By Daniel Trotta
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor Heath Ledger died of an
accidental overdose of six prescription drugs, with a mix of
painkillers, tranquilizers and sleeping aids found in his
system, officials said on Wednesday.
A law-enforcement source with knowledge of the case said a
formal request for the city medical examiner’s records had been
filed on Wednesday, seeking to discover who provided the
28-year-old Australian with the lethal combination.
Ledger, renowned for his role as a conflicted gay cowboy in
the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain,” was found dead in his
Manhattan apartment on January 22, naked and with several
prescription drugs nearby.
“We have concluded that the manner of death is accident,
resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,” the New
York City Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement.
“Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication
by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam,
temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine,” the statement said.
His death shocked film fans and fellow actors around the
world and added his name to the list of movie stars who died
young, like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
declined to comment but said the federal agency was committed
to identifying any illegally obtained prescription drugs.
Medical experts said it was highly unlikely a single doctor
would have prescribed such a mix. Continued…
