Boyfriend faces quiz over whale trainer found dead in the sea
THE death of a British killer whale trainer is now being treated as possible murder with her boyfriend a suspect, it was revealed yesterday.
Amy Gerard’s body was found in the sea off Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, on December 4.
The 28-year-old from Grimsby had been reported missing following a night out at a pub with her German boyfriend Dennis Kissling and other friends on November 30.
Spanish police have placed Mr Kissling under investigation and a court specialising in violence against women is handling the case.
Officials have lifted a secrecy order that had been imposed on the inquiry into the disappearance and death of Miss Gerard, who was working at Loro Parque – which means Parrot Park – on the outskirts of Puerto de la Cruz.
Yesterday, an official speaking on behalf of the investigating judge said: ‘The court has confirmed that the investigation has detected indications of criminality with regards to the boyfriend, who has been summonsed to give evidence in the next few weeks as a person under official investigation over his possible involvement in the death of Amy.
‘When the autopsy showed her body had signs of violence, the judge investigating the case at the time passed it over to the Court For Violence Against Women.’
The statement did not name Mr Kissling as the man under investigation, although he was widely described at the time as Miss Gerard’s boyfriend. He was a colleague at Loro Parque and it was known she was with him the night she disappeared after leaving Molly Malone pub in Puerto de la Cruz.
She was filmed looking happy and relaxed as she and Mr Kissling danced to Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues. The pair were said to have been spotted going their separate ways after leaving the pub.
University graduate Miss Gerard was estranged from her husband Ryan Docherty, a personal trainer in the UK. Police were told she was not a big drinker and had not looked inebriated when she left the pub.
Tenerife Police had appeared to rule out a crime, saying the ‘apparent circumstances’ leading to her death did not seem to have been the result of violence.
Details of the cause of Miss Gerard’s death have still not been released. Yesterday her family did not wish to comment.
They are being helped by the Lucie Blackman Trust, a charity set up to help British nationals in crisis overseas.
Mr Kissling could not be reached for comment.
He was warned in December he would be questioned as an ‘investigado’ when he appears in court, which means he is under official investigation.
If it was felt after a full investigation that Mr Kissling should face trial, he would not be charged until further down the line in the legal process, officials said.
‘Body had signs of violence’