Death of Hollywood actor's daughter ruled suicide, parents suspect something far more sinister: 'Her body tells a different story'

Authorities ruled that 20-year-old Daelena Mackay died by suicide on May 23. However, her Hollywood actor father believes something far more sinister happened to her daughter a month before her 21st birthday.

A man claiming to be Daelena's boyfriend called 911 to report that he discovered Mackay lifeless at her apartment. Daelena was allegedly hanging from the shower curtain rod by a red scarf.

The man said he untied the scarf and took her down before starting CPR until paramedics arrived, but he could not revive her.

She was pronounced dead by paramedics just after midnight.

The unnamed man told investigators that the couple had an argument around 8 p.m. that night and returned to her apartment to find her dead, according to the police report.

However, Daelena's family claims that the couple broke up in January.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled her death a suicide by hanging and said an autopsy "was not required" due to an "external examination and the circumstances of her death being conclusive," according to the Daily Mail.

Daelena's father – Hollywood actor Dwayne Adway — suspects that his daughter's death was not by suicide.

“I’m trying to apply pressure to the LAPD,” Adway told the New York Post on Saturday. “They are dead set on staying where they are and not looking more into the case. This seems to be happening a lot in LA with black and brown girls who die and are written off as suicides.”

The LAPD said the case was thoroughly investigated.

Daelena's mother – Elaine Mackay – is also suspicious of the way her daughter died.

"Her body tells a different story than what police are telling us, with bruises and bleeding from two puncture wounds approximately an inch apart that go from the front of her body straight through to the back and other bleeding,” Mackay told the Daily Mail.

Mackay added, “All of these findings that I found because I was left no choice but to have to examine her body myself, the county coroner left out of his report. Only toxicology was done by county coroner, no autopsy.”

Adway said he is against doing a private autopsy after he consulted with two forensic pathologists who told him that if she was strangled, their autopsy results would be similar to that of the medical examiner's.

“The issue is not that she was strangled, but the manner in which she was strangled is the question,” Adway said. “The pathologists would not be able to determine that. That is up to the LAPD and both the mom and I have been to see them about investigating this case more.”

The distraught mother vehemently disagreed, "This autopsy is crucial in the case and I don’t understand why her father would choose to forgo the autopsy when he knows it’s vital. All because I don’t have ‘my half’ when he has money, more than enough to just pay for it in full. Why would he do our daughter like this she’s just been sitting at the mortuary since June 18?”

Mackay insists that her daughter did not commit suicide.

“My daughter was not suicidal, she saw a therapist the day before and [they] said there was zero clinical indication of depression or suicide, that my daughter was full of life, very much excited about life,” Mackay stated. “She was so excited about winning a poetry contest and her upcoming 21st birthday, she was actively pursuing modeling and acting after her parents’ footsteps.”

Adway told KNBC, "I am heartbroken and grieving the loss of my beautiful smart and talented daughter," said her father, actor Dwayne Adway. "I am seeking a full investigation from LAPD in hopes of finding the truth and justice."

Adway has 43 acting credits to his name, including popular TV shows such as “CSI,” “NYPD Blue,” “ER,” and “Sons of Anarchy.” He also appeared in Hollywood movies "Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story," "Soul Plane," and "Into the Blue." His IMDb page does not show any acting roles since 2015.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!