|
Prince also had a dangerously low red blood cell count,
indicating he had been ill, Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP-TV
said, citing two unnamed law enforcement officials.
A spokeswoman for the local medical examiner's office that
conducted a post-mortem examination of Prince declined to
confirm the reports.
The cause of Prince's death remained undetermined. The medical
examiner's office said in late April the autopsy and toxicology
results could take weeks.
The news reports came after federal authorities said on
Wednesday they were joining the investigation into Prince's
death.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney's office
in Minnesota will bring federal resources to the local
investigation and expertise on the illegal use and trafficking
of prescription drugs, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
Also on Wednesday, a lawyer for a California addiction doctor
said Prince's representatives had contacted the doctor the
evening before his death, adding that the doctor had planned to
visit Prince for a "life-saving mission."
The 57-year-old Prince was found dead on April 21 at his Paisley
Park home-studio complex in a Minneapolis suburb. Prescription
opioid medication was found at the scene, a law enforcement
source told Reuters.
Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, a clinic
in Mill Valley, California, planned to fly to Minnesota on April
22, his lawyer William Mauzy said. In the meantime, his son,
Andrew Kornfeld, a clinic staff member, traveled to Minnesota on
April 21 for an initial discussion.
When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park, Prince was not
available, Mauzy said. A staff member found the artist
unconscious in an elevator, and Kornfeld called 911.
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
