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• Belushi, John:   (January 24, 1949 - March 5, 1982) John Belushi was a prominent actor and comedian who overdosed on a combination of cocaine and heroin.
   

• Benoit, Chris:  ( May 21, 1967 - June 24, 2007) Chris Benoit was a former professional wrestler who wrestled with several organizations including the World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. On June 25, 2007, Chris was found dead as a result of suicide by hanging. Also found dead were his wife, Nancy; and their son Daniel. His wife was bound before being killed; and his son was found dead after being strangled. It was determined that Chris killed both his wife and son in the days before his suicide. His toxicology report listed therapeutic amounts of hydrocodone and alprazolam (Xanax) in his system.
   

• Bigelow, Scott: (September 1, 1961 - January 19, 2007) Scott Bigelow, know as Bam Bam Bigelow, was an American professional wrestler from New Jersey, commonly referred to as "The Beast From The East." While his most famous run was with the WWF, he also made appearances for WCW and ECW in the 1990s. A big man, nearly 400 pounds, Bam Bam stood out from the other monsters in the business by being particularly agile for his size, as well as his trademark look: tights with a flame motif to match the tattoo of flames on his skull. Bam Bam held numerous titles during his career, including the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Hardcore Championship. He never held any titles in the WWF, but he was also part of numerous pay-per-view main events and many memorable moments in the company's history. In a famous WrestleMania main event in 1995, he main evented against New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.  On January 19, 2007, Bigelow was found dead at his home. The autopsy report found that Bigelow's death was due to multiple drugs found in his system including toxic levels of cocaine and anti-anxiety drugs benzodiazepine. Contributing factors attributing to his death was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
   

• Breitbart, Andrew:  (February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012)  Breitbart was a publisher; and commentator for The Washington Times, who died of heart failure. On March 1, 2012, Breitbart died at the age of 43 at the UCLA Medical Center after he collapsed while walking in Brentwood, California.  An autopsy revealed that he had cardiomegaly and died of heart failure. The toxicology report showed "no prescription or illicit drugs were detected."  Blood alcohol was .04%. No significant trauma was present and foul play is not suspected." He had suffered an apparent heart attack months before his death.
   

• Bryant, Kobe: (August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020)  Review the autopsy report of NBA basketball All-star, Kobe Bryant. On Sunday, January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas, California, around 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, while in route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport. Nine people were on board the helicopter including,  retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna; baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife, Keri; their daughter, Alyssa; Sarah Chester, her daughter, Payton; Christina Mauser; and pilot, Ara Zobayan; were killed on impact.  The autopsy reports for all other individual have been posted externally by various readers here.
   

• Carpenter, Karen: (March 2, 1950 - February 4, 1983) Karen Carpenter was a young and talented singer and songwriter who along with her brother, Richard, formed the musical duo The Carpenters.  In April 1969, The Carpenters signed their first recording contract and throughout the course of the 1970's, the duo had several # 1 and # 2 hits including, "(They Long to Be) Close to You," and "We've Only Just Begun." Unfortunately, during the same time Karen battled dieting problem and anorexia nervosa, which is an eating disorder characterized by extremely low body weight, distorted body image and the fear of gaining weight. Although Karen spent years in therapy and was in and out of hospitals getting treated for the disorder as well and the physical problems associated with it, Karen health eventually deteriorated. On February 4, 1983, Karen passed away at her parents' home. The causes of death was listed as  "heartbeat irregularities brought on by chemical imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa."
   

• Carter, Aaron:  (December 7, 1987 - November 5, 2022)  Carter became a teen sensation in the 1990's He released his self-titled debut album in 1997 at age nine, selling a million copies worldwide. His second album Aaron's Party, sold three million copies in the United States. Carter began making guest appearances on Nickelodeon and touring with the Backstreet Boys shortly after the record's release. Carter's next album, Oh Aaron, also went platinum, and in 2002 he released what would be his last studio album in over 15 years, Another Earthquake! On November 5, 2022, Carter died at his California home at age 34. His body was found in his bathtub by a housekeeper. An autopsy was performed and revealed that Aaron caused of death was drowning secondary to effects of difluoroethane and alprazolam.
   

