Manama: The death of US Navy counsellor Cherie Morton a month ago in Bahrain is still shrouded in mystery with the Navy still not releasing information until the investigation is completed.
Morton, a 40-year-old command career counsellor and 15-year Navy veteran was found dead on April 20 in her home in Gallali, a small town on the island of Muharraq, north of Manama.
Initial local media reports suggested that there were gunshots, but Naval Support Activity Bahrain officers rejected all claims of foul play, saying that there was "no violence detected, no weapon and no terrorism involved" in Morton's death.
However, the Navy said that it was still looking into the cause of her death.
Lack of answers
Morton is survived by her mother and father and a teenage son, Brian Trevor, of Los Angeles, scheduled to graduate this month. The family was quoted as telling US newspapers that "the lack of answers in Morton's death was especially hard to deal with these days."
Violent deaths among US Navy personnel in Bahrain are rare. In January 2007, Petty Officer Jennifer A. Valdivia, 27, was found dead in her residence in Juffair and in October US sailor Clarence Jackson shot dead two women sailors, Anamarie San Nicolas Camacho and her roommate Genesia Mattril Gresham before trying to commit suicide by turning the gun on himself. Jackson is still in a coma and the case is still being investigated by the Navy.
The US military has had a presence in the Gulf since 1949.
