EDGARTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS: The tragic death of Tafari Campbell, the Obama family's personal chef, has been surrounded by various conspiracy theories. According to rumors, Campbell was found dead with head injuries in water less than four feet deep. Furthermore, they alleged that the 911 call was delayed until his body washed up on shore and that a "personal coroner" appointed by Obama conducted the autopsy.
However, Massachusetts State Police have provided clarifications, stating that Campbell's cause of death was drowning, and he did not suffer any head injuries. His body was found in nearly 8 feet of water, not in the previously claimed depth of less than 4 feet. The 911 call was made promptly after he fell off his paddleboard, contrary to the rumors suggesting otherwise. Additionally, the state medical examiner's office conducted the autopsy, and not Obama's physician, as previously claimed, per AP News.
'No evidence that the death was suspicious'
According to State Police spokesperson David Procopio, a post mortem examination conducted by the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner "found no evidence that the death was suspicious." The examination did not reveal any head injuries on Campbell's body, refuting the baseless claims that had circulated on social media platforms.
Despite these clarifications, conspiracy theories continue to circulate on social media platforms, furthering speculation surrounding the chef's tragic drowning near the former first family's waterfront estate on Martha's Vineyard. One such unsubstantiated rumor is that Campbell was writing a tell-all book about the Obamas, which originated from an unreliable source known for spreading misinformation.
'They were on the paddleboards for a short while before he fell in'
According to the police, Campbell went paddleboarding on Edgartown Great Pond with another person around 7 pm on Sunday, July 23. The 911 call was made at 7:46 pm, shortly after Campbell went underwater, indicating that emergency assistance was promptly sought. Campbell's body was discovered approximately 100 feet from the shore, near Turkeyland Cove Road, which is the location of the Obama family's summer home. Despite the pond's average depth being 3 to 4 feet, Campbell's body was found in waters measuring approximately 7 to 8 feet deep, as confirmed by Procopio on Monday, July 31.
"They were on the paddleboards for a short while before he fell in," Procopio wrote in an email. "After he fell in the other paddleboarder swam a short distance to where he had gone in and tried to locate him. When that was unsuccessful, the other paddleboarder swam to shore and ran up to land and located and told what had happened to the person who ultimately called 911."