• Chasen, Ronni: (October 17, 1946 - November 16, 2010)   Chasen was an American publicist who was noted for her Academy Award pubic relations work on films including  Driving Miss Daisy and The Hurt Locker;  and other PR work on films including On Golden Pond, Wall Street, and Wall Street 2.   She represented many actors including Michael Douglas.  On November 16, 2010, Chasen was heading home from the Hollywood premiere for the movie,  Burlesque,  when she was shot while in her car.  Chasen was shot through the passenger side window while stopped at a red light at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Whittier Drive. She sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back. She made a left turn and drove 1/4 mile before colliding with a light pole. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where surgical interventions were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 0112 AM PST. It was suspected at the time of her death another vehicle was involved pulling up along side of Chasen's car. However, a tip lead police to investigate man by the name of Harold Martin Smith who was suspected as being involved in Chasen's death.  Smith was being approached about the incident and committed suicide. Police concluded that Chasen's death was the result of an attempted robbery gone violent.  It is noted that the bullets from the gun Smith used to commit suicide had similar ballistic properties from the bullets that killed Chasen.
   

• Cobain, Kurt: (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994) On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington Boulevard home by an electrician. A suicide note was found, addressed to Cobain's childhood imaginary friend Boddah, that stated that Cobain had not "felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing ... for too many years now". Cobain's body had been there for days; the coroner's report estimated he died on April 5, 1994, at the age of 27. The official cause of death was a "contact perforating gun shot wound to the head." Manner of death was stated as suicide. There has been a lot of fascination and controversy surrounding the circumstances of his death in his fan base. Cobain was cremated and his ashes into McLane Creek in Olympia, Washington.
   

• Colvin, Douglas:  (September 18, 1951 - June 5, 2002) Douglas Colvin is best known as Dee Dee Ramones, musician and songwriter, bassist and founding member of the band, The Ramones. On the evening of June 5, 2002, Dee Dee Ramone was found dead by his wife Barbara at his Hollywood, California apartment. His cause of death is listed as an "acute morphine (heroin) intoxication." He is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
   

• Duerson, David:  (November 30, 1960 - February 17, 2011) David Duerson is a former National Football League safety who played with several teams including the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Phoenix Cardinals from 1983 until his retirement in 1993. On February 17, 2011, Mr. Duerson died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot to his chest. His last wish was that his brain be donated to the Boston University School of Medicine so that it could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
   

• Earnhardt, Sr, Dale:  (April, 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001)    Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an outstanding race car driver who spent most of his career driving on the NASCAR circuit. Dale Earnhardt was known as "The Intimidator," for his aggressive style of driving.  He was tragically killed after crashing into the wall on Turn 3 of the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
   

• Fatu, Edward: (March 28, 1973 - December 4, 2009) Edward Fatu, also known as Umaga, was a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a two-time Intercontinental Champion. Umaga started his wrestling career with the WWE in 2002 where he was known as Jamal at that time. After a few years with the WWE, Umaga left and wrestled in Japan. In 2005, he returned to the WWE. His personal and professional life was scarred with rumors that he obtained drugs, specifically, the human growth, somatropin, through the Internet. In 2009, he was released from his contract from World Wrestling Entertainment after it was said he violated the WWE 's "no drugs from online sources" rule and would not seek rehabilitation for his problem. On December 4, 2009, he was found unresponsive and bleeding from his nose. He was transported to Houston Northwest Medical Center and was pronounced dead after suffering a second heart attack. His death was attributed to "acute toxicity from the combined effects of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and diazepam." 
   

• Flynn, Errol: (June 20, 1909 - October 14, 1959) Flynn was an Australian-born American actor who was  best known for portraying Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood; Santa Fe Trial; San Antonio; Dodge City; Captain Blood; and The Charge of the Light Brigade . On October 14, 1959, Flynn was en-route to the Vancouver airport for a trip when he started to have back and leg pain. He was taken to the residence of a physician, Dr. Grant Gould, where the physician gave Flynn an intravenous dose of Demerol (a powerful opioid) for his pain. Flynn felt much better and after a rest, the physician went to check on him and found him unresponsive. Despite resuscitation efforts, Flynn passed away at Vancouver General Hospital. The autopsy report listed his manner of death as natural causes due to myocardial infarction secondary to coronary thrombosis and coronary atherosclerosis.
   

