The daughter of a Hollywood actor was found dead in her home. Her family insists it was not suicide

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Daelena Mackay was a student “full of life” who wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps as an actress.

But in May, just a month before her 21st birthday, she was found hanging from a red scarf in her Los Angeles apartment. Her body lay in the morgue for weeks after the county medical examiner ruled her death a suicide.

Her father, Dwayne Adway, a veteran Hollywood actor who has appeared in successful television shows CSI, NYPD BlueAnd Soul Airplane, has since expressed doubts about the cause of his daughter’s death, saying the family is seeking “truth and justice.” Her mother, Elaine Mackay, also insisted her daughter had suspicious injuries.

After Mackay was found in her El Centro Hollywood bathroom on May 23, a man claiming to be her boyfriend desperately tried to resuscitate her while calling 911, police said. Those attempts failed and she was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after midnight.

According to the police report, the friend said he left the apartment around 8 p.m. after an argument and found the woman dead when he returned.

The Los Angeles County Coroner did not perform an autopsy, the Daily MailThe coroner said an external examination and “the circumstances” of the 20-year-old’s death were clear.

But Mackay’s family is not satisfied, and Adway said he intends to “put pressure” on the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate his daughter’s case more closely, he told the New York Post.

“They are determined to stay where they are and not investigate the case any further. That seems to happen a lot in LA when black and brown girls die and are dismissed as suicides,” he said.

Adway told the outlet he met the man who called 911 the day his daughter died and said he was concerned about his behavior.

Mackay’s mother claimed that the alleged partner was not the same as her daughter’s long-time boyfriend in Texas, she told Mail.

The heartbroken mother also expressed her disdain for the lack of a thorough examination of her daughter’s body, claiming she was left with “no choice” but to examine the body herself.

“Her body tells a different story than what police are telling us. It shows bruising and bleeding from two stab wounds about an inch apart from each other from the front of her body to her back, as well as additional bleeding,” she told the outlet.

Mackay also insists that her daughter had seen a therapist the day before her death, adding that “there was no clinical evidence of depression or suicide, my daughter was full of life.”

Adway claimed that an autopsy is unlikely to shed any better light on the cause of his daughter’s death, but he continues to urge authorities to take further action.

“I call for a full investigation by the LAPD in the hope of finding truth and justice,” he said NBC Los Angeles.

Adway said he consulted two private medical examiners and claimed they told him there was no doubt his daughter was strangled, but their autopsy findings were no different from those of the medical examiners.

“It’s not about the fact that she was strangled, but the manner in which she was strangled,” Adway told the Post Office.

The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles County Coroner and the LAPD to see if they have decided to further investigate Mackay’s death.

If you are suffering from feelings of distress and isolation or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offer support. You can speak to someone free of charge and confidentially by calling 116 123 (UK and ROI), emailing [email protected]or visit the Samaritans website for details of your nearest branch.If you live in the United States and you or someone you know needs mental health help right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you live in another country, you can contact: www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.