Prince: DEA Joins Investigation Into Icon’s Death

Prince‘s death shocked the world two weeks, and since then an investigation has been underway to determine the cause. With reports swirling about Prince’s alleged dependence on painkillers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration have joined the investigation.

DEA Joins Prince Investigation

“The US Attorney’s Office and DEA are joining the Carver County Sheriff’s investigation. The DEA and US Attorney’s Office are able to augment this local investigation with federal resources and expertise about prescription drug diversion,” a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office told Entertainment Tonight. “While this remains an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment.”

Jason Kamerud, spokesman for the Carver County [Minn.] Sheriff’s Office, said, “They have agreed to provide federal resources and expertise in our investigation.”

It was first reported last week that sheriff’s investigators had called in the DEA to help with the investigation into Prince’s death because painkillers were found on his person. It’s speculated that the investigation has been steered in the direction of the “Purple Rain” singer’s alleged addition to opioids following a painful hip injury.

A week prior to his death, Prince became unresponsive on a flight from Atlanta – where he had performed a concert – back to Minnesota. His private plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois, where he was rushed to a hospital. Though it was initially reported that Prince was merely battling severe flu symptoms, it was later reported that he had suffered an overdose and was given a “save” shot at the hospital.

Prince apparently had been taking the opioid Percocet for years, and may have been addicted to the pain killer, sources told TMZ. His alleged abuse of the drug supposedly began when he was prescribed it in 2009 while battling some hip trouble. Prince’s dependence on Percocet reportedly only increased over the years.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Ramsey, Minn., performed an autopsy on Prince the day after he was found dead at his Paisley Park estate. A cause of death won’t be released until all evidence, including the results of the toxicology tests, is collected.