Adam Lanza and the GC/MS Screening Method

A few weeks ago I wrote about Adam Lanza, moreover, the secrecy surrounding his medical records. [See
Adam Lanza - Why the Secrecy Over His Medical Records?]

Lanza fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. He then took his own life by shooting himself in the head.

Now, it seems, we can simply put to bed the link between Lanza and any medication he may have been taking prior to his murderous and suicide act, at least that's what the mainstream media are telling us.

There are many conspiracies that have evolved since Lanza killed himself and others. He never acted alone, he doesn't even exist, are just a couple of theories doing the rounds.

Quite often the truth is missed by misinformation. Now I'm not suggesting for one minute that the US government or the pharmaceutical industry would start such rumours but it's one we have to take on board if we are to get to the truth about Lanza and the treatment he was receiving.

Open the Lanza files and you are faced with the proverbial can of worms, with each wriggle and slither these worms are telling us that there is more to this than meets the eye.

A few days ago Connecticut authorities released a 44-page summary of their investigation into the Sandy Hook shootings, 'summary' being the operative word here because none of it really adds up, particularly with regard to Lanza and any treatment he may have been receiving.

By way of proving that Lanza wasn't on any medication at the time of his 11 minute rampage officials have released his toxicology report [Fig 1] which, bizarrely, is incomplete and, let's say, less than vigourous if we see the tests that were carried out during post-mortem.

Fig 1 - Click to enlarge

The cause of death was pretty obvious, Lanza shot himself in the head. As I am led to believe a medical examination would not routinely look for recent past use of prescription medicines including psych drugs where the cause of death is obvious.

If Lanza had abruptly stopped taking medication then this could have led to akathisia and rage, meaning that the parent substance may not have been detectable.

If we look at Fig 1 we can see the term 'GC/MS'. This stands for gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry. What it does not tell us, however, is the Limit of Detection (LOD) when using the GC/MS method.

A 2011 published paper by Thomas G. Rosano, Michelle Wood and Thomas A. Swift highlights just how limited the GC/MS test is when it comes to detecting medications.

The study, Postmortem Drug Screening by Non-Targeted and Targeted Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Technology, was published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology [1]

It showed that the detection sensitivity using the GC/MS screening method came in at just 71%.  However, when combined with other screening methods, the GC/MS performed much better. In Lanza's toxicology report we see no sign of any medication. We also see that the GC/MS screening method was used.

Let's just take you through some of their findings.

When using the GC/MS screening method no traces of Aripiprazole [Abilify] were found.

However, when they combined GC/MS with other screening methods they found 7 traces of Aripiprazole.



Here's some more.

Fluoxetine [Prozac]

GC/MS found 11. When combined with other screening methods 14 were found. In other words using the GC/MS screening method alone missed 3.

Nortriptyline [a tricyclic antidepressant]

GC/MS found 9. When combined with other screening methods 12 were found. GC/MS screening method alone missed 3.

Quetiapine [Seroquel]

GC/MS found 8. When combined with other screening methods 15 were found. GC/MS screening method alone missed 7.

Risperidone [Risperdal]

GC/MS found 0. When combined with other screening methods 5 were found. GC/MS screening method alone missed 5.

Trazodone, an antidepressant of the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class.

GC/MS found 10. When combined with other screening methods 17 were found. GC/MS screening method alone missed 7.

Lorazepam [Ativan] 

GC/MS found 1. When combined with other screening methods 2 were found. GC/MS screening method alone missed . [Just a 50% success rate]


So, the burning question here is why did Adam Lanza's medical examiner just use the GC/MS screening method?

Was it purely down to the fact that the cause of death was obvious so there was no need to determine if Lanza was on any particular type of medication? Was it down to cost? To run a combination of screening methods would cost a lot of money. Or, in Dr H. Wayne Carver [Chief Medical Examiner], do we have a professional who is already of the opinion that psychiatric medications do not cause homicidal and suicidal acts - ergo no reason to screen for specific medications using more robust screening methods?

The investigation [44-page summary] suggests that Lanza had "significant mental health issues". Such statements would suggest that Lanza was, or had at some point, been on medication.

Today we see some of the parents of those who died at Sandy Hook asking why Nancy Lanza [Adam's mother] didn't do more for her son. If the GC/MS screening method had been combined then maybe we might have been asking different questions. If Lanza's psychiatrist/psychologist were to step forward then maybe they could shed light on whether or not Lanza was, at any point, taking prescription medication.

Adam Lanza, like other school shooters before him, had, according to the mainstream press, mental problems. What exactly were those problems, what was he diagnosed with? Depression, Bi-Polar, ADHD, Aspergers? Which one of the many hundreds of psychiatric disorders show a symptomatic checklist that states "Patient may have the urge to kill his mom" or "Patient may have the urge to kill innocent adults and children then self".

The parents have a right to know and they have a right to call it as they see it.

Unfortunately using the GC/MS screening method as a standalone may be sending out the wrong messages and, once again, giving a clean bill of health to psychiatric medication. Or maybe we just need to convince medical examiners that there is an undeniable link to prescription medications and homicidal/suicidal acts.

It may be worth revisiting this post, if only to witness Assistant Attorney General for Connecticut, Patrick B. Kwanashie and his two minute performance captured on film. The whole reason why this video surfaced on youtube is explained in the post.



Bob Fiddaman







[1] Postmortem Drug Screening by Non-Targeted and Targeted Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Technology - Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Vol. 35, September 2011