An accidental fall down a 35 foot high cliff killed Mark Dombroski, the St. Joseph's University men's rugby player found dead in Bermuda earlier this week, a forensic pathologist has determined.
Speaking at a news conference in the British island territory Thursday afternoon, Dr. Christopher Milroy said the injuries the 19-year-old sustained were consistent with a fall from a high point.
"I found no evidence of foul play in my postmortem examination," Milroy said.
Milroy, an independent pathologist, was summoned from Canada by the Bermudan coroner to carry out the autopsy. Toxicology results are pending.
Dombroski, a St. Joe's freshman from Media, Pennsylvania, disappeared early Sunday after leaving a bar. He was visiting Bermuda along with the rugby team to play in a tournament.
His family reported him missing the next day after he failed to show up for a flight back to Philadelphia. Dozens of police, islanders, and Dombroski's family scoured the island searching for the teen.
Then, Monday afternoon, his body was discovered by police and his brothers at the bottom of an empty moat on the grounds of a defunct colonial-era fort. It's a 35-foot drop from ground level to the bottom. Dombroski's wallet with money inside and his cellphone were still on him, police said.
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Police superintendent Sean Field-Lament said even with the pathologist's ruling, that his office would continue investigating all leads.
"We'll do all our best efforts to get a clearer picture of what happened that morning," Field-Lament said. "There's nothing to indicate that he was pushed at this stage."
"The truth of the matter is, we may not ever find out how he came to fall."
Field-Lament said the police service working with the FBI to gain access to Dombroski's locked cellphone. He also asked any witnesses who may have seen Dombroski before his death to come forward.
Dombroski's family remained in Bermuda as the autopsy was carried out. Police discussed the findings with them before announcing the results.
