Russian adoptee's US death accidental

THE death of a three-year-old Russian boy adopted by a US couple has been ruled an accident.

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said Max Shatto died due to an internal laceration of an artery due to self-inflicted blunt trauma.

Bland says bruises on the boy's body were from self-inflicted hitting and that no drugs were found in Max's system.

Alan and Laura Shatto adopted Max and his half brother last year.

Laura Shatto told authorities she found Max unresponsive outside the family's Gardendale, Texas, home on January 21. He was later pronounced dead.

Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson said investigations were continuing.

Russian authorities have blamed the Shattos for Max's death and used the case as justification for a recently ban on American adoptions of Russian children.

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