Stake Icon Nancy Kerrigan's Brother Jailed In Father's Death.

[sara1981]

Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan's dad dies from heart attack

Son Charged After Kerrigan Dad's Death
Son Charged After Kerrigan Dad's Death - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

BOSTON-Middlesex County court officials said the brother of former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan has been charged with assault following her father's sudden death over the weekend in Stoneham.

Mark Kerrigan, 45, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Woburn District Court Monday where he was charged with assault and battery on a person over 60.

Police reports said officers received a 911 call to the Kerrigan home at 7 Cedar Ave. about 1:30 a.m. Sunday and found Kerrigan's father, Daniel, unconscious and not breathing on the kitchen floor.

Mark Kerrigan, an unemployed plumber and Army veteran, was found in the basement, where he had been living in his parent's home since being released from a Billerica jail where he served time on 2007 assault and battery charges.

"He was clearly intoxicated; he was also extremely combative with the police, very violent. He refused to comply with their orders and they had to subdue him with the use of pepper spray. He had to be forcibly removed from the home," Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Healey said during the arraignment in court.

Mark Kerrigan allegedly told officers that he had wanted to use the telephone and his father would not let him, so he grabbed his father by the throat and pushed him to the ground, according to the police report.

Officers also noted signs of a struggle in the kitchen, Healey said, and "in speaking with the defendant he indicated that he had in fact had an argument with his father, that that argument became physical, he grabbed his father around the neck and at some point the father collapsed to the floor."

The prosecutor said an autopsy was scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty to the charges.

"He is very distraught and in grief. He denies the allegations of the commonwealth," she said.

She said Mark Kerrigan suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service and takes medication and receives therapy for it.

Kerrigan's mother Brenda, who is legally blind, was at home at the time of her husband's death and said she heard the fight but was unclear as to exactly what happened.

Kerrigan, a two-time Olympic medalist, arrived at her parents' Stoneham home late Sunday morning, making no comment.

The Middlesex County district attorney and Stoneham Police Chief Richard Bongiorno said a man in his 70s "in need of medical assistance" was taken from the residence to Winchester Hospital, where he later died.

A death notice in the obituary section of the Boston Globe Monday for a Daniel Kerrigan, 70, said there would be a wake for the U.S. Army veteran Wednesday before a funeral Mass Thursday at St. Patrick Church in Stoneham.

On Monday, the Kerrigan family released a statement that read,"Dan Kerrigan was a wonderful husband for 47 years, a caring and loving father to his daughter Nancy and two sons, Michael and Mark, and a grandfather of eight. He was a valued and beloved member of the Stoneham Community. The family’s focus is on mourning Dan and honoring his life and many contributions. At this time we ask that their privacy be respected.”

Nancy Kerrigan, 40, a bronze medal winner in the 1992 winter Olympics, and a silver medalist in the 1992 World Championships, won notoriety two years later when she was attacked and clubbed in the right knee just before the U.S. Skating Championships in Detroit. The attack was masterminded by the ex-husband of Kerrigan rival Tonya Harding.

A month after the attack, Kerrigan went on to win a silver medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.

Since then, Kerrigan has continued to skate with groups such as the Ice Capades and Champions on Ice, establishing a foundation to support the vision impaired in honor of her mother.

Kerrigan married her agent, Jerry Solomon, in 1995. They live in Lynnfield and have three children together.

 

[sara1981]

updates from people magazine

Nancy Kerrigan 'Really Struggling' after Father's Death
Nancy Kerrigan 'Really Struggling' after Father's Death - Crime & Courts, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan : People.com

Reeling from the death of her father, Nancy Kerrigan still mustered the strength to show the class and courtesy for which she is known in the skating world.

Paul Wylie, an Olympic silver medalist who also competed in the 1992 Albertville Olympics with Kerrigan, spoke with her by phone early Monday when he heard the news that Daniel Kerrigan, 70, died after an alleged assault by his troubled son, Mark.

"She was really struggling," Wylie tells PEOPLE. "But she called to thank me for calling."

