Olsen Twin Not Part of Probe in Ledger's Death

Jan 26, 07:12 AM

Jan. 26--Police insisted Friday that there are no plans to interview Mary-Kate Olsen about the apparent overdose of "Brokeback Mountain" star Heath Ledger.

Olsen was thrust into the headlines when it was revealed Thursday that a masseuse had called her in California in a panic after finding Ledger in his SoHo loft Tuesday, apparently dead about two hours, police said.

The former "Full House" child actress released a statement Friday: "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family during this very difficult time."

Olsen, police said, at first told the masseuse, Diana Wolozin, that she was sending over three of her security guards. Wolozin got off the phone, then called Olsen back to tell her she was calling 911. Wolozin and Ledger's housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, were with Ledger before paramedics and one of the guards arrived. Police arrived moments later, along with two other security guards.

Police, however, said they have no reason to suspect anyone at the apartment tried to cover up what happened or to hide evidence. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but detectives believe the 28-year-old actor died of an accidental overdose of prescription medication.

An investigator involved in the case said the decision not to talk to Olsen was not clear-cut. Someone involved in the case did think it appropriate to question Olsen about what Wolozin told her -- and about Olsen's decision to send her guards to the home, the official said. Such questions, the investigator said, could prove important if foul play were involved, or if the medical examiner says Ledger died around the time Olsen was called. Ultimately detectives felt the masseuse, housekeeper and guards were forthright in their interviews, the investigator said.

Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne dismissed any controversy. "The detectives felt they had enough from the witnesses at the scene," he said. "The detectives made a determination that they had enough information. If they needed to interview, they might have done that."

Ledger's body, meanwhile, was removed in a wooden crate around 4 p.m. from Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on the Upper East Side and was driven off in a hearse. Funeral arrangements are unclear, but media and the curious nonetheless spent a good part of Friday standing outside in the cold.

"I saw him in 'Brokeback Mountain,'" said Maria Nascimento, 45, who was waiting to pick up her 6-year-old son at nearby P.S. 6 Lillie D. Blake School. "I am heartbroken. I just saw him in that movie and fell in love with him. It's such a shame. He was so young."

Pervaiz Shallwani contributed to this story, which was supplemented by wire reports.

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