Four years later, wait continues for action on Ukiah woman’s death

Four years after Susan Keegan’s physician husband reported finding her dead in their Ukiah home, her family and friends are still waiting for authorities to conclude their investigation.

The cause of Keegan’s death, on Nov. 11, 2010, was changed from inconclusive to a homicide more than two years ago but no one has ever been arrested or named as a suspect.

“It’s been four sad years for Susan’s family and friends, all of us believers in justice and the rule of law,” said Susan Keegan’s cousin, Karyn Feiden, a New York freelance medical writer and author.

Feiden and others have been pressuring Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster to move forward with the case and make an arrest. They created a website: Justice4Susan, and most recently have been lobbying Eyster to convene a criminal grand jury to consider an indictment.

“Why won’t he present it to the grand jury?” Feiden said.

They’ve accused Keegan’s husband of being dishonest about the case but have not directly accused him of killing her. Dr. Peter Keegan, reached Tuesday by phone, declined to comment.

Law enforcement officials have said there is a “person of interest” in the case but have not named that person publicly.

Eyster said the case remains under active investigation.

“It’s simply not cut and dry,” he said. “I can’t tell you now whether it’s going to be prosecuted or not prosecuted.”

One of the things he must consider is whether there is sufficient evidence to successfully prosecute the case, Eyster said.

Feiden thinks there should be sufficient grounds to move forward by now. Keegan’s death generated suspicions among her friends and some family members from the beginning.

The Keegans were going through an acrimonious divorce but living in the same house when she died, according to family and friends.

Peter Keegan told authorities he found her on the bathroom floor and that she’d apparently died of an accidental fall. He reportedly told people that she had been abusing drugs and alcohol but her friends and family don’t believe it. They said it would have been out of character.

Autopsy results concluded that Susan Keegan, 55, had died from inhaling vomit, caused by blunt force trauma to the head. She also had high levels of alcohol and hydrocodone in her system. Law enforcement officials have released little additional information about the case.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@press?democrat.com. On Twitter ?@MendoReporter