Chris Cornell Autopsy: Drugs Were Not Cause of Death

Chris Cornell’s autopsy report released today revealed that several drugs were found in the musician’s system, but they “did not contribute to the cause of death.”

The reports confirm that Cornell killed himself after a May 17 concert. A resistance band was around his neck, and the other end was attached to a clip over the top of the bathroom door, said Dr. Theodore Brown, assistant Wayne County medical examiner.

Toxicology tests showed the presence of barbiturates, caffeine and lorazepam, also known as Ativan, for relief of anxiety. The report also lists naloxone, an anti-opioid drug, and a decongestant.

Daryl Davies, a professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy, said the drugs are a “weird combination” of uppers and downers.

“When you mix that combination or cocktail, you can have drowsiness, you could be disoriented, but it seems like a stretch that you would hang yourself,” he said.

“Based on the circumstances surrounding this death and the autopsy findings, the manner of death is suicide,” said the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office report obtained by the Free Press today.