No Crime: Anna Nicole Smith's Death 'Accidental'
Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental drug overdose with no indication of foul play and no criminal action, according to the Seminole Police and the Broward County Medical Examiner. Although nine different prescription drugs were found in her system, all were at therapeutic levels.
No criminal charges will be filed in the death of Smith, according to police chief Charlie Tiger. Her death was the result of a tragic overdose of a sleeping medication, chloral hydrate, in combination with other drugs and her weakened state due to an infection, according to Dr. Joshua Perper.
At a news conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Dr. Perper ended all speculation that criminal charges might be filed in the death of the 39-year-old model and pinup. "We found nothing to indicate any foul play," said Chief Tiger.
Tiger said today's news conference and autopsy report announcement "effectively closes the case" of Smith's death.
Suspicious Circumstances
On Sept. 7, 2006, Anna Nicole Smith -- former Playmate, jeans model and bride of 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall II -- gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn Hope, in the Bahamas. Rumors abounded at the time that she went to the Bahamas to have the baby to avoid paternity claims from her ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead.
Three days later, her 20-year-old son, Daniel Smith, died under suspicious circumstances in his mother's hospital room. His autopsy showed that he had a deadly combination of prescription drugs in his system.
Later in September, attorney Howard K. Stern claimed that he is the father of Dannielynn. It was revealed that Stern's name is on the birth certificate as the father. The next day, Larry Birkhead told reporters that he was the baby's father and later filed court papers in Los Angeles claiming paternity.
On the very next day, Sept. 28, 2006, Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K. Stern exchange vows in a "commitment ceremony" on a boat in the Bahamas, but are not officially or legally married.
Paternity, Residency Questioned
On October 19, 2006, Daniel Smith was finally buried in the Bahamas. On Oct. 25,
Smith's Bahamian residency was questioned after it was learned she never paid for the house or even signed a mortgage.
In November, Anna Nicole was treated for pneumonia and a collapsed lung at a hospital in the Bahamas. She was discharged after a week.
On Dec. 21, 2006, a Los Angeles judge rules that he has jurisdiction over the paternity issue and order Smith to bring Dannielynn to California for DNA testing. That ruling was temporarily blocked on appeal.
However, on Feb. 7, the Los Angeles judge ordered DNA samples from Smith and Dannielynn to be submitted for testing by Feb. 21.
The next day, Feb. 8, 2007, Anna Nicole Smith, age 39, died at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and a possible drug overdose was suspected.
Autopsy Results Delayed
An initial autopsy report, issued the day after her death, found no evidence that she had taken large amounts of prescription medication. The medical examiner said prescription drugs, but no illegal drugs, were found in Smith's hotel room. He did not, however, identify the drugs at the time.
Broward County Medical Examiner, Dr. Joshua Perper, was expected to release his autopsy results several times, but the results were repeatedly delayed, because he said he received additional evidence from the Seminole Police Department.
On March 2, 2007, after more than three weeks of legal wrangling, which turned into a media circus over who should be given possession of her body, Anna Nicole Smith was buried next to her son in the Bahamas.
On March 20, 2007, a judge in the Bahamas ordered DNA testing on Danielynn, Larry Birkhead, and Howard K. Stern to determine paternity. The results are expected to be announced April 3 during a scheduled court hearing.
Background:
Anna Nicole Smith Biography
Anna Nicole Smith Mug Shot
Drug Combo Killed Anna Nicole Smith's Son
Anna Nicole Smith: An Accidental Overdose?
See Also:
Police: Smith Died From Drug Overdose
Photo: Public relations photo
Comments
I saw the autopsy report at Smoking Gun, and it seems to me that there is a lot of evidence to suggest medical malpractice at minimum. The autopsy revealed that Anna Nicole had Hashimoto’s Disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland, which in turn screws up your entire metabolic system. There is also some suggestion that she might have had lupus, another autoimmune disorder, which would have accounted for a lot of the body pain she described. Hashimoto’s actually goes a long way in explaining her weight gain, the depression, the mental fog. Yet there is no evidence that any Synthyroid (or generic equivalent) was around, which suggests she was never diagnosed or treated. No, it appears that her Dr. Feel Good just kept pushing anti-depressants and methadone and sleeping pills, without running any tests to find out if she had any real treatable illnesses. Disgusting.
Yes I agree with the other comment. One thing more, this sounds, looks identical to Marilyn Monroe death. Sloppy work on looking into her death, to much money involved for her death. To many people who bennifit by her death.
I strongly believe that there was foul play. Son drops dead, then Mother drops dead? Howard Stern takes control of the golden little baby? think about it. Yes money has a lot to do with it.