EXCLUSIVE: Mother who 'shot herself' dead in sheriff deputy boyfriend's house was actually MURDERED and suffered broken jaw before the gun was fired, bombshell autopsy reveals 

  • Michelle O'Connell was found shot dead in her home in September 2010 
  • Was living with cop boyfriend Jeremy Banks and her daughter at the time
  • Police quickly said her death was suicide, and ruled out colleague Banks 
  • But an independent autopsy has found her injuries point to homicide 
  • Her family is now set to file the case with the medical examiner 
  • They hope the report will persuade prosecutors to convene a grand jury 
  • Banks was told he wouldn't face murder charges in her death last year  
By WILLS ROBINSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 14:24 EST, 22 May 2016 | UPDATED: 20:27 EST, 22 May 2016
When Michelle O'Connell was found shot dead in the home she shared with her sheriff deputy boyfriend in 2010, police quickly said she killed herself.
But the 24-year-old Florida mother's family insisted she was murdered by her cop partner Jeremy Banks and have demanded justice ever since.
Last year, Banks was told he would not be charged in her death, but results of a new independent autopsy could turn the case on its head.
Dr. William Anderson, who had O'Connell's body exhumed at the request of her family, has said his tests indicate her death was a homicide.
They are set to file the latest report to the medical examiners office and hope they can persuade a prosecutor to convene a grand jury. 
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When Michelle O'Connell (left) was found shot dead in the St Augustine, Florida, home she shared with her sheriff deputy boyfriend Jeremy Banks (right) in 2010, police quickly said she killed herself. But a new independent autopsy report, ordered by her family, has said her death was homicide, not suicide 
Ever since the 24-year-old mother's death, her family have fought for what they believe is justice. They have maintained that she was murdered. The new autopsy reveals her jaw was broken before the fatal shot was fired and would have been gagging on the gun where it was positioned 
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Ever since the 24-year-old mother's death, her family have fought for what they believe is justice. They have maintained that she was murdered. The new autopsy reveals her jaw was broken before the fatal shot was fired and would have been gagging on the gun where it was positioned 
Dr Anderson told Crime Watch Daily: 'I believe that the injury patterns that we see are inconsistent with the individual intraoral gunshot wound. We have external trauma and we have significant trauma unrelated to the wound itself. 
'That means that someone else was involved in the scenario.'
O'Connell was found dead in the St Augustine home she shared with Banks in September 2010.
She had reportedly packed her bags and was preparing to leave him after their relationship had run into problems.
Friends and family said she had complained about his violence and claimed she had been physically assaulted.
After her death, police conducted a short investigation and quickly cleared one of their own, Banks, insisting the injuries she suffered were from the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
They concluded that no one else was involved.  
But, according to the report compiled by Dr Anderson and with the help of two dental experts, her mandible, or jaw bone, was virtually snapped in two before the fatal gun shot.
They also found that the way the gun was placed in her mouth, O'Connell would have been gagging and could even have been choking. 
The autopsy states the jaw was broken by blunt-force trauma, suggesting she could have been punched in the face or pistol whipped just before she died. 
At the end of the report, the conclusion plainly states:  'The manner of death should be considered Homicide.' 
O'Connell's family insist Banks, who is a deputy at the St. John's County Sheriff's department, was behind O'Connells' death. He has never been arrested or changed with the crime. 
They claim he used his police expertise to cover up the crime. There has however been no investigation into misconduct of any kind.
'I think he would know how to cover up [the crime],' O'Connell's mother, Patty told Crime Watch Daily. 
Autopsy rules Florida woman's death as homicide not suicide
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Dr. William Anderson, who had O'Connell's body exhumed at the request of her family, has said his tests indicate her death was a homicide
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Dr. William Anderson, who had O'Connell's body exhumed at the request of her family, has said his tests indicate her death was a homicide
Her nine-year-old daughter Alexis, who was four when her mother was killed, says she hopes the family will finally get justice
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Her nine-year-old daughter Alexis, who was four when her mother was killed, says she hopes the family will finally get justice
'We've been telling them all along we knew she didn't kill herself and that should bring justice to Michelle's death. The evidence is there for them to do something with it now,' she adds. 
Her nine-year-old daughter Alexis, who was four when her mother was killed, says she hopes the family will finally get justice. 
O'Connell, 24, from St Augustine, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the mouth in September 2010 with her boyfriend Banks' duty weapon by her side.
He claimed to have been in another room and that she took her own life.
Her death was ruled a suicide by local investigators, but questions were raised about improprieties in the inquiry.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office investigated Banks, one of its own deputies. Banks has denied any involvement in her death.
When asked about the latest allegations in the case, Banks said to go to his lawyer.
His attorney, according to Crime Watch Daily, said the findings were ridiculous and insisted the family would keep fighting until they got the truth they wanted.  
Her mother Patty fought back tears as she discussed the evidence found in the new report. She said the family have told authorities from the start that she didn't commit suicide 
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Her mother Patty fought back tears as she discussed the evidence found in the new report. She said the family have told authorities from the start that she didn't commit suicide 
Banks (pictured center) was told last year that he wouldn't face murder charges in his girlfriend's death. He was interviewed and investigated by his colleagues 
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Banks (pictured center) was told last year that he wouldn't face murder charges in his girlfriend's death. He was interviewed and investigated by his colleagues 
O'Connell's friends and relatives have said that evidence such as a bruise, cut and a broken tooth suggest that she may not have killed herself, but was the victim of abuse
O'Connell's friends and relatives have said that evidence such as a bruise, cut and a broken tooth suggest that she may not have killed herself, but was the victim of abuse
A fresh investigation by an independent prosecutor's office was ordered by Florida Governor Rick Scott through an executive order in October 2014.
'Having assessed all of the evidence adduced in the investigations of this case, I reach the inescapable conclusion that whatever suspicions remain as to the manner of death of Michelle O'Connell, the evidence does not rise to the level of probable cause that a homicide occurred,' Florida State Attorney Jeffrey L. Ashton said in a letter to Scott at the time.
O'Connell's friends and relatives have said that evidence such as a bruise, cut and a broken tooth suggest that she may not have killed herself, but was the victim of abuse.
They stressed that she would never have left her young daughter.
Matt Doran, the host from Crime Watch Daily who covered the story, told Daily Mail Online the decision to dig up O'Connell's body took a huge toll on the family.
He added: 'If this (the findings) are true then it points to a cover up or an extraordinary failing of the investigative process.
'There are just so many things that don't add up.'
The full show airs on Crime Watch Daily on Monday. Check local listings.