- Music
- 02 Jun 16
A US law enforcement official has said the icon's death in April was the result of an opioid overdose
Prince died of an overdose, a US law enforcement official has said.
The Associated Press is reporting that an opioid overdose was the cause of the legendary musician's death. The overdose is presumed to have been accidental. The 57 year old was found in his Minnesota home on April 21.
In advance of today's announcement, there had been widespread speculation on news sites about alleged drug use by Prince on the run-up to his death on April 21. Now those rumours seems to have been confirmed.
In this regard, as we know, the initial autopsy on the artist’s body was inconclusive. News reports at the time claimed that Prince was suffering dehydration or fighting the flu, though that always seemed like, at best, a half-truth. Against that background, it was reported some weeks ago that prescription painkillers had been found in the artist's possession – and the flow of news since then seems to confirm that this is where the real answer as to what happened to Prince almost certainly lies.
The Minnesota newspaper and website, Star Tribune, have been covering the story in detail – and they have revealed that the police investigators on the case were trying to establish what role, if any, painkillers had played in the visit that Prince was forced to make to hospital shortly before his death. Meanwhile, news agencies speculated in relation to whether or not there had been a doctor aboard the plane.
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There were, for example, reports from The Associated Press which said that Prince was unconscious at the time the plane landed, and that so called 'first responders' administered a shot of Narcan – a drug that is used to counteract suspected opioid overdoses.
And yet there is still conflicting evidence. L. Londell McMillan, who was Prince’s attorney, told The Associated Press that he himself had spoken to Prince on the Sunday before his death. "He said he was doing perfect," the attorney stated. "He said, 'OK, I'll call you soon'." The Associated Press asked McMillan about substance abuse, and the lawyer insisted that Prince was "not on any drugs that would be any cause for concern."
His fellow legal eagle, Michael Padden, who is acting for Prince's siblings Lorna and Duane Nelson, explained that, in the past, Prince had problems with both Percocet – a drug which contains a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone, an opioid pain medication – and cocaine. "Lorna told me that her brother would die young," Padden said, speaking to StarTribune.
All of which seemed to substantiate the media reports that Prince had been fighting an addiction to pain-killers – rendering today’s official announcement somewhat less than surprising.