In response, Evans said: “Even where jurisdiction may arguably exist in law, the practical ability to investigate and prosecute remains severely constrained when the suspect, witnesses, exhibits and evidential opportunities are all located overseas.
“No parent should have to endure the loss of a child in such tragic circumstances, and I fully appreciate that the passage of time does not diminish the family’s need for answers or their determination to understand exactly what happened to Lucy,” Evans added.
Coates’ lawyer Radd Seiger, has since said the family had “serious concerns” about the investigation and whether all the relevant evidence was properly gathered and considered.
He added that further information, including a recent download from Lucy’s mobile phone, contained information which “we believe are relevant to the circumstances leading up to her death”.
Seiger said: “We are not asking Cheshire Constabulary to take over an American investigation or to determine what happened in Texas.”
Instead, he said, they were asking the force “to obtain and examine relevant evidence which has not yet been properly investigated”.
“The family have spent nearly two years trying to get answers about Lucy’s death and justice for her.
“They are not prepared to accept that the investigation is complete simply because the American authorities have decided not to take the matter further,” he added.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
