Robert Card's last moments: Autopsy report sheds light on new details in Maine mass shooter's death
LEWISTON, MAINE: Robert Card, the Maine mass shooter responsible for the deaths of 18 people in a Lewiston bar and bowling alley on October 25, is believed to have taken his own life eight to twelve hours before his body was discovered, according to the autopsy report.
Robert Card, a 40-year-old firearms instructor, went into hiding after carrying out the shooting at the Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar using an AR-15-style firearm.
Following an extensive two-day manhunt, Card's lifeless body was discovered at approximately 7:45 pm on October 27 in the rear of a tractor-trailer located within the premises of the Maine Recycling Corporation in the Lisbon Falls region, as reported by CBS.
Autopsy report reveals new details on Robert Card's last moments
Robert Card was discovered with a gunshot wound to his head, which was determined to be self-inflicted.
According to the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Mark Flomenbaum, the culprit was alive for most of the time and possibly on the run during the intense two-day manhunt.
"The postmortem interval based on rigor mortis and other physical signs indicate Mr Card was deceased likely 8-12 hours before being located," the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement on November 3.
According to Lindsey Chasteen, the office administrator of the medical examiner's office in Augusta, the assailant's demise resulted from a condition in which his heart was depleted of blood following the gunshot wound.
This has impacted the distribution of blood in Card's body, making it difficult for the medical examiner to determine the precise time of death.
His passing has been officially categorized as a suicide. Authorities have stated that the comprehensive autopsy report will not be disclosed in the near future, pending next of kin authorization.
The report may take several months to become accessible due to ongoing supplementary examinations.
Robert Card was found dead at his former working place
Card was recently fired from the Maine Recycling Corporation plant, where his body was found.
Police are still unsure of how long he stayed in the trailer before inflicting the gunshot.
According to the New York Post report, despite conducting two searches at the recycling plant, the police were unable to locate Card. It was only after the property owner informed them about an overflow parking lot on the premises that they eventually discovered his lifeless body.
There were roughly 60 trailers there, and Card's body was in one of them with two firearms at his side.
Card had a history of mental health issues and reportedly was hearing voices in his head calling him a "pedophile."