That day, as investigators got a search warrant for Colby Trickle’s cellphone, an autopsy for Kristen Trickle was underway. At the scene, Coroner Noordhoek, who suspected suicide, had looked for any evidence that someone else was involved — like signs of a struggle.
Erin Moriarty: Were there any signs of defensive wounds or any signs that she had fought with anyone before she died.
Lyle Noordhoek: No.
Noordhoek says he also examined Kristen Trickle’s body for signs of past physical abuse.
Lyle Noordhoek: Typically … there’s … a series of progressive injuries over a period of time, so you can tell that they’ve been beating on each other. In this case, I wasn’t really seeing that. … So, I’m going, well, I have to take the husband’s statement at word value that he was there and the gun went off, and she is dead.
I couldn’t find that quote in the OP article but found it in another. Wow. He needs to be fired.