• Foster, Vincent:  (January 15, 1945 - July 20, 1993) Vince Foster was the Deputy White House Counsel during the first term of Bill Clinton's presidency. His death was none the less controversial as he was found with a gun in his hand and a gunshot wound through the mouth. His death was ruled a suicide.
   

• Gibb, Maurice:  (December 22, 1949 - January 11, 2003) Maurice Gibb was an outstanding musician, singer, and songwriter, who was part of the music group, the Bee Gees, along with his brothers Robin and Barry Gibb.  The group also had a younger brother, Andy, who died in March 1988, of myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle most likely contributed from extensive drug and alcohol use. Maurice Gibb died in Miami, Florida, as the complication of result of a ischemic small intestine, due to a volvulus or twisting of the intestine. He was cremated after his death.
   

• Grimmie, Chrisitina: (March 12, 1994 - June 10, 2016) Christina Grimmie was an American singer and songwriter. On June 10, 2016, she was fatally shot and murdered at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida during an after show autograph session. Grimmie first made popularly with her self-made YouTube videos covering songs by many popular artists. In 2014, Grimmie participated in Session 6 of "The Voice" and came in third place.  She is known for her debut album, With Love.  Posthumously, Grimmie's family released her other album, All is  Vanity.  Grimmie is buried in Berline Cemetary in Berlin, New Jersey.
   

• Halladay, Roy: (May 14, 1977 - November 7, 2017)  Halladay was a MLD pitcher who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc", and was a reference to Wild West gunslinger Doc Holliday. An eight-time All-Star, Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era.  Known for his outstanding durability, he led the league in complete games seven times, the most of any pitcher whose career began after 1945. On November 7, 2017, Halladay died when his airplane he was piloting crash in the Gulf of Mexico.  Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office released in January 2018 revealed that Halladay's blood contained morphine, hydromorphone, amphetamine, fluoxetine (an antidepressant), baclofen (a muscle relaxant), and zolpidem (a sleep aid sold under the brand name Ambien).On April 15, 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report stating that in addition to the drugs, Halladay was executing aerobatics including steep climbs and turns, and the plane sometimes came within 5 feet (1.5 m) of the water before a final climb caused its speed to fall to 85 mph (137 km/h), after which it nosedived into the sea and Halladay was killed by "blunt force trauma and drowning."
   

• Hastings, Michael: (January 28, 1980 - June 18, 2013)  Hastings was an American journalist and author and contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine and reporter for BuzzFeed website. Hastings was noted for his profile in Rolling Stone  about General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in the Afghanistan war. The article documented the widespread contempt for civilian officials in the US government by the general and his staff resulting in McChrystal's resignation.  In the early hours on June 18, 2013, Hastings died in a single-vehicle automobile crash in his Mercedes C250 Coupé. His autopsy report lists his cause of death as "traumatic injuries due to massive blunt-force trauma" consistent with a high-speed impact. His toxicology report was positive for marijuana and amphetamines.
   

• Henning, Curt: (March 28, 1958 - February 10, 2003) Henning also known as "Mr. Perfect," was an American professional wrestler who started his career in the AWA and eventually worked in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and NWA Total Nonstop Action . He won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship once; in addition to co-partnering with Scott Hall to win the AWA World Heavyweight Tag Team Chamionship. He also was a two time winner of the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Hennig was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007; and in the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015. On February 10, 2003, Hennig was found dead in his hotel room. The autopsy report listed his cause of death as cocaine intoxication. Steroids and painkillers also contributed to his death.
   

