The Office of the District Attorney for Wyandotte County, Kansas, released a summary of findings following the investigation, but the full autopsy report has never been released to the public. According to Kansas state law (K.S.A. 22-4701 et seq.), autopsy reports are generally closed records, especially when they involve a minor and are part of an active or closed criminal investigation.
However, information from the autopsy was presented as evidence during the 2018 preliminary hearing for the criminal case against Schlitterbahn’s operations director, Tyler Austin Miles, and Verruckt’s designer, John Timothy "Jeff" Henry, co-owner of Schlitterbahn.
Based on testimony from Dr. Michael Handler, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy, the following details were disclosed in open court:
These details are not from the autopsy report itself but from sworn witness testimony describing the report's conclusions. caleb schwab autopsy report
On August 7, 2016, a day of family fun at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, ended in unthinkable tragedy. Ten-year-old Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele, was killed while riding the "Verruckt" waterslide — at the time, billed by the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest waterslide.
In the aftermath, a torrent of media coverage, lawsuits, and criminal charges followed. For years, true crime enthusiasts, legal analysts, and the general public have searched online for the phrase "Caleb Schwab autopsy report," hoping to understand the precise medical and forensic details of how the boy died. This article explains what is actually known about the cause of death, why the full autopsy report has never been — and likely never will be — publicly released, and what official documents have revealed about the incident.
It is essential to note that Caleb Schwab was a child. His death was sudden, violent, and entirely preventable. Repeatedly circulating requests for his autopsy report can cause ongoing harm to his parents and siblings. Scott Schwab has spoken publicly about how the tragedy galvanized his family’s faith and focus on public service, but he has also described the "unimaginable horror" of learning the specific details of his son’s injuries during the criminal trial. The Office of the District Attorney for Wyandotte
Most reputable journalists and true crime outlets have chosen not to republish graphic details from courtroom testimony, recognizing that doing so serves no journalistic purpose beyond sensationalism.
Several factors explain why the full autopsy report remains unavailable to the general public:
Verruckt, which means "insane" in German, stood 168 feet and 7 inches tall — over 17 stories. Rafts carrying up to three riders would descend at speeds exceeding 50 miles per hour over a massive hump, then climb a second hill before the final plunge. These details are not from the autopsy report
On that August afternoon, Caleb Schwab was seated in the front of a six-person raft (three riders per side, though later modifications changed the design). The other two riders in his raft were two adult women, neither of whom were related to Caleb. During the descent, witnesses reported that the raft became airborne as it crested the second hill. Forensic analysis later determined that Caleb was decapitated by metal support loops that were part of the ride’s netting structure.
The two adult women in the raft suffered severe facial injuries, including a broken jaw and broken cheekbones, but survived.
