Drowning listed as cause of death for Justin O’Neal, manner of death ‘not determined’
The autopsy report on the death of Justin O’Neal, the Rodanthe man found in a marsh there on Feb. 14, concluded that the cause of death was “asphyxia due to drowning.” The manner of death, listed on the death certificate, is “not determined.”
The various options for categorizing the manner of death are natural, accident, homicide, suicide, and undetermined.
According to the Report of Investigation into O’Neal’s death from Dare County Medical Examiner Dallas W. Speidel, “the decedent was discovered face-down in a marsh…Rescuers report the water at the decedent’s location was approximately ‘chest high’ and thick with vegetation…the decedent’s hands were noted tightly clinging to vegetation around the head.”
In the wake of the findings, Dare County Sheriff’s Department Captain Kevin Duprey said that, “We are taking time to evaluate the case along with the autopsy before we make any decisions.”
Shortly after the discovery of O’Neal’s body, there was considerable speculation about the cause of death. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement a week after the body was found indicating that while foul play wasn’t suspected, anyone with information was invited to contact them.
In early April, a member of O’Neal’s family spoke to the Voice about the status of the case and reported that the family had hired a private investigator. Between then and the recent September 2024 release of the autopsy findings, there have been no new public developments in the case.
