Medical Examiner's Office release probable cause of death of Muskogee teacher

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the probable cause of death of 46-year-old Muskogee teacher Amanda Harms who was found dead in January after being reported missing.

Harms’ manner of death was ruled an accident and the probable cause of death was alcohol and alprazolam intoxication complicated by hypothermia. Xanax is the common brand name for alprazolam.

The Medical Examiner’s Office said there was no evidence of lethal trauma.

The preliminary report, received by Muskogee Police through a phone call from the Medical Examiner’s Office in January, said no lethal trauma or sexual assault trauma were detected. Abrasions and scratches on her face, legs, and arms were consistent with where and how her body was found.

Police said Harms was found in someone’s backyard by the fence near North 6th Street and West Martin Luther King Street in Muskogee.

Harms went missing on Jan. 13 and was found dead less than a week later on Jan. 18.

Harms was a 6th-grade math teacher at Muskogee’s 6th and 7th Grade Academy for two years.

The Family of Harms issued the following statement in response to the Medical Examiner’s report.

“While the Medical Examiner’s report provided additional information it also raised more questions. As the family we were provided with the full autopsy report today. We have not had time to digest all of the details, however, there are a few things that we find particularly concerning, one of which is the 25 separate notations of “recent injuries” including “blunt force injuries” to her nose and lip. And while the Medical Examiner noted Xanax in her system it was well within therapeutic levels. As a family it is difficult to believe that she simply wandered out into the cold intoxicated and got stuck on a fence such that she couldn’t return to the warm house she left feet away. We will likely never know the answers to many of our questions because the last individual to see her was never properly questioned by police. Regardless of the amount of conflicting information he provided, regardless of the number of credible tips that conflicted with his story, regardless of his recent violent history towards others, the police simply took his word as the truth. We will continue to search for answers and intend to hire an independent forensic investigator to review all of the information and provide us with their findings.”