Police Chief: Anna Nicole Died of Overdose

Mar 26, 07:09 PM

Current Headlines: Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental drug overdose after she was found unresponsive at a hotel, Florida authorities said yesterday morning.

"We found nothing to indicate any foul play," said Chief Charlie Tiger of the Seminole, Florida, police department.

Smith's autopsy results were delayed after her February 8 death at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino after police said they had found additional evidence that might have a bearing on the case.

But despite rumors to the contrary, foul play was never suspected.

Yesterday's autopsy results follow an initial report by Broward County medical examiner Dr Joshua Perper, which was released the day after Smith's death.

Perper found no evidence, either in Smith's stomach or her bloodstream, that she had taken large amounts of medication. The medical examiner said prescription drugs, but no illegal drugs, were found in Smith's hotel room.

Because Smith's death was so sudden and because her 20-year-old son Daniel also died under suspicious circumstances five months earlier, there has been speculation of possible criminal activity.

Smith arrived at the Hard Rock on February 5 and planned to leave four days later aboard a new yacht her companion Howard K Stern was arranging to buy.

She was said to be suffering from stomach flu before she was found dead.

Her death has been followed by a bitter court battle between members of her family and Stern over where she should be buried.

In a checkered career which often saw her the butt of jokes, Smith went from Playboy Playmate of the Year and Guess jeans model to bride of 89-year-old Teaxas oil tycoon J Howard Marshall II and comedy movie actress. More recently her life became a reality TV show and, despite her yo-yoing weight, she acted as spokeswoman for weight-loss supplement TrimSpa.

Aside from the mystery surrounding her death, a row over the paternity of her baby, Dannielynn, has also marred her legacy, with Stern and two other men all claiming they are the father.

Agencies

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