Death of Kerrigan's father is ruled a homicide

The father of Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan died from cardiac arrest brought on by a struggle with his son, but Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. has not yet decided whether Mark D. Kerrigan will face murder charges.

In a statement released this afternoon, Leone's office said that the state medical examiner has concluded the death of 70-year-old Daniel Kerrigan was a homicide after he suffered a heart attack inside his Stoneham home early on Jan. 24. His son, Mark, was arrested at the scene and charged with assault and battery on his father.

"The Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was cardiac dysrhythmia following a physical altercation with neck compression causing injury to the neck in the form of a cartilage fracture to the larynx area, in a person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular heart disease,'' Leone said in the statement.

"The corresponding manner of death has been ruled a homicide. As a result of these conclusions of the Medical Examiner, the investigation into Daniel Kerrigan’s death, and whether any charges in connection with his death are appropriate, remains ongoing."

A few hours after Leone made his announcement, the Kerrigan family issued a statement through their Boston attorney, Tracy Miner.

“The Kerrigan family is extremely disappointed that the medical examiner would release a cause of death without having all of the relevant facts. We believe this finding to be premature and inaccurate,'' the family said in the statement.

The family said they do not believe Mark Kerrigan should face criminal charges for the death of his father.

“The Kerrigan family does not blame anyone for the unfortunate death of Dan Kerrigan, who had a pre-existing heart condition.''
Mark Kerrigan's state of mind – he suffers form post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems – is also a factor that probably will lead Leone away from seeking the most severe penalty on the state's law books – life imprisonment for first-degree murder without the possibility of parole.