The family of a deceased New Rochelle woman is looking for answers after she was discovered dead this month inside Iona University campus housing. Karen Sackett is believed to have died on November 1, her 47th birthday, but was discovered three days later by a university employee, according to her family.
“Evidence at the site indicated that she did not die naturally. Sackett’s brother-in-law, Rick Diaz, describes her death as “horrific.” Diaz claims Sackett was found dead in her bedroom when Iona University was evicting her from school housing. He believes she resided there in a strained relationship with her ex-boyfriend, who worked at the university.
“She feared for her life,” Diaz recalls. He further claimed that the ex-boyfriend was peddling narcotics outside the house and had physically abused her. Diaz sent News 12 photographs of Sackett with injured hands, fingers, and bits of her hair ripped out.
News 12 has been unable to locate Sackett’s ex boyfriend and will not name him because he has not been charged with any offense. According to New Rochelle police, there have been no past calls to the residence, and the death is still being investigated. They believe Sackett died of natural causes.
Her family, however, does not accept that and provided News 12 with her death certificate, which states that the cause is being investigated further. “The death isn’t even under investigation.
“They’ve pretty much written it off,” Diaz claims. Iona University expressed sympathies for Sackett’s death, stating that he was not linked with the university. Sackett’s funeral service was performed last week.
Diaz says the university ignored potential difficulties between the pair and is covering up her death. “We want someone to look into this,” Diaz says. “There’s just so many unanswered questions.”