Boone County Medical Examiner Valerie Rao was surprised by the autopsy results, which were released on Tuesday. Viral meningitis is the cause of death for University of Missouri football player Aaron O’Neal. Normally, viral meningitis does not lead to death, but this time it did. Rao said in 25 yeras of performing autopsies, she’s only encountered one other person who died from it. She says it was not football related. But was O’Neal properly cared for after he collapsed at Faurot Field on July 12th? Could his life have been saved had trainers taken him straight to the hospital instead of taking him to the football offices across the street? Rao said that would be better answered by others. A lawsuit by O’Neal’s family has been filed, naming 14 defendants including Head Coach Gary Pinkel and Athletic Director Mike Alden.
