigues was the one who killed him and they threw her in jail. She has since been released.

The story from the New York Daily News here .

This puts an end to a violent and strange story of one of Boxing's most legendary competitors. Gatti, who was in Brazil on a "Second Honeymoon" with his wife and 10 month old, leaves a legacy of classic fights including battles with: Oscar DeLaHoya and Floyd Mayweather.

((Arturo Gatti/ Courtesy: Bello/Getty Images))

Gatti Autopsy Indicates Possible Suicide

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A Brazilian newspaper said that an autopsy performed on former boxing champ Arturo Gatti indicates he may have committed suicide.

Gatti was found dead in the apartment he was renting with wife Amanda Rodrigues in the Brazilian seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas last Saturday.

Police have arrested Rodrigues on suspicion of strangling the former two-division champion. Rodrigues, who maintains she's innocent, is being held in a prison in the northeastern Brazil city of Recife.

The Jornal do Comercio newspaper reported in its Saturday edition that the autopsy says Gatti's body was "suspended and hanged, indicating he may have committed suicide."

Paula Cysneiros, a spokeswoman for the medical examiners' office, would not confirm the newspaper's report.

Gatti's Wife Charged In Boxer's Death

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Brazilian authorities detained the wife of former boxing champion Arturo Gatti and formally accused her Sunday of killing him at a posh seaside tourist resort in Brazil.

Police said 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues was taken into custody after contradictions in her interrogation and presented a formal accusation against her. Prosecutors will later decide whether she'll be charged.

Rodrigues, who denies any involvement in her husband's death, was the first to find the slain boxer's body early Saturday inside the vacation apartment they were renting at the Porto de Galinhas resort in northeastern Brazil, police said.

The former junior welterweight champion from Montreal was apparently strangled with the strap of a purse, which was found at the scene with blood stains, said Milena Saraiva, a spokeswoman for the Pernambuco state civil police.

She told The Associated Press that the Canadian also sustained a head injury.

Police said Rodrigues, a Brazilian, could not explain how she spent nearly 10 hours inside the residence without noticing that Gatti was already dead.

Rodrigues told police she had a fight with Gatti after dinner Friday night and he pushed her to the ground during the altercation, causing her to sustain minor injuries to her elbow and chin.

She told authorities Gatti was drunk and that a third party likely committed the crime after he went to the apartment by himself.

Witnesses had reported to police that the couple fought and that Gatti was drunk.

Authorities were told the couple was extremely jealous of each other and that Gatti constantly complained about her clothing when she travelled to Brazil, Saraiva said.

Acelino (Popo) Freitas, a four-time world champion Brazilian boxer, told Globo TV's Web site on Saturday that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate."

They had planned to spend one month in Brazil on vacation.

The couple's one-year-old son, who was unhurt, was handed to Rodrigues' sister, Saraiva said.

The 37-year-old Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, retired in 2007 with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.

Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the super featherweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City, N.J.

He won the junior welterweight title in 2004.

Gatti's Wife Detained In Brazil

((HT: CP))

Brazilian authorities detained the wife of former boxing champion Arturo Gatti ((pictured, thanks CP file)) as a suspect on Sunday following his death at a posh seaside tourist resort in Brazil.

Police said 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues was taken into custody after contradictions in her interrogation. The Canadian boxer's body was found early Saturday in a hotel room at the Porto de Galinhas resort in northeastern Brazil.

The former junior welterweight champion from Montreal was apparently strangled with the strap of a purse, which was found at the scene with blood stains, said Milena Saraiva, a spokeswoman for the Pernambuco state civil police. She told The Associated Press that Gatti also sustained a head injury.

The investigation was not complete, but Saraiva said authorities were preparing to present a formal accusation against Rodrigues, who denied being involved in her husband's death.

Police said Rodrigues, a Brazilian, could not explain how she spent nearly 10 hours in the room without noticing that Gatti was already dead.

Police were investigating witness reports that the couple fought and Gatti was drunk when he returned to his room Friday night, Saraiva said, adding that police were told the couple was extremely jealous of each other and that he constantly complained of her clothing when she travelled to Brazil.

Acelino (Popo) Freitas, a four-time world champion Brazilian boxer, told Globo TV's website on Saturday that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate."

The couple's one-year-old son, who was unhurt, was handed to Rodrigues' sister, Saraiva said.

The 37-year-old Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, retired in 2007 with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.

Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the junior welterweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Here's the 9th Round of Gatti-Ward 1- three minutes of two guys just beating the daylights out of each other...
((HT: HBO Sports))