ME: Prince's Autopsy Is Complete; Body Released To Family
MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) — An autopsy was completed Friday to determine what caused the death of the iconic musician Prince, who was found unresponsive in an elevator by sheriff's deputies at his suburban Minneapolis compound a day earlier. However, it may take time for information to be released.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said deputies responded to a medical call at 9:43 a.m. Thursday. Medical personnel performed CPR, but couldn't revive the 57-year-old Prince, who was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m.
The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office said Friday that Chief Medical Examiner Dr. A. Quinn Strobl will be performing the autopsy, which began at 9 a.m. and concluded at 1 p.m.
The examiner's office says part of the complete exam includes relevant information regarding Prince's medical and family history. Information regarding the autopsy will not be released until the exam is complete and all results are obtained.
Gathering the results will take several days and the results of a full toxicology scan could likely take weeks, the examiner's office said.
The singer's death came two weeks after he canceled concerts in Atlanta because he wasn't feeling well. He performed April 14 in Atlanta, apologizing to the crowd shortly after coming on stage.
While talking to the crowd between songs, he joked about having been "under the weather," giving a slight smile. His voice seemed a bit weak at times when he spoke, but he sounded fine when singing during the 80-minute show, which featured "Nothing Compares 2 U" and his finale, "Baby, I'm A Star."
He sat at his piano for most of the show, but stood up at times to pound the keys and walked around the piano a couple of times, soaking up cheers.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing unnamed sources, reported last week that Prince fell ill again as he returned from Atlanta to Minneapolis early April 15, and that his flight made an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., where he was briefly hospitalized. They reported that he was treated for a drug overdose. TMZ said Prince was given, what they describe, as a "save shot" to possibly counteract the effects of an opiate.
Prince was told to stay at the hospital, but left after just three hours.
Asked whether Prince's flight made such a landing at the Quad City Airport in Moline, public safety manager Jeff Patterson said Friday that a private Falcon 900 plane made a "medical diversion landing" at 1:17 a.m. on April 15. He said the plane requested an ambulance at the airport and that a patient was taken to the hospital.
He declined to name the patient or the plane's owner, or provide the plane's tail number.
Following news reports that he had fallen ill while returning from Atlanta to Minneapolis, Prince hosted a dance party on April 16 at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota.
Jeremiah Freed, who runs the website drfunkenberry.com and who got to know Prince after writing about him over the years, said he last saw Prince at the dance party. Freed said he believed Prince held the party to show everyone he was fine.
Freed said Prince made a brief appearance but that he didn't have one-on-one time with the musician that night. Freed said the artist showed off a new purple piano he had received as a gift, as well as a purple guitar, but seemed upset about the reports of an illness.
"When he had to talk about the stories going on, he didn't seem too pleased. It was kind of like, 'I'm here. I'm good,'" Freed said, adding that Prince told the crowd: "Just wait a few days before saying your prayers."
Lars Larson, a 37-year-old Minneapolis man who worked security for Prince and at Paisley Park events for about six years, said he attended the same party. Larson said the singer briefly appeared on stage and spoke to the crowd before standing by the sound board for 20 minutes then disappearing for the night.
"He seemed great. He looked like Prince," he said. "The whole point of the show on Saturday was to show he was doing all right."
Prince had struggled with hip problems and childhood epilepsy. His former percussionist, Sheila E., told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday that Prince damaged his hips while performing, saying he jumped off risers while wearing high heels during his "Purple Rain" days and that "it damaged parts of his body." Prince was seen in recent years using a cane.
Prince revealed in a 2009 interview with Tavis Smiley that he was "born epileptic" and had seizures when he was young. It's unclear if his epilepsy carried into adulthood.
Prince, a Jehovah's Witness, had a reputation for clean living. In 2009, he told an interviewer with the Los Angeles Times that he didn't do drugs "or I'd give you a joint" to share while they listened to music.
Authorities said it could take days or even weeks before the public learns the cause of Prince's death.
A spokesman for the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office said the agency doesn't plan to release any preliminary information until autopsy results are completed.
Prince's medical and social history will be gathered and taken into consideration to determine what led to his death.
Shortly before 3 p.m., the medical examiner's office said Prince's body was released to his family.
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