Nancy Kerrigan's Father Was Murdered, Claims Coroner

Nancy Kerrigan photo credit Flickr user e-mago.

Kerrigan Family Scorns Coroner's Homicide Ruling.

It's early in 2010, but already the year's been haunted by celebrity tragedies. One was the death of Nancy Kerrigan's father Daniel Kerrigan two weeks ago, and while Kerrigan's mother was convinced her husband died of a heart attack, a coroner has pointed the blame on Nancy's brother.

A medical examiner in Massachusetts ruled on Tuesday afternoon that Daniel Kerrigan's death was due to "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."

Translation: it sounds as though a strangling could have led to Daniel Kerrigan's death after "suffering a neck injury during the struggle with his son [Mark Kerrigan]," as our colleagues at TMZ report. The bottom line? "The corresponding manner of death has been ruled a homicide," read the medical examiner's documents.

Meanwhile the Kerrigan family is in disbelief, having released the following statement: "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 Kerrigans also deny that Nancy Kerrigan's brother Mark Kerrigan committed any crime or harmed their father to the point of his death: "The Kerrigan family does not blame anyone for the unfortunate death of Dan Kerrigan, who had a pre-existing heart condition."

Mark Kerrigan is currently under psychiatric evaluation and was arrested and charged with one count of assault and battery with serious bodily injury immediately after his father's death. Get the harrowing story on the fight that led to the death of Nancy Kerrigan's father Daniel right here.