Mystery endures as coroner delivers open finding in farmer's poisoning death

Douglas Thrift died in December, 2018, an autopsy later revealing he had a fatal concentration of the highly-toxic strychnine in his system. An inquest in May examined the source of strychnine and how it was ingested.

THE mystery of how a much-loved Upper Hunter farmer and sporting legend ingested a lethal dose of strychnine will endure after a coroner said there was insufficient evidence to definitively determine his manner of death.

Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes on Wednesday delivered an open finding in the death of Douglas Thrift, who was found dead in a bedroom of his Denman home about 8pm on December 1, 2018, only hours after finishing his regular Saturday round of golf.