Police: Autopsy shows 47-year-old Westchester dental hygienist died of ‘chronic alcoholism and natural causes’
The former model was found deceased inside the residence on President Street by Iona University’s head of security in November.
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New Rochelle police have now released the autopsy results for a 47-year-old Westchester dental hygienist who was found badly decomposed inside her home owned by Iona University.
They say the medical examiner determined that Karen Sackett died of chronic alcoholism and natural causes.
Authorities revealed that information to News 12 by phone and released documents from the Westchester Medical Examiner’s Office with some of the information blurred out after News 12 submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).
The former model was found deceased inside the residence on President Street by Iona University’s head of security in November.
It was shortly after a Notice of Eviction, obtained by News 12, appears to show the school had begun the legal process to evict Sackett.
Authorities say she had been dead for several days inside the residence.
New police documents also reveal that surveillance video shows Sackett was the only person at her home in the days before her death, and on the last day that she was seen going in or out of her house on Oct. 23.
The circumstances, however, raised red flags for her family who spoke to News 12 several times during the investigation.
“She died a horrific death. We have so many unanswered questions,” said Sackett’s brother-in-law, Rick Diaz, during an interview late-November.
The family shared concerns about Sackett’s live-in ex-boyfriend who worked for the university, allegations of domestic violence and fears of foul play - claiming they believed the investigation may have been compromised by police who have alleged ties to Sackett’s boyfriend and the university.
Diaz said during an interview with News 12 in December, “The questions we have, we will never get answers because there’s no way for the investigation to be done in a proper manner the way that it was done.”
News 12 reached out to the Sackett family about the medical examiner’s report, but they declined to comment.
Records obtained by News 12 in a separate FOIL request show New Rochelle police were at the residence nine times since 2017 for welfare checks, disputes, alleged domestic violence and possible substance abuse by Sackett.
Authorities said from the start that there was no sign of foul play and that it was believed Sackett died of natural causes. New Rochelle police said her ex-boyfriend had been out-of-state since August when she died.
A representative for Iona University told News 12 previously that what happened inside the home was never a threat to students.
New Rochelle police say the case into Sackett’s death is now closed.
