The family of a California public defender who died while celebrating his first wedding anniversary in Mexico believes he was the victim of a "brutal crime," their lawyer said Tuesday. The liaison, who is not identified in the statement, told the family that Blair died of severe head trauma and that his case had been forwarded to prosecutors for a possible homicide investigation, the statement said. Blair's family plans to carry out its own independent investigation, hiring a private investigator and a forensic pathologist, Scarsone said. Orange County Public Defender Martin Schwarz told The Register that Blair had worked for the public defender’s office since 2017, the year he passed the bar exam. His wife, Kimberly, also worked for the public defender’s office, Schwarz told the newspaper.

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