Martha J. Scholl 

Medical Investigator?  

“The incompetence, inconsistencies with her reporting, and resulting perjury of Marty Scholl begs the question: why is this individual allowed to hold any position within the Pinellas-Pasco County Medical Examiner’s Office?” 

Martha J. Scholl was the Pinellas-Pasco County, Florida, Medical Investigator when my youngest son, Kyle Brennan, died under very suspicious circumstances at his father’s apartment in downtown Clearwater, Florida, the night of February 16-17, 2007.

There were—and still are—a large number of discrepancies in the testimonies and depositions made by those present that evening. There are also plenty of inconsistencies in the information provided by Matha J. Scholl’s office and the Clearwater Police Department.

(Scholl and Clearwater Detective Stephen Bohling, for example, fabricated contact with Dr. Stephen McNamara, Kyle’s psychiatrist. According to Bohling, Dr. McNamara “confirmed that Kyle had been exhibiting early signs of Schizophrenia to include paranoia and delusions,” and had been prescribed Lexapro, and “advised that he was not aware of any major side effects if one was to suddenly stop taking it [emphasis added]. Scholl, too, claimed she had spoken with Kyle’s psychiatrist. Dr. McNamara, however, stated under oath that he was “perplexed and dumbfounded” by these statements because he had had absolutely no contact whatsoever with either Bohling or Scholl.

Not only had they lied about speaking with McNamara and concocted Kyle’s diagnosis, but McNamara stated that there were potential side effects.

On December 19, 2007, I called Ms. Martha J. Scholl with a list of questions about Kyle’s death and the subsequent investigation. I asked for clarification and requested the names of the police officers who responded to Tom Brennan’s 911 call. Ms. Scholl informed me that the officers were Brett Faulk and Jonathan Yuen. This is when I also learned that she was the medical investigator sent to the Brennan apartment the evening Kyle died. However, when I inquired about why the forensic procedures outlined in section 406.11 of the Florida Statutes were not followed, Ms. Scholl did not respond.

 (Section 406.11 refers specifically to “Examinations, investigations, and autopsies.” According to Section 406.11, the medical examiners are supposed to determine the cause of death, not the police. In Kyle’s investigation, Detective Bohling claimed that Scholl had ruled his death a suicide, and Scholl claimed that she had been told by the police that it was a suicide. See below for more information.1)

While her non-response in that instance was troubling and very telling, Ms. Scholl’s reaction to the following question was perhaps even more so. She didn’t answer directly when I asked who provided her with Kyle’s personal and medical information. Instead, Scholl said she didn’t want to get any police officers in trouble.

Next, I told her about a discrepancy in Kyle’s death certificate that I wanted corrected. It listed Tom Brennan’s apartment—where Kyle was visiting—as his home address, not the address in Virginia. She said that Tom Brennan was Kyle’s next of kin. Then I asked her why the police hadn’t called me the night Kyle died. Why was it that a complete stranger, Gerald Gentile, had made that call instead? The medical investigator explained that, indeed, it is the police’s job to notify the family. Ms. Scholl continued, “If the medical examiner’s office were responsible for making calls like that in the middle of the night, we would probably hear nothing but a big thump on the other end of the line.”

Scholl then asked if there was a problem with the investigation and if there was a suspicion of criminal wrongdoing. I asked if she knew that Tom Brennan and Gerald Gentile are Scientologists, referring to Scientology’s well-known war against psychiatry and psychiatric medication. Scholl responded with a “yes” and then told me the prescription date on Kyle’s Lexapro bottle and how many pills were left inside. She said Kyle had not taken his medication properly and that you can’t do that with Lexapro. I replied that Kyle had no choice in the matter, since it had been taken from him and locked in his father’s vehicle.

1. More information regarding Florida Statute 406: “The mission of the medical examiner’s office is to fulfill the needs outlined in F.S.406, to be of service to families of the deceased, and local government agencies. In short, our mission is to determine the cause and manner of death under certain circumstances. This mission requires utmost objectivity. . . .”

406.11- Examinations, investigations, and autopsies.

(1) In any of the following circumstances involving the death of a human being, the medical examiner of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found shall determine the cause of death and shall, for that purpose, make or have performed such examinations, investigations, and autopsies as he or she shall deem necessary or as shall be requested by the state attorney:

(2)(a) The district medical examiner shall have the authority, in any case, coming under subsection (1), to perform or have performed whatever autopsies or laboratory examinations he or she deems necessary and in the public interest to determine the identification of or cause or manner of death of the deceased or to obtain evidence necessary for forensic examination.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0406/0406.html

***

 Kyle was diagnosed with anxiety and mild depression. However, the misleading narrative created by medical investigator Martha (Marty) Scholl and Detective Steve Bohling was published in the St. Petersburg Times, creating significant additional distress to Kyle’s family during an unfathomable time of loss. 

“Let’s begin with the media and how misinformation from a ‘St. Petersburg Times‘ article was instrumental in reducing the civil case of twenty-year-old Kyle Brennan into a complex web of deception, lies, and contradictions.”   Attorney Luke Lirot 

***

Emails from Attorney Ken Dandar:

Martha J. Scholl Deposition

Dr. Stephen McNamara 

Excerpts from the Deposition of Victoria Britton

Martha J. Scholl, Medical Investigator

Excerpts from the Deposition of Detective Stephen Bohling

Excerpts from the Deposition of Stephen McNamara, MD

Excerpts from the Deposition of Tom Brennan

Excerpts from the deposition of Detective Stephen Bohling

Excerpts from Officer Jonathan Yuen’s Deposition

Detective Steve Bohling

Relationship between Detective Steve Bohling and Hillsborough County Medical Investigator Martha J. Scholl.

Excerpt from the Deposition of Detective Bohling

Dr.Stephen McNamara Deposition

Crime Scene Information

Copyright © 2026 by Victoria L. Britton

Dr. Stephen McNamara’s deposition excerpts are the property of the Estate of Kyle Brennan. Duplication is strictly prohibited without the approval of the estate administrator. 

https://youtu.be/7_q7TaJ__fQ?si=wGFTkwCoeAJdbLTc