Legendary Musician Prince Dies, Reportedly Found with Prescription Painkillers
The prescription drug abuse epidemic in the United States may be getting even more attention in the coming weeks and months after it was revealed that musical superstar Prince, who tragically passed away at his Paisley Park, Minnesota home, may have been suffering from drug addiction problems.
The legendary singer was just 57 years old when he died. A week before his tragic death, Prince had been admitted to a local hospital for undisclosed health issues. Some media outlets have reported that the reason for Prince’s admission to the hospital was a prescription opioid overdose.
At least two different law enforcement sources reportedly indicated that police found prescription drugs near Prince’s body during the investigation into his death.
Local law enforcement, which includes the Carver County Sheriff’s Department, has reportedly reached out to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal authorities for assistance with the death investigation.
Meanwhile, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office already conducted an autopsy on Prince. However, the coroner’s office has not yet released the results of the autopsy or indicated whether toxicology reports show that drugs, illegal or otherwise, were a factor in Prince’s death. It has been alleged that Prince became addicted to Percocet after undergoing hip replacement surgery in 2010.
Jim Olson, the Carver County sheriff, recently held a press conference and declined to comment on whether Prince had been using Percocet or any other painkillers prior to his death. Olson said that law enforcement was still “gathering medical records” to facilitate the investigation.
For further information, read the Yahoo.com article, “Prescription Drugs Found with Prince at the Time of His Death.”
If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with a drug crime like illegal prescription drug possession or prescription fraud, you should talk to a qualified criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. The experienced South Jersey criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of John W. Tumelty can help you fight your drug possession charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
