Police have found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma in the death of United States music superstar Prince, but it could take weeks before autopsy results reveal how the groundbreaking performer died, authorities say.
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“Prince is a very private person, and I don’t think that that would be unusual for him to be there by himself”, the sheriff said. To us, he was a community member and a good neighbor.
Despite reports claiming the Prince’s family were not co-operating in a bid to keep details surrounding the star’s death private, Sheriff Olson assured that they had been. Olson said when they went to check on him, they found him unresponsive on the first floor of the home. Attempts to revive him with CPR failed. However, Olson stressed that it’s “normal protocol” to investigate an unwitnessed death and that “no inference should be taken”.
A representative for the medical examiner’s office then told the media Prince’s body had been released to his family following a four-hour autopsy.
Weaver said an autopsy was performed by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Quinn Strobl beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday, ending at 1 p.m. Gathering the results will take several days and the results of a full toxicology scan could likely take weeks.
Minnesota authorities are declining to discuss whether any prescription drugs were found in Prince’s home after his death, or to discuss a report that the musician suffered a drug overdose less than a week before he died. Doctors recommended the 57-year-old remain at the hospital for 24 hours, but he chose to return to Minneapolis when they couldn’t give him a private room.
“We have no reason at this point to believe this was a suicide, but it’s early on in the investigation, and we will continue to investigate”, Olson said.
The sheriff also said that officers did not use narcan, which is administered when someone is overdosing on opiates.
The caller, noticeably shaken, said, “We’re at Prince’s house”.
The artist’s body will be released to his family.
The Carver County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota held a press conference today at 4 p.m. EST, explaining the investigation is still ongoing into the music legend’s death and there were certain things he could not share at this time.
Authorities say deputies who were summoned to a medical emergency Thursday found Prince in an elevator, unresponsive.
A cause of death wasn’t immediately determined.
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Among those seen entering the Paisley Park Studios complex were his sister, Tyka Nelson, musician and former collaborator Sheila E., his former bass player Larry Graham and model Damaris Lewis. Midwest Medical Examiners Office will not release information until the exam is complete and all results are obtained.
