Prince Death: Prosecutor Announces There Will Be No Criminal Charges
There will be no criminal charges in singer Prince’s death, according to a press conference on Thursday. Saturday marks the two-year anniversary of his passing.
No Criminal Charges After Years-Long Probe
An ongoing investigation concluded with a news conference on Thursday. Attorney Mark Metz of Carver County, the area where Prince lived and died, made the announcement. He revealed that the singer’s cause of death was an accidental overdose of fentanyl. The death was ruled an accident as Metz explained Prince unknowingly took Vicodin pills that contained fentanyl.
“Prince had no idea he was taking a counterfeit that could kill him,” said Metz.
Still, the question of how Prince got hold of the medication remains unanswered. There is no proof of any person giving him the medication or evidence that Prince’s loved ones were aware of what he was taking, Metz said. Considering this, officials will not be hitting anyone with criminal charges, he continued.
“Prince’s death is a tragic example that opioid addiction and overdose deaths do not discriminate, no matter the demographic,” added Metz.
Prince's Doctor Reaches Agreement In Civil Suit
Dr. Michael Schulenberg, the physician who saw Prince two times before he died, also settled civil allegations. Dr. Schulenberg paid $30,000 to the government after accusations that he prescribed the medication to Kirk Johnson instead of Prince to protect the singer's privacy. Schulenberg knew Prince would be the one taking the prescribed drug, Percocet, reports suggest.
Under the settlement, the doctor did not have to take any blame for Prince’s tragic death.
Prince passed away moments after he was discovered unconscious in an elevator on April 21, 2016. He was at his Paisley Park estate.
It didn’t take long for officials to search Prince’s home shortly after he was declared dead. They looked into his phone records and his emails to see how he got hold of the prescribed drugs. The iconic singer suffered “withdrawals, which are believed to be the result of the abuse of prescription medication,” sources at his estate revealed.
Warning Signs For Prince
Fans might remember Prince fell unconscious on an airplane less than a week before he died. The plane had to reroute and execute an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois. Doctors reportedly had no choice but to use a medicine that combats opioid overdoses to revive Prince.
The concern for Prince grew when his employees reached out to Dr. Howard Kornfeld, an addiction expert, the day before the singer passed away. They reportedly hoped to persuade the singer to undergo rehabilitation treatment for his addiction. Kornfeld instructed his son, Andrew Kornfeld, to see Prince. Andrew brought buprenorphine, a medicine that is supposed to offset opioid addiction. Interestingly enough, Andrew was present when Prince’s unconscious body was found in the elevator.
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