http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20070114 ... xico_death

Family says body of Ont. teen in worse shape than when they saw it in Mexico GEOFF NIXON
32 minutes ago

WOODBRIDGE, Ont. (CP) - The family of a Toronto-area teen killed while vacationing in Mexico last week finally spoke out Sunday about the results of a second coroner's exam conducted upon the body's return to Canada, but they say their biggest concern right now has to do with the state of Adam DePrisco's body.

Speaking to reporters outside the family's Woodbridge, Ont., home, DePrisco's uncle Sandro Bellio said the 19-year-old's body appeared to have more injuries when it arrived home Saturday than it did when relatives saw him in Acapulco.

"When I left Adamo's body, there were no secondary injuries whatsoever to his body - only trauma to the head," Bellio said. "The coroner is now saying that there is second and third damages to his body."

Initially unwilling to disclose details of the Ontario coroner's exam which was completed Saturday, Bellio has admitted the report indicates the teen may have died in a hit-and-run accident.

That confirms initial reports from Mexican officials which the family has disputed, insisting DePrisco's death was the result of a beating outside a nightclub.

"The autopsy is not final," said Bellio, adding he isn't disputing the claims of the Ontario coroner. "They've done... testing on him and it's going to take a couple of weeks to deal with that."

Microscopic testing of tissue is expected to continue and could reveal more details about DePrisco's death, including how and when he was hit.

Bellio also noted the family does not plan to hire a third party to investigate the case.

"The family has been through enough," Bellio said. "It's been a week that the mother hasn't seen her son. We would like to put him to rest.

"This could be another case out there where we can keep fighting, spend monies and get nowhere - even in a year from now."

The teen's brother, Antonio DePrisco, said the Canadian government has offered little help and doesn't seem to care about his brother's case.

"If we were in the United States, justice would be served," Antonio said outside the family's home. "Our Canadian government should step forward for us."

In a television interview Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay suggested the government is taking the case seriously.

MacKay expressed his condolences to the DePrisco family and noted he will be speaking with his Mexican counterpart on Monday about the case.

"We'll continue to be in contact with the family and provide whatever assistance we can, and it is of great concern to the Canadian government," MacKay said.

DePrisco was found unconscious Jan. 7 outside the Paladium, a popular Acapulco nightclub that caters heavily to tourists who pay a flat-fee cover for the all-you-can-drink bar.

Widely known as the biggest club in Acapulco, the Paladium is perched atop a cliff offering a spectacular view of the bay and the city below.

Locals, however, say the busy boulevard that passes by the bar has long posed a problem for patrons who stumble out of the club and find themselves involved in traffic accidents.

But DePrisco's best friend and travel mate, Marco Calabro, has called the hit-and-run explanation implausible because his friend had no apparent injuries below the head. He believes his pal was beaten after he was kicked out of the club for dancing with another man's girlfriend.

A TV station reports, however, suggest the Mexican autopsy revealed injuries all over DePrisco's body, including his arm, knee and abdomen.

A funeral service for DePrisco will likely be held sometime mid-week at the Scott Funeral Home in Woodbridge.