Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Death ‘Clearly Not Due to Natural Causes’
Autopsy results in the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown revealed that a combination of drug intoxication and drowning played a significant role, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office announced Friday. “The underlying cause of death is the condition which starts the downhill course of events leading to death and in this case is the immersion associated with drug intoxication,” the coroner said in a statement.
Brown, the daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was found face down in a bathtub and unresponsive in her Atlanta area home on January 31st, 2015; Brown never regained consciousness and ultimately died in hospice care on July 26th. The official cause of death was listed as pneumonia, which was triggered by the drugs and drowning, The Associated Press reports.
The autopsy revealed that Brown had alcohol and marijuana in her system as well as medication used for sedation or to treat anxiety like benzodiazepines. Morphine, which is similar chemically to heroin, and benzoylecgonine, a compound found in cocaine, were also discovered in Brown’s system, but it’s unclear whether she was under the influence of either drug at the time of her death.
Authorities unsealed Brown’s autopsy following requests from media organizations Thursday; the results were previously withheld because of an active investigation into her death. In the months after Brown was found unresponsive, members of her family have accused her reported husband Nick Gordon of being responsible in some capacity. However, the coroner was unable to determine if foul play was involved, saying only that Brown’s death “clearly” didn’t happen naturally.
“Death was clearly not due to natural causes, but the medical examiner has not been able to determine whether death was due to intentional or accidental causes, and has therefore classified the manner of death as Undetermined,” the coroner said in his statement. Gordon has not been charged in Brown’s death.
“First and foremost, 23 years ago today, Bobbi Kristina was born,” Bobby Brown told Us Weekly, referencing his daughter’s March 4th birthday. “Krissy will always live in my heart and soul. I love my baby girl. For news affiliates to seek and obtain my daughter’s autopsy report, before anyone has been brought to justice for her death is mind-blowing to me. Please pray for my family.”
Brown’s death was reminiscent of her own mother’s, as Houston was also found face down in a bathtub in 2012. While Houston’s death was ruled an accidental drowning, cocaine and heart disease were listed as contributing factors.