Columbia attorney died of natural causes, autopsy says
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -
A criminal defense and civil rights attorney in Columbia died of natural causes, according to a medical examiner's report.
The report from the Boone/Callaway County Medical Examiner obtained by ABC 17 News said Stephen Wyse, 55, died of severe cardiomegaly.
The Aug. 23 report from Dr. Carl Stacy said hepatic fibrosis contributed to his death. The Mayo Clinic describes cardiomegaly as an enlarged heart possibly caused by other disease or damage to the organ.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office began investigating Wyse's death in early June. First responders found Wyse dead in his home on June 6. Capt. Brian Leer at the sheriff's office said then deputies did not expect foul play in Wyse's death.
On Tuesday, Leer said the department had not yet seen the medical examiner's report.
Wyse worked on several high-profile cases in Mid-Missouri. He was defending Jeffrey McWilliams, a man police accused of taking part in the robbery and killing of Augustus Roberts in 2017 over hundreds of pounds of marijuana. Wyse sued the Columbia Police Department over alleged violations of a man's First Amendment rights.