• Hellwig, James:  (June 16, 1959 - April 8, 2014) Known as the Warrior (Ultimate Warrior), Hellwig was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 1987 to 1992, as well as a short stint in 1996. He also notably spent a few months in 1998 for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was known as The Warrior.  The Warrior had an outstanding career starting in 1985 in the Continental Wrestling Federation where he teamed with Steve Borden (Sting) to form the tag team, The Freedom Fighters. In March 1986, Warrior and Borden left the CWF, and joined the United Wrestling Federation, where they changed from the Freedom Fighters to the Blade Runners.  Warrior was Blade Runner Rock and Borden was Blade Runner Sting. The Warrior left UWF in June 1986 and joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1986 to 1987. In June 1987, the Warrior, joined World Wrestling Federation, during this time he debuted as the Ultimate Warrior. On August 29, 1988, at the inaugural SummerSlam, Warrior became the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, after defeating The Honky Tonk Man. On April 1, 1990, at WrestleMania VI, the Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan to become the WWF Champion. Warrior left the WWF in November 1992 and took break to work at his professional wrestling school; and also wrestled on some independent circuits such as the IWF, NWC, and the CWA. On  March 31, 1996, Warrior returned to the WWF, where he participated at WrestleMania XII, defeating Triple H. In May 1998, Warrior returned to WCW forming "One Warrior Nation," opposing the heel group led by Hulk Hogan, New World Order (nWo).  On April 5, 2014, three days before his death, Warrior was induced into the WWE Hall of Fame. On April 6, 2014, he made an appearance at WrestleMania XXX; and then on April 7, 2014, appeared on Monday Night Raw. On April 8, 2014, according to reports, Warrior clutched his chest and collapsed at 5:50 p.m. after suffering a heart attack while walking to his car with his wife outside of their hotel in Arizona. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at age 54. The autopsy report lists the cause of death as "atherosclerotic/arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease." The Warrior always said "‘Live Strong, Act Bold, Be Brave. Nothing’s too hard to do, ALWAYS BELIEVE,’"  Thank you to one of our contributors, Dr. Aziz.  For some great autopsy video analyses of celebrities by a medical doctor (Dr Aziz) please visit his videos here.
   

• Holley, Charles: (September 7, 1936 - February 3, 1959) Charles Holley, known to his fans as Buddy Holly, was a talented rock and roll star. Buddy Holly joined Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts for the "Winter Party Party." On the morning of February 3, 1959 around 1 AM, Buddy Holly, along with Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson perished in an airplane crash as it was taking off from the Mason City, Iowa airport. Buddy Holly is buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery in Lubbock, Texas. A formal autopsy was not done at the time; however, the cause of his death is listed as massive head as the result of the plane crash.
   

• Hulette, Elizabeth Ann: (November 19, 1960 - May 1, 2003) Elizabeth Ann Hulette is  best known as Miss Elizabeth in the wrestling industry. She was the former wrestling manager of Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and was the girlfriend of Lex Luger at the time of her death. Her cause of death is listed as an accidental overdose resulting from "acute toxicity of alcohol and multiple drugs."
   

• Iron, Andy: (July 24, 1978 - November 2, 2010) Andy Irons was a professional surfer who has won several surfing titles including three world titles, three Quicksilver Pro France titles, two Rip Curl Pro Search titles, and other titles including the Vans Triple Crown of surfing four times. Andy learned to surf the dangerous and shallow reefs of the North Shore in Kauai, Hawaii. Andy was to perform in an event in Puerto Rico before backing out of the event after becoming ill. He was flying home and made a layoff in Dallas, Texas after missing his connecting flight to Hawaii. Andy was found unresponsive in his hotel room the next day. The official cause of death is listed as "sudden cardiac death associated with coronary artery disease" with a secondary cause listed as "acute mixed drug ingestion" from a mixture of drugs including alprazolam, methadone, benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine) and traces of methamphetamine as the drugs found in Andy`s body at the times of his death.  Also, review the official police report filed after the investigation of his death.
   

• Jackson, "Jeep" Hernell: (March 13, 1964 - May 3, 1987) Hernell was the first team all-Western Athletic Conference basketball player who played four season at the University of Texas El-Paso with the Miners from 1983 to 1986. Jackson was participating in a charity basketball game at  Fort Bliss Logan Heights Fitness Center with two other ex-Miners and four members of the NFL’s Houston Oilers, when he collapsed while sitting on the bench. He was taken to Beaumont Medical Center and was pronounced dead after unsuccessful attempts to revive him. The official cause of death is listed as "cardiac arrest due to arrhythmia" caused by an anomaly of his coronary artery.
   