Kristi Yamaguchi, who also competed with Kerrigan in Albertville, offered her condolences by text mail, and Kerrigan responded, "Thank you…I appreciate all the support I've been getting."

Authorities charged Mark Kerrigan with assaulting his father who died during an altercation at the family's Massachusetts home Jan. 24. A cause of death has not been determined, but Daniel Kerrigan's wife Brenda tells the Boston Herald he may have suffered a heart attack. At a Monday arraignment in the Boston suburb of Woburn, Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty to the charges and was held on $10,000 bail.

"I am so saddened for Nancy," Yamaguchi, the Olympic champion and winner of the sixth season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, tells PEOPLE. "My heart goes out to Nancy and her family. "

Yamaguchi, who performed in a cancer benefit with Kerrigan in November, says the tragedy has hit the skating community hard. "Nancy is part of our family and the loss of a parent is devastating. I always smile when I think of Dan because he was a lot of fun and he had such pride for his daughter and her accomplishments. That meant a lot to Nancy. He and Brenda were always there for her."

Daniel Kerrigan, Wylie adds, was a father figure to all the skaters. "He and Brenda touched many skaters lives," he says. "One day he visited me at my apartment and said, 'That window needs fixing and if you do it this way, it'll save you $20 on your heating bill.' He was a fatherly like that. Dan was a great guy and a family man."

 

[deafskeptic]

Source is CNN.

(CNN) -- The father of American figure skating icon Nancy Kerrigan is dead and her brother is behind bars, accused of assault and battery against 70-year old Daniel Kerrigan, according to Massachusetts authorities.

Daniel Kerrigan died Sunday after being taken by emergency personnel from his family home in Stoneham, Massachusetts, to a hospital, authorities said. His son Mark, 45, was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged assault.

According to Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Keeley, police responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday from Brenda Kerrigan, wife of Daniel and mother to Mark and Nancy Kerrigan.

Keeley told Middlesex District Court Judge Mark Sullivan during the arraignment Monday for Mark Kerrigan that there was a violent argument and struggle between the father and his son, resulting in the elder Kerrigan falling or collapsing on the kitchen floor. Keeley said that Mark Kerrigan told authorities "that he did in fact have an argument with his father, the argument became physical, he grabbed his father around the neck, and at some point the father collapsed to the floor."

The Middlesex District Attorney's office said Monday that authorities were still investigating the "entirety of the circumstances of the incident," along with the cause and manner of death. The county medical examiner is expected to release a report within a couple of weeks.

According to Keeley, police found Mark Kerrigan in the basement of the house, "clearly intoxicated" and "extremely combative." He refused to comply with police officers, said Keeley, and they had to subdue him with pepper spray before forcibly removing him from the home.

Mark Kerrigan wept softly during Monday's arraignment. His attorney, Denise Moore, told the judge that Kerrigan was in grief and "quite distraught about his father's death." Through his attorney, Mark Kerrigan denied any responsibility in the death.

Moore said in court that Mark Kerrigan was unemployed, was recently released from a correctional facility and was living at home with his parents. He is taking medications and seeking psychological help for post-traumatic stress, apparently from his time in the Army, Moore said.

Despite appeals from his attorney, Sullivan ordered Kerrigan held on $10,000 cash bail. His next court appearance is expected to be February 24.

Nancy Kerrigan first gained prominence by winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. In 1994 she earned an Olympic silver medal in Lillehammer, Norway. But she is perhaps best remembered for surviving an attack before the 1994 Winter Games by skating rival Tanya Harding's ex-husband and an accomplice.

 

[sara1981]

update from cnn

Nancy Kerrigan 'really struggling' after father's death
Nancy Kerrigan 'really struggling' after father's death - CNN.com

Reeling from the death of her father, Nancy Kerrigan still mustered the strength to show the class and courtesy for which she is known in the skating world.

Paul Wylie, an Olympic silver medalist who also competed in the 1992 Albertville Olympics with Kerrigan, spoke with her by phone early Monday when he heard the news that Daniel Kerrigan, 70, died after an alleged assault by his troubled son, Mark.

