Brittany Murphy Autopsy Results
Actress Brittany Murphy’s death was likely due to natural causes, the Associated Press reports. Authorities say that the 32 year-old star of Clueless and 8 Mile had become ill with flulike symptoms before collapsing from cardiac arrest in her Hollywood Hills home.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said an autopsy had been conducted and officials were awaiting the results of toxicology and tissue testing before determining an official cause of death. It could take up to six weeks before a determination is made public. A death photo is not available.
Officials also interviewed Murphy’s personal physician and examined prescription drugs taken from her home.
The autopsy found no signs of trauma to the body; police did not suspect foul play. “We went to the scene to see if there was anything that suggests foul play, and there wasn’t,” said Los Angeles police Detective Wendi Berndt.
It may seem strange that such a young woman could die from a heart attack, but statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that heart disease is the third leading cause of death for American women in Murphy’s age range. The first is unintentional injury; malignant tumors are second, and suicide is fourth.
Brittany’s husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack and her family wrote in a statement: ”The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy. She was our daughter, our wife, our love, and a shining star.”
