Gatti’s widow talks about murder accusations

MONTREAL — Arturo Gatti’s wife says a second autopsy on the former boxing champion will show she had nothing to do with his death.

Amanda Rodrigues sent a letter to the Journal de Montreal that was published Thursday, saying she was trying to set the record straight after Brazilian police initially said she was the prime suspect.

Rodrigues said in the letter that she is shocked by the way she was painted as a “monster” and “murderer.”

The Canadian boxer and two-time world champion died July 11 while they vacationed at the resort town of Porto de Galinhas in Brazil. Officials in Brazil later ruled Gatti committed suicide by hanging himself with a bag strap.

Gatti’s family ordered a second autopsy this month that was performed in the former boxer’s hometown of Montreal. The first autopsy was performed in Brazil.

“This will only count for my benefit, reassuring my innocence for his family and everyone else that still don’t believe that I am innocent,” she said.

The 23-year-old Rodrigues, who was imprisoned for 18 days in Brazil following Gatti’s death before police concluded that he had killed himself, is still deeply bothered by the events.

“All the accusations and false statements made about me from anybody or by the media, my lawyer will be taking care of,” she said. “It obviously upsets me that people that don’t’ even know us make up their own stories and judgments about me.”

She also denies reports that she forced her husband to change his will, calling it a “lie.”

“It’s Arturo who changed the will and he decided to do it after Junior was born because we had a family,” she said. “We wanted to have five children. He had only one will that dated back to when he wasn’t married and had no kids.”

Rodrigues said the stories of her husband having a $921,000 insurance policy were untrue.