Hollywood pitch man, Billy Mays, who died last month, had a death wish. Not only did he suffer from untreated hypertension, which created heart problems, he was on a slew of anti-depressants and cocaine.
His family issued a statement on the report:
"We are extremely disappointed by the press release released by the Hillsborough County medical examiner's office. We believe it contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension, which only demonstrates how important it is to regularly monitor one's health.
Given the hectic nature and pace of Billy's life, especially during the past 10 months of his exhaustive travel across the country, it was not surprising to hear that hypertension was the cause of his death. We were totally unaware of any non prescription drug usage and are actively considering an independent evaluation of the autopsy results."
Autopsy: Billy Mays' Death Linked to Cocaine
An autopsy shows that cocaine contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV infomercial pitchman Billy Mays in June, according to officials.
Investigators previously determined that Mays, 50, had a heart attack in his sleep at his Florida home. His wife found him unresponsive in bed on June 28. Heart disease is still listed as the primary cause of death...
Toxicology tests also showed therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays was scheduled to have a hip-replacement surgery the day after he was found dead...
