The defense forensic doctor maintains that Maradona died suddenly, not in agony / A Covid-19 infection cannot be ruled out

Diego Maradona died suddenly, without enduring hours of agony, forensic pathologist Pablo Ferrari, the final defense witness heard in the trial over the former footballer's death, said on Tuesday. Ferrari testified at the court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, where seven healthcare professionals are on trial for possible negligence while Maradona was recovering at home after neurosurgery.

The doctor, commissioned by one of the defendants to conduct a subsequent expert assessment, challenged the scenario that Maradona had agonized for hours without receiving care. He argued that the death was "instantaneous," caused by pulmonary edema, and that the autopsy showed no signs of a prolonged struggle to breathe.

Ferrari added that the possibility that Maradona died from Covid-19 cannot be ruled out because he was not tested. The former Argentine star was found dead in bed on November 25, 2020. The doctor's testimony concluded the defense's witness hearings. Closing statements will follow, then the arguments and final submissions, scheduled through the end of October. The defendants face up to 25 years in prison.