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Sheriff says Prince's body showed 'no signs of trauma,' rules out suicide as cause of death
(Thomson Reuters)
Prince performs during his 'Diamonds and Pearls Tour' at the Earl's Court Arena in London
The Carver County Sheriff's Office held a press conference to confirm the details surrounding Prince's sudden death on Thursday.
"In life, he was a private person and we plan to honor that," Sheriff Jim Olson said to open the conference.
Bound by the necessity to keep many details surrounding Prince's death confidential as the investigation is ongoing, Olson explained, "This case is 29 hours old and it continues to evolve."
As for the cause of death, Olson said there were no signs of trauma to Prince's body, which he explained to mean that "there was no signs of violence." He also said that he had "no reason to believe it's a suicide."
"There had been so many rumors I've read about. I can't dispel them all," Olson said.
In light of reports that Prince possibly suffered from a drug overdose or the complications of a previous drug overdose, Olson said that he wouldn't comment on any medications Prince was taking, nor his health.
The investigation will include a look into his medical records and any available surveillance video. He wouldn't reveal if investigators removed any items from Prince's home. Olson did confirm that there have been no emergency calls regarding Prince in Carver County in the past year.
As for the status of the autopsy on Prince's body, the Midwest Medical Examiner's public information officer Martha Weaver confirmed that it started at 9 a.m. and concluded at 1 p.m. on Friday. The singer's body was then released to his family. Further tests will include "a meticulous exam" of tissue samples and toxicology tests from blood draws. Results are expected to take a few weeks.
Sheriff Olson also gave a more detailed picture of Prince's final hours of life and the reporting of his death.
The singer was last seen alive on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. when an acquaintance dropped him off at his Paisley Park home in suburban Minneapolis.
On Thursday, members of Prince's staff became worried when they couldn't contact him on Thursday morning. They went over to the house to find him unresponsive on the first floor of the house in the elevator. They made the 911 call at 9:43 a.m. Medical professionals attempted CPR unsuccessfully upon arrival to his home. He was declared dead at 10:07 a.m. He was 57 years old.
Regarding the scene upon arrival, the sheriff said, "It was certainly somber. He was a friend to the people present in addition to being an employer."
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