At the inquest the following day, Dr. Saravanamuttu stated that she could identify two of the abductors. Three months later, she saw one of the abductors on television. He was a high-ranking police officer. She informed her lawyer who brought it to the notice of both the Magistrate conducting the inquiry into the incident and the police.<ref name="HumanRights">{{cite web|url=http://www.sangam.org/FB_REPORTS/98rappv.htm|title=Impunity|accessdate=2007-04-22|author=Ndiaye, Bacre|date=1997|publisher=Commisson on Human Rights}}</ref>
However, the suspect was not arrested and the lead was ignored.<ref name="HumanRights"/> Both Dr. Saravanamuttu and her lawyer, Batty Weerakoon, subsequently received death threats.<ref name="HumanRights"/> Police officers assigned to guard Batty Weerakoon have also received similar threats.<ref name="HumanRights"/> Dr. Saravanamuttu later became an [[activist]] for missing people and died in 2004.
In 2005, [[Assistant Superintendent of Police]] Lal Priyantha Darmasiri Ranchagoda, Officer in Charge Bodeniya Gamlath Gedara Devasurendra and [[Sergeant]] Mahawedikkarage Sarathchandra were indicted for de Zoysa's murder.<ref name="AffairsGov">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/01/29/new21.html|title=Four men dragged Richard down the stairs - says witness|accessdate=2007-04-22|date=2005|publisher=Daily News}}</ref> They were acquitted of all charges on November 9, 2005 by Colombo High Court Judge Rohini Perera; she stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution was "contradictory and not credible".<ref name="FreeMedia">{{cite web|url=http://www.freemediasrilanka.org/index.php?action=con_news_full&id=56§ion=news|title=All accused in Richard de Zoysa killing acquitted|accessdate=2007-04-22|date=2005|publisher=Freemedia}}</ref>