• Jones, Anissa:  (March 11, 1958 -  August 28, 1976) Anissa Jones starred as Buffy in the 1960 -1970's CBS sitcom Family Affair.  She also starred in an Elvis Presley comedy film, The Trouble with Girls. Jones career was cut short as she started to take drugs.  On August 28, 1976, Jones was dead in a bedroom of her friends. The coroner's report stated that she died from a combined drug intoxication consisting of barbiturates (Seconal), phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, and methaqualone (Quaaludes). The coroner had stated at the time that Jones died of one of the most severe drug overdoses he had ever seen.   Thank you for one of our faithfully website viewers, Steve Smith, for providing Anissa's autopsy report!  Thanks, Steve!
   

• Joplin, Janis:  (January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970)  Janis Joplin was a prominent singer and songwriter in the 1960's and lead singer of the band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. She also ventured as a solo artist and performed at Woodstock. Janis was found dead at the Landmark Motor Hotel, now known as the Highland Gardens Hotel. Her death was the result of acute heroin-morphine intoxication by injection. Janis is part of the "The 27 Club,” with other rock legends who also died at the age of 27, including Rolling Stone Brian Jones, and rockers Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winhouse, and Kurt Cobain
   

• Kitaen, Tawny:  (August 5, 1961 - May 7, 2021)  Kitaen was an actress and model and notable for appearing in films such as Bachelor Party and Gwendoline and numerous television credits including Santa Barbara, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, Eek! The Cat, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Moms Anonymous. He career peaked new levels when she appeared in a number of popular music videos starting with Ratt's “Back for More” in 1984 and then a trilogy of videos for Whitesnake in 1987 which included “Still of the Night,” “Is This Love” and “Here I Go Again.” On May 7, 2021, the actress was found deceased. He autopsy report listed the cause of her death as dilated cardiomyopathy, a common type of heart disease. Other contributing factors to her death included mild coronary atherosclerosis and ingestion of mirtazapine, alprazolam, acetaminophen, pregabalin, and hydrocodone. Kitaen was cremated after her death. Thank you to our follower, Kendra, for providing us this report!
   

• Mays, Billy: (July 20, 1958 - June 28, 2009) Billy Mays was a notable advertising salesperson who was notable for his appearances in infomericals promoting products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo cleaning products. He also appeared in the Discovery Channels new TV series, Pitchmen. Billy Mays was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania not far from the home of Autopsyfiles.org. On the morning of June 28, Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida home. Ironically, the evening before his death, Billy Mays was aboard a plane that had a difficult landing, causing items in the overhead compartments to hit him in the head. After the landing, he was interviewed and said to have no ill-effects from the landing.  An autopsy revealed that he suffered from hypertensive heart disease and that he most likely suffered heart attack. He is buried in the Beth Hamedrash Hagodal Cemetery located in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
   

• McCormick, Malcom: (January 19, 1992 - September 7, 2018)  James McCormick also known as Mac Miller was an outstanding rapper and record producer who released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. and Best Day Ever. Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park, became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995. On September 7, 2018, Miller was found unresponsive in his home by his personal assistant. On November 5, 2018, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Miller died from an accidental drug overdose due to a "mixed drug toxicity" of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol.
   

• Miller, Billy :  (September 17, 1979 - September 15, 2023) Miller was an American actor who was known for his soap opera roles including his award-winning work as Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless and his dual portrayals of Jason Morgan and Drew Cain on General Hospital. Miller struggled with bipolar depression. On September 15, 2023, Miller took his own life. The autopsy report stated Miller's cause of death was  suicide resulting from "gunshot wound of head". Toxicology reports found the presence of "ethanol, cocaine, and its metabolites, diphenhydramine, and amphetamine" in his system.
   

• Mineo, Jr, Sal: (January 10, 1939 - February 12, 1976)  Mineo was  an American actor best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film Rebel Without a Cause, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 17, making him the fifth-youngest nominee in the category. Mineo also starred in films such as Crime in the Streets, Giant , Exodus , The Longest Day , Cheyenne Autumn, and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. On the evening of February 12, 1976, Mineo returned home. he was stabbed in the parking lot of his apartment complex. Mineo was found lying and bleeding profusely in the parking alley by neighbors. Mineo died almost immediately. The autopsy report states the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest/heart and the manner of death a homicide. Thank you to our follower, William, for the information.
   

