Nancy Kerrigan's Brother Indicted for Manslaughter in Father's Death

Tough times for Kerrigan family as mentally unstable brother Mark faces charges in January fight that left dad dead

Update: Mark Kerrigan pleading not guilty April 9 to charges of manslaughter and assault and battery on an elderly person at his arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, Massachusetts. He's currently free on bail and living with his mother at home.

________

He's not going to skate by on this one.

Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan's brother has been indicted on a manslaughter charge for allegedly causing the January death of their septuagenarian father at the family's Massachusetts home.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement that Mark Kerrigan was charged with manslaughter and assault and battery on an elderly person resulting in serious bodily injury of 70-year-old Dan Kerrigan.

"We allege that the defendant's violent reckless actions and complete disregard for his father's safety and well-being endangered Daniel Kerrigan's life and resulted in the substantial harm that led to his untimely death," the D.A. said.

"This defendant should have known that the cruel acts that he committed against his elderly father, including grabbing him by the neck with enough force to cause a fracture, were highly likely to result in substantial harm and endanger his father's life."

Mark, 45, previously had just faced assault and battery over the incident, but after the coroner ruled the elder Kerrigan's death a homicide, Leone's office tacked on the manslaughter charge.

The D.A. accuses the younger Kerrigan of being drunk when he and his father got into a fight over use of the phone. The prosecutor says the son grabbed his father by the neck, causing a compression fracture and rendering Daniel unconscious.

Kerrigan, who's been confined to the family home since posting $10,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning. Janice Bassil, an attorney for the Kerrigan family, was unavailable for comment.

Previously, the family has insisted that Mark, who has a history of violence and mental illness, shouldn't face such severe charges.