Mary Kennedy's Family Orders Death Probe

The family of Mary Richardson Kennedy doesn't seem convinced she killed herself last May. The family has hired a top investigation firm in Washington to probe her hanging death and focus on "unanswered questions"—including the whereabouts of her estranged husband, Robert Kennedy Jr., at the time, the New York Post reports. "It was definitely my impression that they were pursuing a wrongful-death action," a friend of Mary's told investigators. "They had the same concerns I had about the crime scene."

Among those concerns: Was Mary capable of tying the nautical knot used in her noose? Did she have something to stand on when hanging herself? Was there a receipt for the rope she used? One Richardson family member also asked investigators for "Bobby's activities and whereabouts" on the days before her death. The firm, Investigative Group International, didn't respond to the Post's calls and emails—but we have reported that Mary battled drugs and alcohol, was on anti-depressants when she died, begged RFK Jr. for help, and was violent in their marriage. (More Mary Richardson Kennedy stories.)