"She was really struggling," Wylie told PEOPLE. "But she called to thank me for calling."

Kristi Yamaguchi, who also competed with Kerrigan in Albertville, offered her condolences by text mail, and Kerrigan responded, "Thank you...I appreciate all the support I've been getting."

Authorities charged Mark Kerrigan with assaulting his father who died during an altercation at the family's Massachusetts home January 24.

A cause of death has not been determined, but Daniel Kerrigan's wife Brenda told the Boston Herald he may have suffered a heart attack. At a Monday arraignment in the Boston, Massachusetts suburb of Woburn, Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty to the charges and was held on $10,000 bail.

"I am so saddened for Nancy," Yamaguchi, the Olympic champion and winner of the sixth season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," told PEOPLE. "My heart goes out to Nancy and her family. "

Yamaguchi, who performed in a cancer benefit with Kerrigan in November, said the tragedy has hit the skating community hard.

"Nancy is part of our family and the loss of a parent is devastating," Yamaguchi said. "I always smile when I think of Dan because he was a lot of fun and he had such pride for his daughter and her accomplishments. That meant a lot to Nancy. He and Brenda were always there for her."

Daniel Kerrigan, Wylie adds, was a father figure to all the skaters. "He and Brenda touched many skaters lives," he said. "One day he visited me at my apartment and said, 'That window needs fixing and if you do it this way, it'll save you $20 on your heating bill.' He was fatherly like that. Dan was a great guy and a family man."

 

[sara1981]

update from CBS News

Kerrigan Autopsy "Critical" to Son's Fate
Kerrigan Autopsy "Critical" to Son's Fate - The Early Show - CBS News

Ice skating icon Nancy Kerrigan finds herself in the middle of yet another strange criminal case. This time, her father is dead and her brother is in jail, charged with assaulting him.

CBS News correspondent Whit Johnson reported on "The Early Show" from the Boston suburb of Stoneham Tuesday that Mark Kerrigan, the 45-year-old brother of the skating star, remains in police custody on $10,000 bail.

During his arraignment Monday, Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty to assault and battery charges, possibly relating to the death of his father.

The big unknown, Johnson said, is whether the altercation itself led to the death of Daniel Kerrigan or he died of a heart attack, as suggested by the some in the Kerrigan family. Prosecutors are hoping an autopsy will answer that question.

Assistant District Attorney of Middlesex County Elizabeth Healy said Mark Kerrigan indicated that he had an argument with his father and that the argument had become "physical," and that Mark Kerrigan grabbed his father by the neck.

According to the police report, the argument was over the use of a telephone. At 1:30 Sunday morning, police say, they were called to the Kerrigan home and found 70-year-old Daniel Kerrigan unconscious on the kitchen floor. The report says a noticeably intoxicated Mark became belligerent when approached by officers.

Healy said, "He refused to comply with their orders, and they had to subdue him with the use of pepper spray. He had to be forcibly removed from the home."

Daniel Kerrigan was a familiar sight at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games where daughter Nancy won silver. However, her performance was overshadowed by the bizarre attack on the figure skater during a pre-games practice.

Mark Kerrigan has a long criminal history and was recently released from serving a two-and-a-half year prison sentence. Outside the courthouse Monday, friends remembered Daniel Kerrigan.

Jim Day, a family friend, told CBS News, "If you looked in the dictionary and wanted the definition of what a man and father was, that was Danny Kerrigan."

Nancy Kerrigan was seen outside her parents' home Monday, but did not speak to reporters. Daniel Kerrigan will be buried on Thursday.

Monday night, the Kerrigan family released a statement asking for privacy, saying, "the family's focus is on mourning Dan and honoring his life and many contributions."

Mark Kerrigan's next court appearance, Johnson said, is scheduled for February 24th.

CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom said Daniel Kerrigan's autopsy report will be "absolutely critical" in deciding the charges against Mark Kerrigan.

Bloom said, "The question is, did the father die from a heart attack as the mother told the police, at least initially, or did he die because Mark Kerrigan put his hands on his father's throat, as he says, his father then fell to the floor and shortly after that died. So, the cause of death is critical."

