No evidence of foul play in tourist death

Police press conference

Inquiry ongoing: Bermuda Police Service still investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Mark Dombroski (File photograph)



There was no evidence of foul play in the death of American teenager Mark Dombroski, a top forensic pathologist said yesterday.

Christopher Milroy said the 19-year-old university rugby player died from a fall and that I found no evidence of foul play in my post-mortem examination.

Dr Milroy added he performed a very detailed analysis.

He said: My conclusions from my examination are that Mark died from a fall from a height.

Dr Milroy said a toxicology examination would also be performed.

He added: Like a lot of things, thats not something you can do instantaneously. It will take a little while.

Dr Milroy said it was absolutely standard procedure to do toxicology in these types of cases.

He added: Im hopeful that when the tests are done it will be speedy and it will be expedited.

The Canadian pathologist said he performed his examination of Mr Dombroskis body on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old was found at about 4pm on Monday in the dry moat at Fort Prospect, Devonshire, a day and a half after he disappeared after a night out with friends in Hamilton.

Superintendent Sean Field-Lament said yesterday that Mr Dombroski was found at the bottom of a 35ft drop.

Mr Field-Lament dismissed some media reports that claimed Mr Dombroski could have been murdered.

He said it was unfortunate that certain aspects of this case were taken out of context.

He added that Mr Dombroskis body was found by police accompanied by his brothers and an account of the scene that circulated on social media had been unguarded and based on a very traumatic encounter.

Mr Field-Lament said: Those initial impressions were not true.

He added the investigation into the death continued.

Mr Field-Lament said: We are still open minded and accept all evidence that can be gathered. As such, we will be exhausting all avenues at the scene to try to determine, if we possibly can, what happened.

He warned: There may be questions that well never be able to answer.

Mr Field-Lament said that there was no indication that Mr Dombroski had been pushed.

He added: We dont have evidence of that. The truth is we may not ever find out how he came to fall.

Mr Field-Lament said he could not comment on whether Mr Dombroski had climbed a fence around the moat or gone through a gap.

He added: The matter is still under investigation. We will exhaust every avenue we possibly can forensically at the scene.

To guess at how or why he got there, based on hypothesis and not on fact, would be a dangerous thing to do.

Mr Field-Lament said he was not sure if Mr Dombroski had been to the Alexandra Road area before the early hours of Sunday morning.

He added that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which sent agents to the island, had been extremely helpful.

Mr Field-Lament said: They are advancing certain aspects of this investigation.

He added that the FBI would help to collect statements from overseas witnesses, as well as explore the very challenging aspects of getting forensic information from Mr Dombroskis mobile phone and speed up the toxicology report.

He added that the investigation by the Bermuda Police Service was carried out in a thorough and professional manner.

Mr Field-Lament said: I think that we dealt with this matter as per protocol, based on best practice.

He added the BPS is more than capable of dealing with these types of investigations.

He said: We are a professionally trained department. My men and women that have been out there working around the clock are amazing and they are all of the highest standard.

Mr Dombroski, from Pennsylvania, was captured on CCTV as he walked alone along Alexandra Road at 1.30am on Sunday.

He was last seen by friends at the Dog House bar on Hamiltons Front Street just after midnight on Saturday.

He was spotted on CCTV at the east end of Front Street at about 1am and ten minutes later on Middle Road, Devonshire.

Mr Dombroski was in Bermuda with a team from St Josephs University in Philadelphia to play in the Ariel Re Bermuda International Sevens tournament last weekend.