Coroner's Finding: Holmes, Michael John
Deceased
Michael John Holmes
Demographics
35y, male
Date of death
1988-07-26
Finding date
2015-11-11
Cause of death
unknown
AI-generated summary
Michael John Holmes, aged 35, disappeared from his boarding house in Hobart on 26 July 1988 and was not reported missing until 28 October 1988. He had a significant psychiatric history including multiple suicide attempts, the most serious being a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in 1986. He had chronic alcohol use disorder and was living in a refuge for alcoholic and homeless men. Despite comprehensive police investigations including checks across all Australian jurisdictions, unidentified bodies, transport systems, and financial institutions, no trace of Mr Holmes was ever found. The coroner could not determine the cause of death, though suicide was considered the most likely possibility given his history of suicide attempts and expressed suicidal ideation in the months preceding his disappearance. The delayed reporting of his absence (over two months) may have hindered investigation.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- chronic alcohol use disorder
- psychiatric illness with recurrent depression and anxiety
- multiple previous suicide attempts
- expressed suicidal ideation prior to disappearance
- delayed reporting of missing person (over two months)
- recent serious injury from motor vehicle accident in April 1988
- social isolation and homelessness
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