27-03-2025
Pathologist: Issues from brain trauma killed SCI-Somerset sergeant
SOMERSET, Pa. – Sgt. Mark Baserman's SCI-Somerset colleagues' eyes filled with tears Wednesday in court, recalling the moment they found him beaten and bloodied in 2018.
And the Windber-based forensic pathologist who examined Baserman's body 11 days later testified Wednesday that he observed layers of trauma to the corrections sergeant's head and brain.
That trauma, and the swelling it caused, created what ForensicDx pathologist Curtis Goldblatt described as a deadly 'domino' effect of complications that led Baserman's condition to decline in the days after he was hospitalized.
'All the dominoes that fell from the initial (trauma) led to all of these problems' Baserman suffered, Goldblatt said, listing breathing difficulties and liver failure among them. 'There was a very significant amount of trauma to every lobe of his brain.'
The second day of trial Wednesday in Somerset County District Attorney's Office prosecutors' homicide case against Paul Jawon Kendrick focused largely on the aftermath of the attack on Baserman.
Jurors heard testimony from corrections officers, medical caregivers and, lastly, death investigation experts who determined blunt-force trauma complications claimed the corrections sergeant's life.
'Trying to keep him awake'Baserman, 60, was attacked Feb. 15, 2018, during a recreation period inside an institutional 'day room' at SCI-Somerset.
Kendrick, 29, is accused of delivering the fatal blows blamed for causing his death 11 days later – with the Somerset County District Attorney's Office seeking a first- degree murder conviction and, if successful, a death sentence.
They've argued that Kendrick was angry about Baserman taking his towel that day, and that he laced up his often 'loose' boots with the intent to kill Baserman.
In court Wednesday, one veteran officer testified she was working inside a nearby prison unit when the words 'Baserman down' sounded over her emergency radio.
Corrections Officer Tina Kopelic said she rushed to help. She took over first aid, concentrating on Baserman's badly injured head. Her voice cracked and tears fell as she told the courtroom she emptied a first-aid kit trying to clot Baserman's wounds on the day room's floor.
Kopelic said another guard's shirt was used to apply pressure to his head.
'I was telling him to stay with us, trying to keep him awake,' Kopelic told Somerset District Attorney Molly Metzgar.
An SCI-Somerset nurse testified she transported Baserman to an in-house medical room and then spent approximately 20 minutes with him.
She placed a thick, absorbent bandage on his head wound before an ambulance crew arrived.
Another officer, now-SCI-Somerset Sgt. William Durst, said he responded to Baserman's unit to find his colleague alert and talking, but not moving. Kendrick was already in handcuffs nearby, he said.
Durst told Somerset County District Attorney's Office Trial Deputy Christina DeMarco-Breeden that he noticed blood on one of the inmate's Timberland work boots.
Durst accompanied Baserman to what is now UPMC Somerset. He recalled Baserman being confused about the incident – and, most of all, worried whether he'd be OK.
Over the several hours they spent at Somerset Hospital, Durst said he saw worrying signs. A man Durst described as typically quiet, punctual and often funny seemed less alert. At one point, he spit up blood onto the floor, Durst added.
'I lied to him in every way to keep him calm, cool and collected,' Durst recalled on the witness stand, saying he now regrets lying. 'I told him he looked OK.'
Decline, discoveriesA nurse testified she provided care to Baserman at the hospital – and UPMC Somerset Dr. Salvatore Lanasa said he stitched his forehead.
But both said it became clear Baserman needed trauma care after he was spotted extending his arms with a sudden involuntary reaction. His palms faced outward, a posture that signaled a brain injury, Lanasa said.
He said the medical team decided to transport Baserman to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma hospital, after a scan showed signs of blood on his brain.
Defense attorneys Tim Burns and Edward 'E.J' Rymsza asked questions about the timetable and length of time Baserman spent at the prison after the assault and at Somerset Hospital.
During cross-examination, Lanasa confirmed to Rymsza that Baserman was prescribed anti-clotting medication prior to the incident – and acknowledged that would thin his blood and could make any bleeds 'significantly' worse.
Goldblatt had the same response about blood-thinning medication, saying that included internal injuries.
Goldblatt said blood found on the surface of Baserman's brain could increase pressure and reduce space for the injured brain. But he also pointed to fluid that was putting pressure on the brain stem, and Baserman's involuntary 'posturing,' as a sign he was suffering from 'very serious' trauma to the area where the brain connects to the spinal cord.
Given that the brain stem plays a critical role in heart and respiratory functions, it explains why Baserman's condition declined over the days that followed, Goldblatt said.
He needed oxygen to breathe, he said. Baserman's blood pressure dropped and his liver and kidneys were failing, leading to dialysis before his death.
'(Those complications) led to multi-system failure, including his death,' the pathologist said.
An infection Baserman developed while on a respirator created another complication, something Goldblatt said could have also caused additional swelling.
Goldblatt and Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees both concluded that complications from blunt-force trauma caused Baserman's death.
Lees, who testified knowing Baserman for years through their prior roles at a local fire and EMS department, said he ruled the man's death a homicide after receiving Goldblatt's report and talking with medical staff and law enforcement officials.
First Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leiden showed jurors images of Baserman's head injuries in court, including injuries to both sides of his head and swollen ears that Goldblatt said indicated trauma.
Rymsza cited the fact that Goldblatt cited 'medical complications' from the blunt-force trauma injury as Baserman's cause of death.
But Goldblatt indicated that wasn't rare.
He was also asked if he reviewed all of Baserman's medical records – and about why the corrections officer was prescribed blood thinners.
Goldblatt said Baserman had a stent in his chest due to prior heart issues.
Lieden asked if Baserman's blood thinners were discontinued at Conemaugh due to his injury- related complications after the attack. Goldblatt confirmed it.
Lees said it had been a few years since he saw Baserman prior to his death – but as he looked at photos of the man's badly deformed ears, the coroner said it wasn't a longstanding issue.
'That's something I would have noticed before,' he told Leiden.
Testimony is expected to continue Thursday in court.
