LUMBERTON, Texas — The family and friends of a Lumberton man who died in 2018 gathered early Tuesday morning as his body was exhumed.
Kolby Kulhanek's body was found in the 9400 block of Cooks Lake Road in Lumberton on October 21, 2018. He had last been seen on October 14, 2018 wearing black shorts and a black shirt.
Jefferson County deputies spotted him from a helicopter. Kulhanek was in a shallow ditch and was naked.
He was 25 when he died.
Before finding Kulhanek, officials found his car half a mile away from where his body was located on October 18, 2018, according to Texas Equusearch.
A medical examiner initially ruled his death an accidental drowning, even though no fluids were found in his lungs.
Jeth Jones is the Kulhanek’s family attorney.
"We've never believed that it was a drowning,” Jones said. “We don't believe he drowned where his body was found.
Jones hired an outside medical examiner to review Kolby Kulhanek's autopsy. 12News obtained an exclusive copy of the new report which said in part, "in no way should this case have been certified as an accidental drowning."
The original autopsy found fluids in his sinuses but not in his lungs. In addition to this, an outside medical examiner believes something else was overlooked.
A medical examiner found a, “very prominently visible… almost perfectly round defect in the bone having the classic appearance of a gunshot defect." This means Kolby Kulhanek could have suffered a gunshot wound to the face.
A judge later signed off on an order that permitted his body could be exhumed.
On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, his body was taken from his grave to be re-examined. After workers began digging, it took more than an hour for them to pull out the vault.
12News was asked by Koby Kulhanek's family to document the exhumation on Tuesday.
Kolby Kulhanek’s mother, Susan Kulhanek, is convinced her son did not drown.
For years, the mother has done everything in her power to find answers. She hired private investigators and attorneys, drained the lake where his body was found, and she even started a TikTok account dedicated to sharing her son's story and finding justice for him.
"Waiting four years, every night, every day, wondering what happened to my child,” Susan Kulhanek said. “All the horrible things that go through my mind after the way his body was found. It's traumatic."
It is a situation no family wants to experience. However, the Kulhanek family is hoping that this is a step in the right direction to determine whether or not foul play involved.
"Overwhelmed and grateful that it's happening,” Susan Kulhanek said. “I didn't think this day was ever gonna come.”
While the exhumation is exactly what the family wanted, they said it left them with a complicated feeling.
"It's a double-edged sword,” Susan Kulhanek said. “It feels good and it hurts at the same time."
Susan Kulhanek said her son was also fighting a drug addiction. The new autopsy will tell them if that played a role in his death.
Susan Kulhanek believes she is one step closer to finding answers. She feels this could be a chance for her son to finally tell his side of the story.
From the cemetery, Kolby Kulhanek's body will be taken to Broussard's Mortuary. Afterward, it will be taken to the forensic examiner's officer in Beaumont for a new autopsy
Once the autopsy is complete, he'll be brought back here to the old Hardin Cemetery and laid to rest.