Whiteside toxicology results not revealed

EPHRAIM – The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office received toxicology results for Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside earlier this week, but no details are being released.

Door County Medical Examiner Jeff Jansen declined to disclose the results, which were obtained on Monday from a private clinical toxicology and forensics testing laboratory in Pennsylvania.

TIMELINE: The disappearance of Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside

Dr. Mark J. Witeck, a forensic pathologist who contracts with the medical examiner’s office, performed an autopsy on Whiteside on July 23. It was completed about 24 hours after Whiteside’s body was found on an uninhabited property in Door County on July 22. Dental records confirmed the identity.

The medical examiner’s office said Witeck will review the toxicology results and create a final report. Jansen will review Witeck’s conclusions, law enforcement reports and other medical records to determine the cause and manner of Whiteside’s death. Jansen said he will then meet with the Door County Sheriff’s Department to discuss the findings.

Chief Deputy Pat McCarty said Tuesday that he had no new information regarding the investigation into Whiteside’s death, which has been clouded in mystery since he went missing in late June.

Following the discovery of Whiteside’s body, Door County Judge Peter Diltz sealed the search warrant return arising from the discovery of Whiteside’s body. Diltz sealed the results under the direction and recommendation of the Door County District Attorney’s office.

Diltz told Post-Crescent Media Wednesday that he did not “have much of a recollection” of sealing the returns. He said he recalled that there “were good reasons to (seal) the warrant,” but declined to disclose the reasons.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Door County district’s attorney’s office said the case is still under investigation and declined comment on why the returns remain sealed.

“I doubt very much that the original reasons to seal (the search warrant) still exist,” Diltz said. “There was an ongoing investigation, so of course it was appropriate to seal it at that time.”

He said he has had no involvement with the investigation outside of sealing the returns.

“I’ve only read what’s in the papers,” Diltz said. “I would be happy to unseal it if there’s no objection.”

Whiteside, a pulmonary and critical care physician, worked in the Fox Valley for more than 30 years. He helped found Fox Valley Pulmonary Medicine and served on the ThedaCare Board of Trustees and the executive committee.

He was last seen on June 29 leaving the Ephraim Yacht Harbor Marina following an argument with his wife. His family reported him missing two days later. A dog with the K-9 Emergency Response Team (KERT) discovered his body more than three weeks later.

McCarty said a .22-caliber handgun found by the doctor’s body was discharged at least once. Whiteside’s family said all firearms known to be owned by the doctor were located.

— Ethan Safran: 920-993-1000, ext. 426, or esafran@gannett.com; on Twitter @EthanSafran. Reporter Jen Zettel contributed to this report.