Henri Paul was at least three times over France's legal blood alcohol limit and had an "alarming" amount of prescription drugs in his system at the time of the crash, according to tests done on his hair, tissues, and bodily fluids, the report said.
At the time of the French investigation into the August 31, 1997 crash, which killed Paul, Princess Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed, press reports indicated that only Paul's blood was tested. Dodi's father Al Fayed and Paul's parents have long maintained that Paul was not drunk at the time and his blood sample must have been switched, either by mistake or purposely.
But documents obtained by CBS for its 48 Hour report which aired Wednesday, April 21, 2004 revealed that not only was Paul's blood tested at the time, but also hair and tissue samples. Multiple tests were conducted on blood, hair and tissue, CBS reported. Paul's body was also photographed and identified by an ankle tag, #2147 – the same number listed on the samples.
For its report, 48 Hours provided the forensic data from the French dossier to Dr. Robert Forrest, one of England's leading forensic toxicologists.
"There is nothing in the trail of evidence, which suggests there is anything funny about the way in which the samples have been taken," said Forrest, who said he didn't see any sign of a conspiracy.
"Not only do the tests indicate three times the legal limit of alcohol in Paul's system at the time of the accident," Forrest said, "they also indicate an alarming amount of various prescription drugs. Let me put it this way. If I knew that I was going to be driven by someone in that condition, I would not get into the car with them. No way."
"The investigation, it's not to answer all the questions, it's to know why did Lady Diana and Dodi al Fayed died. And this question is answered," French lawyer Virginie Bardet told CBS. "It's clear. We know why this Mercedes had an accident. It was because the driver."
During it's broadcast, CBS showed a black and white photocopy of a photograph taken at the scene of the crash, which for ten seconds clearly showed Diana's face, shoulders and upper torso as she lay dying in the back seat of the Mercedes.
Reuters News Service described Princess Diana as "peaceful-looking" in the photograph and said, "Publication of the photos of the last hours of the much-loved princess -- whose face appeared unblemished aside from what may have been a spattering of blood -- had hitherto been considered off limits out of respect for her two sons, princes William and Harry."
CBS was criticized by British and American media alike for displaying the photograph, but other observers suggested if it were more widely published -- the image of the world's most famous victim of drunk driving -- it might serve as a deterrent to keep others from getting behind the wheel while impaired.
More on The Investigation:
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Diana: Secret Documents Revealed
In life, it was Princess Diana’s vibrancy and glamour that captured the world’s attention. Today, it is the mystery surrounding her death. CBS Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.
The Investigation
The history of the investigation and the conspiracy theories surrounding the crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales.
