Autopsy results have confirmed that Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, which is a powerful opioid painkiller which has been described as ‘up to fifty times more potent than heroin’.
The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office released a one page report confirming the presence of the drug in the musician’s body, and that he likely administered it himself on an unknown date. This represents the conclusion of the investigation, and the Examiner’s Office does not intend to provide further comment.
Fentanyl is often pursued by pain patients who have built up significant resistances to other medication. It is tightly controlled by the FDA, and over 700 fentanyl-related overdoses were reported in 2013 and 2014.
Prince died at the age of 57, soon after a string of cancelled concerts in Atlanta, and was found at his Minneapolis estate on April 21.
He had a reputation for clean living among his friends and associates, but it was also known that a lifetime of energetic performances had taken a toll on his body, and he suffered from chronic pain in his hip and knee joints. He was reported to have been treated for an accidental overdose a week before his death.
RIP.
Source: AP.
Photo: Getty Images.
