Virginia Giuffre, who once accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, showed no signs she wanted to end her life, her lawyer has said.
Giuffre, 41, was found unresponsive late Friday night, April 25, at her farmhouse in Neergabby, about an hour north of Perth, Australia. Police officers from the major crimes unit spent around twelve hours gathering evidence at the scene.
Her lawyer, Karrie Louden, visited the property shortly after Giuffre was found. Louden shared doubts about reports that Giuffre took her own life.
“We’ve got big question marks over it,” Louden said. “There’s suicide and then there’s misadventure. I wasn’t in the room. I didn’t see her. The family said what the family has said, but I’m not going to speculate whether it was suicide or accidental.”
She explained that Giuffre had recently been in the hospital and was taking medication. Louden questioned whether Giuffre may have accidentally taken too many painkillers, saying, “I don’t even know what the cause of death was.”
Despite recent health challenges, Louden said Giuffre had been making plans for the future, including renovating her home. “She was in a lot of pain but looking forward to things,” Louden said. “I was meant to be meeting with her today to sort out some legal affairs. Last week, things were positive.”
Louden stressed that there were no signs Giuffre was thinking about suicide. “If we had any idea she was at risk, we would have gotten her more help,” Louden said. “When I got the phone call, I thought it was a joke.”
Police have not shared much information yet. It might take up to two years for the coroner to finish the investigation, and the final report may not be made public. A spokeswoman from the Perth Coroner’s Court confirmed the investigation is underway.
Louden said there didn’t seem to be anything suspicious, but admitted that it might be impossible to know exactly what happened. Toxicology results are expected soon, but it is still unclear whether her death will be ruled suicide, accident, or remain unknown.
Giuffre’s body has been taken from the farmhouse, and police carried out a full examination of the property after the discovery.
