Preliminary autopsy results reveal TV pitchman Billy Mays‘ cocaine use may have contributed to his death. Mays died at the age of 50 on June 28 hours after hitting his head during an emergency plane landing in Tampa.
The last tweet from Billy Mays on his Twitter feed was from the plane. “Just had a close call landing in Tampa. The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway,” Mays wrote. “You can always count on US Air.”
Despite hitting his head during the bumpy landing, preliminary autopsy results did not indicate the injury caused his death – instead pointing to heart problems and both prescription and illegal drug use. According to the report, Billy Mays took cocaine in the days leading up to his death, which may have been a contributing cause to his demise. However, the report stated Mays had not taken cocaine “immediately prior to death.”
The report from the Hillsborough County medical examiner also states Mays had a cocktail of other drugs in his system at the time he died, including hyrocodone (Vicodin), nordiazepam (Valium), the painkiller Oxycodone and an anti-anxiety medication. Mays had also been drinking alcohol before his death.
Billy Mays’ wife, Deborah Mays, said her husband suffered from “chronic, untreated hypertension” and claims the autopsy results are full of “speculative conclusions.” The family stated they were not aware of any non-prescription drug usage by Mays and are considering an independent autopsy.