Irish father says American daughter's "suicide" in Dublin was likely murder

Challenges autopsy report of daughter who ran Irish for Obama in Dublin

"3. Kate had not been drinking heavily. She died with the equivalent of one drink in her system.

"4. Other evidence that we had in our possession became crucial to the case due to the new information. We cannot discuss this due to the garda investigation.

"5. Kate's hyoid bone -- a small bone in the neck -- was broken. This unattached bone in the neck can only be broken by horizontal pressure. It is extremely rare in suicidal hanging and even more so with a young person.

"We've spoken to a number of legal people on this matter and since the autopsy report, we've done a lot of research, and this injury is always a strong indicator of murder."

Detectives reopened the investigation on May 4.

Tom Fitzgerald says that they "can't accept suicide as the only option anymore."

He says "Now we must learn to live with possible murder and the strong likelihood that no one will be caught."

He calls for present laws in Ireland to be changed "so that all unnatural deaths are investigated as State cases, no matter how they look." He proposes calling this change "Kate's law."

"The gardai told us there were no photos taken at the death scene. The morgue told us there were no photos taken at the autopsy. The gardai told us this is standard procedure if it is not a "State case". A "State case" is one where there is a decision of foul play at the time of death. If there isn't such a decision, then investigation is less than intensive.

"What happened in Kate's case could have happened to hundreds of people around Ireland. If the gardai on the scene are convinced that it is a suicide or an accident, then it doesn't become a "State case." The system simply does not work in a case like this.

"If the on-scene gardai are satisfied that it is not a State case, it will not be investigated as a State case. This deficiency needs to be addressed. Keep in mind that this is the way the system works right now."

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Nster.com