The family of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich has gone head-to-head with a private investigator after he claimed Rich was in contact with WikiLeaks before he was gunned down last year.

Rich, 27, was shot dead in the city's affluent Bloomingdale neighborhood in the early hours of July 10 in what police claim was a 'botched robbery'.

It had been suggested that Rich was behind the mammoth leak of tens of thousands of DNC emails in the run up to the presidential election - a claim his father has denied.

Rod Wheeler - a private investigator whose services were offered to the Rich family and paid for by an unnamed third party - now claims there is evidence on Rich's laptop that suggests he was communicating with WikiLeaks.

Wheeler says either DC police or the FBI are holding the data analyst's laptop as part of a conspiracy to cover up his death.

But in a statement on Tuesday Rich's family denied that claim, calling it 'fake evidence'.

DNC staffer Seth Rich, left, did have contact with WikiLeaks before he was gunned down in DC last year, a PI paid for by a third party has claimed. But his family says they've seen no evidence

Rich, 27, was shot dead in DC in the early hours of July 10 in what police claimed was a botched robbery. The PI, Rod Wheeler, says there's evidence on a laptop that Rich spoke to WikiLeaks

Wheeler says the laptop is still in the hands of the authorities. Rich's family say they heard about this through the news, not Wheeler. Pictured: WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange

'The police department nor the FBI have been forthcoming,' Wheeler told Fox News in a report to be aired today.

'They haven't been cooperating at all. I believe that the answer to solving his death lies on that computer, which I believe is either at the police department or either at the FBI. I have been told both.'

Mr Wheeler claimed sources have given him 'confirmed' evidence that Mr Rich was in contact with WikiLeaks while a DC police insider has told him they were 'told to stand down on this case'.

But in a statement from the family sent to BuzzFeed, the family said: 'we see no facts, have seen no evidence, we have been approached with no evidence and only learned about [Wheeler's claims] when approached by the press.'

'Even if tomorrow, an email was found, it is not a high enough bar of evidence to prove any interactions as emails can be altered and we've seen that those interested in pushing conspiracy theories will stop at nothing to do so.

'We are a family who is committed to facts, not fake evidence that surfaces every few months to fill the void and distract law enforcement and the general public from finding Seth's murderers.'

The statement concluded: 'The services of the private investigator who spoke to press was offered to the Rich family and paid for by a third party and contractually was barred from speaking to the press or anyone outside of law enforcement or the family unless explicitly authorized by the family.'

The family is not yet saying who paid for Wheeler's services, or how his services were offered to them.

Mr Wheeler says either DC police or the FBI are holding the data analyst's laptop as part of a conspiracy to cover up his death. Pictured: Rich, left, at a sports event

WikiLeaks published thousands of hacked DNC emails, which included missives from seven key staffers, less than two weeks after Rich's death.

The site then offered $20,000 to anyone who could provide 'information leading to conviction for the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich.'

WikiLeaks founder Assange insisted that Russia had nothing to do with the leak.

However the US intelligence community later concluded that Russian operatives were behind the hack and had further meddled in the US elections.

Mr Rich was gunned down after a night of heavy drinking at Lou's City Bar, while talking to his girlfriend on his cellphone.

Mr Wheeler claimed sources have given him 'confirmed' evidence that Mr Rich was in contact with WikiLeaks and a DC police insider has told him they were 'told to stand down on this case'

He was also said to be depressed after an argument with his girlfriend that night, which some claim made him a prime target for violence in DC's high crime north west region.

However GOP lobbyist and DC lawyer Jack Burkman formally appealed to Congress to investigate the death after claiming he had evidence that Russia may be behind Rich's murder.

'Nothing was taken from Seth - not his wallet, gold chain, credit cards or a sizeable amount of cash,' He told DailyMail.com in February. 'So you know there's no robbery gone awry.'

He said he was contacted by a man in his 60s, claiming to be a former US intelligence officer, who claimed 'it [the murder] was arranged by the Russian government at a very high level'.

Burkman went on to say: 'He just said he had knowledge it was arranged by the Russian government and stressed that it was at a high level.

'I've met this person and he seems very credible. We're now investigating the allegations he has made.'

Mr Rich's family offered a reward for any information leading to how and why he was shot in the back after a night of heavy drinking at Lou's City Bar

However GOP lobbyist and DC lawyer Jack Burkman (left) formally appealed to Congress to investigate the death of Rich (right)

Burkman claimed to have been contacted by a former US intelligence officer who claimed 'it [the murder] was arranged by the Russian government at a very high level'

Another conspiracy theory claimed the DNC staffer was assassinated or on his way to an FBI meeting

A timeline of Rich's final hours was independently compiled through a Daily Mail Online investigation.

It cut against conspiracy theories which claimed the DNC staffer was assassinated or on his way to an FBI meeting when he was killed – although the crucial minutes leading up to his death are still unaccounted for.

Since then the murder has set off a flurry of international speculation and conspiracy theories including claims that Rich, who worked in the voter access department, was about the blow the whistle on Democratic voting fraud.

According to staff at Lou's City Bar, a sports pub Rich frequented five or six nights a week, it started off as any typical Saturday.

He showed up alone that evening and sat at his usual leather stool in the corner of the bar.

He was a regular at the pub, often showing up straight from the office in a shirt and tie and lugging his laptop bag.

By closing time, around 1.45am, Rich was unusually drunk.

He would normally throw back Bell's beer for hours without a problem, but that night he was uncharacteristically unsteady on his feet as he made his way out the door.

Another theory claimed that Rich, who worked in the voter access department, was about the blow the whistle on Democratic voting fraud. Pictured: Burkman, right, campaigning in Washington

Police responding to the sound of multiple gunshots found Rich lying on the street with bullet wounds at around 4.19am.

Rich's father said he was told by investigators that his son was shot in the back, and that he still had his cell phone, wallet and watch on him when he was found.

Rich was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly before 6am.

The coroner's office said it does not publicly release reports, but confirmed that cause of death was gunshots to the torso.