• Murphy, Brittany: (November 10, 1977 - December 20, 2009) Brittany was an outstanding actress and singer who starred in many top films, including Clueless, 8 Mile, Sin City, and soon to be released film, Abandoned. Brittany was also the voice of that wild and crazy Luanne Platter in King of the Hill. Brittany also join Paul Oakenfold in singing and performing the club hit song "Faster Kill Pussycat." Brittany private life included dating talented star, Ashton Kutcher; and engagements to several of her managers which later ended. In May 2007, she married British screenwriter Simon Monjack. On December 20, 2009, paramedics responded to a 9-1-1 call at her residence where they found unresponsive in her bathroom. She supposedly collapsed. Firefighters attempted to resuscitate Murphy on the scene. She was subsequently transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed on December 21, 2009, with results being deferred until toxicology results are finalized. View the Death Certificate. Brittany is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles, California.
   

• Perry, Matthew: (August 19, 1969 - October 28, 2023) Perry was known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004. On October 28, 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his residence and was later declared dead at 4:17 PM that day.  Autopsy report revealed that Perry died from "acute effects of Ketamine" with secondary causes of drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine (Subutex) effect.
   

• Plato, Dana: (November 7, 1964 - May 8, 1999) Dana Plato was a talented actress who gained fame by playing the daughter, Kim Drummond, in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. She began her TV and movie career at a very young age appearing in different television commercials including those for companies such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dole Foods. Dana played the part in Diff'rent Strokes until 1984 when she became pregnant and the show's producers felt her pregnancy did not fit in with the wholesome image portrayed by the show. After she was let go by the show, she started to transition into a different individual. She got breast implants and posed nude in Playboy, and then starred in a soft-core pornographic film, Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill...and Jill. As her career spiraled downward out of control, she ended up out of work and eventually robbed a video store at gunpoint. She started to abuse prescription drugs, such as Valium, more and more. On May 7, 1999, Dana appeared on The Howard Stern Show, telling the audience of her financial problems and how she was a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She announced that she was engaged to her manager, Robert Menchaca, and that she and her fiancé were living out of the back of a recreational vehicle. On May 8, 1999, the couple stopped off at her fiancé's mother's place for a break, Plato decided to lie down inside her recreational vehicle parked outside the house and subsequently died of an overdose from Soma and Vicodin. Dana Plato was cremated following her death.
   

• Richardson, Jiles (J.P.): (October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959) Jiles P. Richardson, known to his fans as "The Big Bopper" was an outstanding young disc jockey, singer and songwriter and talented rock and roll star. The Big Bopper had taken time off from his disc jockey position to join Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and Dion and the Belmonts for the "Winter Party Party." On the morning of February 3, 1959 around 1 AM, The Big Bopper, along with Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly perished in an airplane crash as it was taking off from the Mason City, Iowa airport. The plane took off in a blinding snowstorm with the light plane crashing shortly after lifting off, killing everyone aboard. Ironically, the group's bus had previously broken down and Buddy Holly chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza plane to fly the group to their next destination taking Richardson and Valens with him. Richardson was ill that evening suffering from the flu, so Waylon Jennings had offered his airplane seat to Richardson so he didn't have to ride on the bus.  JP Richardson is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Beaumont, Texas. A formal autopsy was not done at the time; however, the cause of his death is listed as massive head and internal injuries as the result of the plane crash. In January 2007, The Big Bopper's son, Jay, had his body exhumed and autopsied by forensic anthropologist, Dr. Bill Bass, to lay to rest the controversy that his dad was able to survive the airplane crash and was shot instead. These rumors were unfounded as Dr. Bass stated that "There are fractures from head to toe. Massive fractures. ... (Richardson) died immediately. He didn't crawl away. He didn't walk away from the plane."
   

