In his post mortem report last June, Wayne County Medical Examiner Theodore Brown wrote about late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell’s cause of death: “Drugs did not contribute to the cause of death. It is my opinion that death was caused by hanging. Based on the circumstances surrounding this death and the autopsy findings, the manner of death is suicide.”
Toxicology tests showed the presence of barbiturates, caffeine and lorazepam, also known as Ativan, for relief of anxiety. The report also lists naloxone, an anti-opioid drug, and a decongestant.
He also confirmed the rock star was found “partially suspended by a resistance exercise band in his hotel room,” adding his injuries were all “consistent with hanging, partially suspended by the resistance exercise band.”
A fan recently tweeted Brown’s comments to Chris’ widow Vicky Cornell, who has recently been raising awareness for opioid abuse as she claims her husband relapsed on prescription drugs, which impaired his mental state leading to his death.
Vicky responded, “The ME was not commenting on my husband’s mental state or the level of impairment. The statement ‘the drugs did not contribute to the cause of death’ was simply they were not mechanical cause. It has since been misinterpreted and has caused confusion.”
The ME was not commenting on my husband’s mental state or the level of impairment . The statement “the drugs did not contribute to the cause of death” was simply they were not mechanical cause. It has since been misinterpreted and has caused confusion.
— Vicky Cornell (@vickycornell) March 2, 2018
