Mary Richardson Kennedy’s family hired a high-powered Washington investigation firm and an ex- Manhattan homicide prosecutor to look into her death, The Post has learned.
The firm focused its probe on Robert Kennedy Jr., Mary’s estranged husband, and on many “unanswered questions,” according to sources who say they were questioned in the months following her May 16 suicide.
“It was definitely my impression that they were pursuing a wrongful-death action,” said a confidant of Mary’s interviewed by family investigators. “They had the same concerns I had about the crime scene.”
RFK Jr. has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Mary’s death, and Mary’s family has not filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against him.
The firm first zeroed in on details of the hanging, according to another source who was questioned.
Specifically, the firm wanted to know whether Mary was a sailor, capable of tying a nautical knot for the noose, or could have climbed up to a 12-foot beam to tie the rope she used to hang herself in the garage of her Bedford Hills, NY, estate.
Sources close to the case said that Mary did not use a metal ladder in the garage, as initially reported, but that she may have climbed three boxes found near her body to get to the beam.
“Was there a platform she could stand on?” was one of the questions investigators asked in documents obtained by The Post.
Investigators also asked if any receipts for the purchase of a rope had been found and if any ropes were stored in the barn.
In communications obtained by The Post, a Richardson family member also requests that investigators help in “establishing Bobby’s activities and whereabouts in the days preceding Mary’s death.”
Probers also questioned one of Mary’s closest advisers about Mary’s state of mind and deteriorating relationship with her estranged husband.
The firm hired by the Richardson family, Investigative Group International, assigned Gary Fishman, a former veteran Manhattan assistant district attorney who tried murder cases, to lead the probe shortly after Mary’s death, sources said.
A wrongful-death suit — a civil action — is usually brought by close relatives of the deceased against someone who can be held liable for the person’s death.
IGI did not respond to the Post’s repeated calls and e-mails seeking comment, although a receptionist said that Fishman left the firm in September.
A spokesman for Mary’s family refused to answer any questions related to the probe and said, “The Richardson family continues to grieve for their sister Mary, and they have no comment at this time.”
RFK Jr. declined to comment.