• Saget, Bob: (May 17, 1956 - January 9, 2022) Saget was famous for his acting roles on the ABC Sitcom, Full house;  and its Netflix sequel Fuller House, and the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014). From 1989 to 1997, he was the original host of America's Funniest Home Videos. Saget was in Florida doing his standup tour and on  January 9, 2022, he was found unresponsive and deceased by hotel staff in his room. The autopsy report listed the cause of his death and "blunt head trauma" and manner of death as an accident.  Saget's toxicology results were negative for drug; however; medical testing revealed Saget was positive for COVID19. The medical examiner concluded that Saget fell and hit his head and died from the brain hemorrhage in his sleep. Thank you to our follower, Frisk, for providing us this report!

• Salling, Mark: (August 17, 1982 - January 30, 2018)  Salling was best known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman, on the television series, Glee. In addition to Glee, Salling starred in several movies including Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering; and The Graveyard.  He also pursued a career in music releasing his solo album, Pipe Dreams, in 2010. Unfortunately, Salling's career was short-lived after getting in trouble with the law. First, in January 2013, he was accused of sexual battery by one of his ex-girlfriends which he settled out of court. On December 29, 2015, Salling's was arrested at his house after being found in possession of child pornography. A search warrant of his house revealed over 50,000 images of child pornography on his computers and drives.  On September 30, 2017, he pled guilty to charges of possession of child pornography and later sentenced to four to seven years in jail, registering as a sex offender, and entering a treatment program, among other conditions. On January 30, 2018, Salling was found hanging from a tree at his residence.  His cause of death was listed as asphyxia from hanging. The manner of death was ruled suicide.
   

• Sedgwick Post, Edie: ( April 20, 1943 - November 16, 1971) Sedgwick was an American heiress, socialite, actress, and fashion model. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's socialite. Sedgwick was known as "The Girl of the Year: in 1965. On November 15, 1971, after attending a fashion show at the Santa Barbara Museum, Sedgwick was picked up by her husband Michael Post after she was confronted by a drunken guest who was insulting her. Once home, Sedgwick's husband gave her her prescribed medications of barbiturates and went to bed. In the morning, Sedgwick was dead.  The coroner ruled her death "undetermined/accident/suicide" due to the result of "probable acute barbiturate intoxication" due to ethanol intoxication."
   

• Smith, Anna Nicole: (November 28, 1967 - February 8, 2007) Vickie Lynn Marshall, also known as Anna Nicole Smith, was a prominent model and actress, who had a life surrounded by fame, glamour, and controversy, died unexpectedly of acute drug combination intoxification of Chloral Hydrate, Benadryl, and several benzodiazepines, including clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and oxazepam.
   

• Smith, Steven Paul "Elliot":  (August 6, 1969 - October 21, 2003)  "Elliot" Smith was a former musician of the rock band, Heatmiser. Smith began his solo career in 1994. In 1997 he signed a contract with DreamWorks Records, for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "Miss Misery, "which was included in the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting, was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998. Smith suffered from depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction and on October 21, 2003, after an argument, Smith was found by his girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba, with a knife in his chest.  His cause of death is listed as "stab wounds to the chest," which are thought to be self-inflicted.
   

• Taylor, Sean:  (April 1, 1983 - November 27, 2007) Sean Taylor was a young and outstanding athlete and professional football player who was a free safety for the Washington Redskins. His death was ruled a homicide after he was shot during a home invasion.
   

• Troyer, Verne:  (January 1, 1969 - April 21, 2018)  Troyer was known for his role of Mini-Me in the movie series, Austin Powers.  Powers career started with roles of a stunt double including for the infant character "Baby Bink" in John Hughes' film Baby's Day Out. He gained further work as a stunt double with some minor comedic roles in several other films including Dunston Checks In, Jingle All the Way, Men in Black, and My Giant. Troyer was well known for his role as Mini-Me. He also starred in the move, The Love Guru, alongside Mike Myers who he starred with in the Austin Powers movies. He also portrayed the goblin Griphook in the movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  On April 3, 2018, Troyer was admitted to the Valley Presbyterian Hospital with alcohol intoxication with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.  He ended up ventilator dependent and he was removed from life support and died on April 21, 2018.  The cause of death was "sequelae of alcohol intoxication."
   

