In bathtub drowning, body to be released for burial

A Philadelphia judge Monday ordered the city Medical Examiner's Office to release for burial the body of Julia Papazian Law, the paralegal who died last month in the apartment of criminal-defense lawyer A. Charles Peruto Jr.

Common Pleas Court Judge John W. Herron ordered Law's body released to her mother, Laureen Law of Absecon, N.J. The hearing marked the end of the pathology phase of the official probe of the death of the 26-year-old woman.

It also marked the end of a brief and emotional dispute between Law's parents over who should get custody of her remains.

On Friday, Laureen Law petitioned Philadelphia Orphans' Court for an order to let her, not her ex-husband, Francis Law of Egg Harbor, N.J., bury their daughter.

Laureen Law's lawyer, Thomas V. Hunt, told Herron that he had spoken with Francis Law's attorney, who had agreed not to oppose his ex-wife's petition.

Because Francis Law and his lawyer were not present, Herron asked for testimony from Laureen Law on which to base his decision.

Law said that she and her husband divorced in 1998 and that he had not seen Julia since she was in high school. Law said the couple's other daughters were also estranged from him.

Law told Herron that Julia had multiple hospitalizations for an eating disorder and alcoholism, and that she and her other daughters "supported her through nine years of counseling and therapy."

Law said the family held a memorial service for Julia Law last week.

On Friday, the District Attorney's Office announced that a grand jury will review the circumstances of the death.

The involvement of the grand jury appeared to coincide with the completion of postmortem toxicological tests on Law's body.

A court source said Friday that Law had a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.40 percent - five times the threshold for legal intoxication.

Medical experts say a blood-alcohol content of 0.35 or greater can be fatal.

After the hearing, Laureen Law declined to comment about the grand jury investigation or her daughter's death.

No representatives of the District Attorney's Office were present for the hearing. First Assistant District Attorney Edward McCann confirmed that his office and the medical examiner had completed the phase of the investigation requiring Law's body.

Law was found May 25 facedown in a tub of water by a maintenance worker in Peruto's Rittenhouse Square apartment. Officials have said there were no signs of foul play or physical trauma to Law's body.

Although the Medical Examiner's Office has not released an official cause of death, law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation have said Law probably drowned.

In an interview Friday, Peruto, 58, said he had been told prosecutors were investigating Law's death, not him.

Peruto, who said he was visiting family at the Shore when Law died, told police she had sent him text messages late into the night before her body was found the next morning.

Peruto has described Law as his girlfriend. Her family has said the young woman, who grew up at the Shore, had been going through a difficult time after a breakup with another man.