The woman's parents will have her body exhumed in a continued search for answers.
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| © Getty Images PHOTO: A woman bowing on stage after a concert. (photo via razihusin/iStock/Getty Images Plus) |
By Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse
The mysterious death of a 24-year-old American cruise singer aboard a ship in Darwin, Australia is back in the spotlight more than five years later.
According to News.com.au, authorities determined Jackie Kastrinelis died of "sudden unexplained death syndrome" while sleeping in her cabin aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Voyager in February 2013.
However, Kastrinelis' parents, Kathy and Mike believe she was murdered and will exhume her body in hopes of finding answers.
"This is really difficult for our family but we have to make sure justice is done for Jackie," Kathy Kastrinelis told The Australian. "The investigation into her death was flawed from the start and we are at a loss as to why they did not open an inquest."
Cruise Law News reported that the singer had an accident during a rehearsal, hit her head and was given medicine by the ship's doctor prior to her death.
More recently though, a report by The Weekend Australian Magazine highlighted apparent errors and cover-ups by police and forensic experts during the investigation into Kastrinelis' death, with a police report suggesting authorities failed to collect enough DNA samples aboard the ship to learn more about the unknown male DNA on the singer's pants.
Her former partner, a saxophonist named Roman, was the last person to see her alive while a crew member named Daniel told police he had consensual sex with Kastrinelis just 30 hours prior to her death. Both men had apparent inconsistencies in their accounts based on cabin door swipe records but authorities didn't investigate further.
In its own statement following Kastrinelis' death, Regent Seven Seas Cruises said it was "deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own" and that "our hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones."
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