• Valenzuela, Richard: (May 13, 1941 - February 3, 1959) Richard Steven Valenzuela, known to his fans as, Ritchie Valens, was a talented young singer and songwriter that pioneered the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement. Ritchie was born in the San Fernando Valley in California. Ritchie began his music career with a local band, The Silhouettes, and eventually became the lead singer of the group. On May 27, 1958, Ritchie signed a contract with Del-Fi Records after one audition with it's owner and president, Bob Keane. Ritchie produced great hits such as Donna, Come On, Let's Go, and La Bamba.  On the morning of February 3, 1959, Ritchie, along with The Big Bopper, JP Richardson; and Buddy Holly perished in an airplane crash as it was taking off from the Mason City, Iowa airport. The plane took off in a blinding snowstorm with the light plane crashing shortly after lifting off, killing everyone aboard. Ironically, the group's bus had previously broken down and Buddy Holly chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza plane to fly the group to their next destination taking Richardson and Valens with him.  Ritchie had gotten his seat on the plane from back-up guitarist, Tommy Allsup, after winning a coin toss for the seat. The coin toss took place in the ballroom, and not on the airfield as the movie depicts. Ritchie's career was short having only lasted approximately eight months. Ritchie is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery, in Mission Hills, California.
   

• White, Reggie:  (December 19, 1961 - December 26, 2004) Reggie White was a former NFL defensive back, who played for several teams including the United State Football League, Memphis Showboats; and the National Football League Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Carolina Panthers. On December 26, 2004, Reggie was rushed to a local North Carolina hospital where he was pronounced dead. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. The official cause of death was listed as cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis.
   

• Wilkeson, Leon: (April 2, 1952 - July 27, 2001) Leon  Wilkeson was the former bassist for the Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Leon was found dead in his hotel room with the official cause of death listed as an accident caused by "complications of emphysema associated with positional asphyxia" with contributing factors of drug intoxication and liver cirrhosis.
   

• Wilson, Dennis: (December 4, 1944 -  December 28, 1983) Wilson was was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer. On December 28, 1983, three weeks after his 39th birthday, Dennis drowned at Marina Del Rey after drinking all day and then diving in the afternoon to recover his ex-wife's belongings, previously thrown overboard at the marina from his yacht three years earlier amidst their divorce. Forensic pathologist Michael Hunter believed that Dennis experienced shallow-water blackout just before his death.  Thank you to one of our followers, Becky, for helping us get the report.
   

• Williams, Darrent: (September 27, 1982 - January 1, 2007) Darrent Williams was a talented and rising star who played cornerback for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2005 draft. He played his collegiate career at Oklahoma State University. At the time of his death, he had just finished his second year. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, he and two other people were sitting in his car, when they were victims of a drive-by shooting.  Another vehicle pulled up along side of William's cars and fired shots. One shot hit Williams in the neck killing him instantly. Williams had been attending a New Year's Eve party and birthday party for NBA star, Kenyon Martin, at "The Shelter" nightclub locate in Denver, Colorado.  On March 10 2010, Willie Clark, a Crips gang member, was found guilty and sentenced for William's murder.
   

• XXXtentacion: (January 23, 1998 - June 18, 2018): Read the autopsy report and death certificate of American rapper, XXXtentacion. On June 18, 2018, Jahseh Dwayne Ricardno Onfroy, otherwise known as XXXTentacion, was gunned down after leaving RIVA Motorsports in Deerfield, Florida.  Broward County investigation believed XXXTentacion visited a bank and after withdrawing money was followed by assailants, Dedrick Williams, Robert Allen, Michael Boatwright, and Trayvon Newsome. XXXTentacion went into RIVA Motorsports as did several of the assailants. After XXXTentacion left RIVA Motorsports, he got into his BMW to drive away and was cut off by the assailants. One of the assailants shot XXXTentacion once in the neck critically injuring him.  XXXTentatcion was taking to Broward County North hospital where he died at 5:30 p.m EST.  In the aftermath, all the assailants mentioned above were eventually arrested and charged. XXXTentacion is interred at the Gardens of Boca Raton Memorial Park, in Boca Raton, Florida.