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The body of Kaelie Cusick may be exhumed from the grave in January.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor David Kolbe requested a coroner's order for exhumation from Noble County Coroner Terry Brasil.
The order had to come from Noble County because Kaelie is buried there.
The order was issued, but Brasil said it was premature to discuss any other details of the exhumation.
Former Kosciusko County Coroner John Sadler said this morning, "At this point, we've had some of the findings looked at by outside experts and outside findings contradict the original autopsy," John Sadler said.
Sadler was the original coroner in the case. Dr. Joseph Czaja, pathologist at St. Joseph Medical Center, Fort Wayne, performed the original autopsy.
Sadler said the exhumation will benefit everyone in the case. He said there were still arrangements which need to be made and that was why the exhumation probably would not commence until sometime in January.
"We need to revisit this issue and make sure nothing has been overlooked," he said.
He said in the original autopsy, there was an indication of a cervical fracture of the vertebrae, but a pediatric forensic pathologist and a forensic radiologist determined there was no fracture to the neck. If something new is found after exhumation of the body, Sadler said, the chance of a change in her death certificate may be possible.
"With the local experts we use here, there were other experts who contradicted," Sadler said.
Kaelie Cusick died Aug. 12, 1996, after falling down stairs. Sherrie Cusick, 33, stepmother to Kaelie, was charged with her murder in November.
A plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf.
A murder charge was also filed against Sherrie Cusick in February in the November 1996 death of her stepson, Anthony Cusick. At the same time, the grand jury failed to find evidence to indict Cusick in the death of 4-year-old Kaelie. After the grand jury concluded, the death of Kaelie is still under investigation.
Charges were then filed when two experts determined Kaelie did not suffer a broken neck as originally assumed.
Sherrie is married to the children's father, Richard Cusick.
