FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS: Dale Mooney, 53, a New Hampshire resident may not have died due to an 'altercation' during a Sunday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and and New England Patriots.
Mooney, a New England Patriots fan, who was punched unconscious on September 17, by a Miami Dolphins fan had a "medical issue," suggest officials.
How did Dale Mooney die?
The preliminary autopsy suggests "no traumatic injury", Norfolk District Attorney's Office said in a statement, according to NBC News.
The autopsy, however, "did identify a medical issue," the statement added.
The office further said that extra tests were pending to determine the actual cause of death. "Cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending further testing," it added.
"Our investigation remains open and ongoing. Any eyewitness, who has not already been interviewed by police, or anyone in possession of original video of the incident, is asked to contact detectives," the statement added.
DA Michael Morrissey also confirmed to Daily Mail that the "medical issue" was a potential contributor to his death.
He added the two blows delivered by the Dolphins fan did not cause fatal injuries to Mooney.
What was Dale Mooney's 'medical issue'?
The District Attorney's Office has not explained or elaborated on the "medical issue" Mooney had been suffering with when he died.
However, the officials seem to have not permanently ruled out the beating as the cause as according to a spokesman they were still reviewing all the events.
DA spokesperson David Traub said, "We're still reviewing all of the video and other evidence".
He added, "We're still piecing this together, all of the events."
"If this gives us a clear cause and manner of death, then that'll be a big piece of the evidence and seeing how it all fits together," Traub added as reported by the publication.
Dale Mooney was in distress before hitting the deck, witness says
Joseph Kilmartin a witness and also a Pats fan told NBC, that he noted that Mooney was in distress before hitting the deck prior to when the autopsy findings were revealed.
“It did look like, at a certain point prior to him getting punched, you can see that his body wasn’t moving like it should," Kilmartin a 29-year-old said.
"I believe he’s having a heart attack already at this point," Kilmartin who is an exterminator from Nashua, New Hampshire added.
“He was out cold once he fell. But in my opinion, it wasn’t even the blow that did it. i think in the tussel, in the hockey fight aspect of it, I think he began to have a heart attack," Kilmartin said.
"I think the got so worked up in the scuffle, it caused him to have a heat attack. Whether he was punched in the head or not, he was already suffering from a heart attack,' Kilmartin continued.
