Patricia Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and manager, said: “We are
saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now
have closure.”
Bottles of prescription medication had been found in the hotel room, but not
in large numbers, and those drugs played no part in the singer’s death. No
cocaine was found in the hotel room.
The official cause of death was given as “drowning and effects of
atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.” The coroner’s office said
the death was an “accident.”
According to the toxicology report: “Cocaine and metabolites were identified
and were contributory to the death. Marijuana, Alprazolam (Xanax),
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) were identified
but did not contribute to the death.”
A source close to the investigation told celebrity news website TMZ it was
“very possible” the singer had a heart attack that resulted in her becoming
unconscious and drowning. A heart attack could have been caused by hardening
of the arteries resulting from use of cocaine, TMZ reported.
The singer was buried in a New Jersey cemetery next to her father after an
emotional four-hour funeral service that was attended by friends, family and
stars including Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey.
Houston, a sensation from her first album in 1985, was one of the world’s
best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, with hits
including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “How Will I Know,” “The Greatest
Love of All” and “I Will Always Love You.”
But as she struggled with drugs her voice became raspy and she could no longer
hit the high notes.
Interest in her music has increased dramatically since her death, pushing her
songs back in to charts and radio playlists.
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