TV pitchman Billy Mays used cocaine just days prior to his fatal heart attack, and that is likely what killed him, according to an official report released on Friday.
Mays, who was just 50 years of age, suffered from heart disease, but cocaine use was a contributing factor in his death on June 28, said the Hillsborough County medical examiner.
The hyperactive salesman, who sold products like OxiClean, Orange Glo, and several other products, was found in his condo in Tampa, Florida.
The initial autopsy results did not reveal the drug use, but toxicology tests uncovered the cocaine in Mays’ system.
Mays’ family criticized the coroner, saying that the test results were “speculative conclusions” that are “frankly unnecessary” and “obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension.”
Billy Mays started his career by selling products on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, then became a household name, made famous by his blue shirt and beard.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Pitchman Mays had cocaine in system, says autopsy (ctv.ca)
- Cocaine linked to Billy Mays death (cbc.ca)
- Billy Mays’ Autopsy: Cocaine Contributed To His Death (huffingtonpost.com)
- Autopsy: Cocaine in Billy Mays’ body (msnbc.msn.com)
- Report: Billy Mays Used Cocaine In His Last Days [But Wait, There's More] (consumerist.com)
Get Blippitt via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
and be sure to get our Daily Email Broadcast.
