Death of Nancy Kerrigan's Father Ruled a Homicide

(Feb. 9) – A medical examiner in Massachusetts has ruled that Daniel Kerrigan, father of American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, died as a result of a physical confrontation with his son.

The Kerrigan family took issue with the report, and released a statement late Tuesday. "We believe this finding to be premature and inaccurate," the statement read. "The Kerrigan family does not blame anyone for the unfortunate death of Dan Kerrigan, who had a pre-existing heart condition."

The incident in question occurred on Jan. 24, when police say a fight between 45-year-old Mark Kerrigan and his 70-year-old father at the elder man's home in Stoneham, Mass., resulted in a severe neck injury to the older man.

After responding to a 911 call, police say the son admitted placing his hands around his father's neck during their struggle. According to the New York Daily News, when officers responding to the scene of the fight say that they found the elder Kerrigan passed out in his kitchen, Mark Kerrigan told them "he was faking it."

Daniel Kerrigan was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mark Kerrigan, who had served prison time for prior assault convictions, was arrested and pleaded not guilty to assault and battery on an elderly person. He is being held at Bridgewater State Hospital, where he is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

At the time of Mark's arrest, Nancy Kerrigan released a statement calling her brother a "wonderful husband" and "a caring and loving father."

Brenda Kerrigan, Nancy's mother, claimed that Daniel Kerrigan's death had nothing to do with the fight and was likely caused by a heart attack, the Daily News reported. While the medical examiner concurred that cardiac arrest resulted in the elder Kerrigan's death, the reason Kerrigan suffered a heart attack was directly attributable to the altercation with his son.

"The corresponding manner of death has been ruled a homicide," Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a written statement. "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."

The autopsy also revealed that Daniel Kerrigan had underlying health problems, including high blood pressure and clogged arteries. Leone has not yet said whether he plans to charge Mark Kerrigan with murder.

The fight between father and son started, Mark Kerrigan told investigators, when his father refused to let him use the telephone. Mark Kerrigan had been living in his parents' basement since being released from jail in November on an assault conviction.

Nancy Kerrigan won the silver medal for figure skating at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and is equally remembered as the assault victim in an attack planned by the ex-husband of her chief American rival, Tonya Harding.