Anna Nicole Smith Died of Accidental Drug Overdose, Medical Examiner Says

Mar 26, 08:12 PM

Current Headlines: DANIA BEACH, Fla. _ Almost seven weeks after her death, the world finally learned how reality TV star and TrimSpa spokeswoman Anna Nicole Smith died: an accidental drug overdose.

Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper and Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger announced the autopsy results Monday morning at a news conference.

Smith died from an "accidental overdose with no criminal elements present," Tiger said.

Perper said that Smith had been taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication, weight-loss drugs, methadone, and injected human growth hormone and vitamin B-12 in her thigh.

Prior to her death she had taken antibiotics, over-the-counter flu medication and chloral hydrate, a sleeping medication.

Chloral hydrate, combined with her other medications, caused her death, Perper said.

Perper said that despite Smith's depression, there was no evidence she had committed suicide. There was also no evidence of homicide.

Smith, 39, a former plus-size super model, died Feb. 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Seminole Indian reservation property near Hollywood, Fla.

The February autopsy found that Smith had not taken illegal drugs or alcohol and had not died as a result of blunt trauma. Her liver and her heart were slightly enlarged.

The actress had been suffering from stomach flu days before her death. She was said to have a high fever, diarrhea, and was vomiting.

At the time of Smith's death, Perper said she likely died of natural causes, from a reaction to prescription medication or a combination of the two.

The amount and variety of prescription medications the actress took prior to her death have been the topic of worldwide speculation. Prescription medications were found in her hotel room, but Perper refused to identify what they were.

Revelations of Smith's prescription drug use were revealed last month during proceedings in a Broward courtroom about who had the right to bury Smith's corpse.

Howard K. Stern, her longtime companion and lawyer; Virgie Arthur, Smith's estranged mother; and Larry Birkhead, Smith's former lover who claims to be the father of her baby daughter, all testified that Smith took a variety of prescription medications.

Both Perper and the Seminole Police Department, the law enforcement agency that oversees the Seminole Indian property, said Smith was not the victim of foul play.

Yet earlier this month, both the Seminole police and Bahamian law enforcement officials traveled back and forth from South Florida to the Bahamas working on this complex case.

Seminole police were seeking the legal right to access information found in Smith's computer files, files that were taken from her Bahamian home.

Meanwhile, Bahamian law enforcement officials were said to be investigating the circumstances surrounding the death last September of Smith's son, Daniel, from a drug overdose.

Perper was expected to announce his toxicology findings earlier this month, but the announcement was delayed when the Seminole police said they had two new pieces of evidence in the case that they wanted to explore.

"The reason Dr. Perper wanted to wait was not that he would change his ruling, but the new information would reinforce his ruling," Seminole Police Capt. Robert McDaniel said.

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