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1 shooting, 2 autopsy reports: Family searches for answers in son's death

The coroner ruled it a suicide, but Orlando “Diego” Ramkhalawan’s family says it doesn't add up

HOUMA, La. —

An infectious smile and caring demeanor is what Orlando “Diego” Ramkhalawan’s family remembers about him. 

"He enjoyed his life...and he worked hard,” his step-mother Tiffany McGary-Cyprian said. 

It’s why they don’t believe their 20-year-old son could’ve possibly ended his life with a bullet. 

"We want to get answers into what actually happened,” McGary-Cyprian said. 

For McGary-Cyprian and her husband Scott Cyprian, Orlando’s death remains a mystery. 

The shooting took place on August 2015 at Diego's apartment on the 1800 block of Martin Luther King Blvd in Houma.

The Terrebonne Parish Coroner’s Office ruled his death a suicide, a “self-inflicted gun shot wound to the chest.” However, when Scott Cyprian says he arrived at the scene, he remembers smelling bleach. He also claims he was not allowed to see and touch his son’s body for a long time. 

"Just because they say it's suicide...does not mean we're going to allow this to fly like that," Scott Cyprian said. "And that's why we are going to continue to pursue this cause we know there was some wrongful things done to my son.” 

Cyprian reached out to a pathologist from Alexandria, La. for a second opinion -- and they got it. A gunshot wound to the chest, the manner of death: Homicide. The report also claims from the trajectory of the bullet, suicide is not likely. 

"We tried meeting with the Sheriff ... he wouldn't meet with us! What we got was an email from the Sheriff's attorney,” McGary-Cyprian said. 

Eyewitness News reached out to Sheriff Jerry Larpenter to discuss the investigation. He told our station over the phone that he has never seen the second autopsy report and for us to come down and take a look at the autopsy photos. 

However, when we arrived he refused to speak with us on camera, claiming that he doesn’t trust Channel 4. 

"And I just feel like they thought we were going to get it and just let it go...and you know, blow it off,” McGary-Cyprian said. 

Eyewitness News also reached out to the forensic pathologist the family contacted and are waiting to hear back. The coroner of Terrebonne Parish did respond to our inquiry. His office tells us they will meet with our team within the next two weeks. 

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