In Crestview, Florida, the family of Tarina White, who was found deceased with her boyfriend in a sunken pickup truck, faced a setback in their effort to reopen the case and determine if her death was a murder. Okaloosa Circuit Judge John Jay Gontarek denied their request to compel the state medical examiner to revise White’s death certificate, which they hoped would prompt a new investigation. White and her boyfriend, Billy Pullam, were discovered in their submerged truck in Compass Lake, Jackson County in 2016, with authorities concluding it was an accidental drowning.
However, the families have maintained that White and Pullam were murdered by individuals involved in criminal activities, and that the crash scene was staged. They filed a lawsuit against the state medical examiner and sought to amend the death certificate to list the cause of death as undetermined. Despite their efforts, the judge dismissed their petition and denied their request for attorney’s fees.
The family’s attorney, Fred Flowers, is proceeding with a motion for reconsideration, citing preliminary findings from a new independent autopsy suggesting that White died from asphyxiation at the hands of another. According to Flowers, it is clear that her death was a murder, although he recognizes the legal challenges they face. The original autopsy conducted by the state medical examiner concluded that White and Pullam drowned accidentally after driving into the lake.
The families’ pleas for further investigation were initially denied, and the case was officially closed. Dr. Daniel Schultz, a private forensic pathologist enlisted by White’s sister, provided expert opinion that accidental drowning was highly unlikely, and that a dual homicide was a valid consideration. In May, White’s remains were exhumed for a second autopsy, which raised concerns of potential homicide.
Schultz’s latest report was included in Flowers’ motion for a rehearing, which the opposing lawyer argued has no new facts and requested the judge to deny. The family hopes for the judge to hear testimonies from medical experts on both sides before making a decision. Despite the legal setbacks, they remain determined to seek justice and the truth for White and Pullam. The battle continues as they push for a new investigation into the tragic deaths of the couple in Compass Lake.