Bloom added that much depends on the cooperation of Brenda Kerrigan, Daniel Kerrigan's wife.

"She's already given one statement to the police that she believed her husband died of a heart attack. She was there in the house, presumably she has information about what happened," she said. "But there's also other evidence. I've read the police report. Three pictures fell off the wall and were broken. The phone was broken. Mark Kerrigan was combative and uncooperative to the police. He smelled of alcohol. So the police have some direct evidence of a struggle, as well."

"Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith added that this complicated story has other elements.

"This is clearly a troubled man. He was on meds for (post-traumatic stress disorder), apparently," Smith said. "These parents seemed like they were trying to do the best for this guy and it looks like, from appearances, that he turned on them."

Bloom responded, "Well, it does. And the other question is whether he has some kind of mental incapacity defense. It seems from the police report that he's under the influence of alcohol. We don't know about the meds -- they certainly have been suggested. We know that he'd served time in prison. He told the police's he'd been in prison for four years. So all of that will come into play as a defense attorney analyzes this case."

 

[Phillips]

So Sad!!! Cause by heart attack!

 

[Bebonang]

Yeah, maybe Brenda believe that her husband died from heart attack, even though she is blind. If she is hearing, she might have heard the commotion on what was going on. But there are no other witnesses to prove of what happening in the kitchen. But the damages to the kitchen might be evidence of what the police put the pieces together to prove that this was what might have been happened to his father. If Mark said he is not guilty, then he might have no memories of what happened with himself and his father. If he does not remember at all, then that is not his fault.

 

[Bottesini]

It is very sad. They have had more than their share of bad luck in that family.

 

[sara1981]

update from people magazine

Family Holds Wake for Nancy Kerrigan's Father
Family Holds Wake for Nancy Kerrigan's Father - Crime & Courts, Tributes, Nancy Kerrigan : People.com

The family of Nancy Kerrigan's father, who died Sunday after allegedly being attacked by his son, Mark, held a wake Wednesday in Stoneham, Mass., where mourners assembled in a line a block long.

"Dan Kerrigan was, first and foremost, a man whose family was the center of his world," says a statement released by the Kerrigans.

Olympic skater Nancy, who arrived with other family members at the funeral home for the wake at 3:30 p.m., said in the statement her father “was there behind me always" and that he was “an extra parent” to the two sons and a daughter she shares with husband Jerry Solomon.

The family also described Daniel Kerrigan as a devoted husband to his legally blind wife, Brenda; a youth coach for his sons’ hockey teams; and the one-time president of the Stoneham Figure Skating Club.

Said his son Michael: "I was virtually unable to go anywhere as a kid or an adult, without someone coming up to me saying, with a big smile, ‘I just saw your dad – he’s the greatest.'"

Mark Kerrigan has pleaded not guilty to assault and battery on an elderly person resulting in serious bodily injury.

 

[sara1981]

update from people magazine

Nancy Kerrigan, Family Attend Father's Funeral
Nancy Kerrigan, Family Attend Father's Funeral - Nancy Kerrigan : People.com

Nancy Kerrigan buried her face against her mother and appeared to weep as her father's flag-draped casket was carried into St. Patrick's Church in Stoneham, Mass., for a funeral Thursday.

Daniel Kerrigan, 70, who was a U.S. Army veteran, died after a violent struggle with his son, Mark Kerrigan, 45, who has pleaded not guilty to assault. Mark Kerrigan was sent for a psychological evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital after being charged.

Mourners who packed the church were told that the elder Kerrigan always loved his son despite a tortured relationship.

"His love for his son was continually tested, but never faltered," said the Rev. William Schmidt, according to the Boston Herald. "He never failed to be there to take him back to the full embrace of his love until his final moment."

Family friend Jim Day, who eulogized Kerrigan, encouraged the church to also think of the younger Kerrigan in jail.

"If you find it in your hearts, say a prayer for his son, Mark," said Day, the Herald reported.

Daniel Kerrigan's widow, Brenda, who is legally blind, was escorted by daughter Nancy and son Michael from the church.