Prosecutors on Thursday, April 19, confirmed that they will not be charging anyone for the unexpected death of music icon, Prince, back in 2016.
As promised, almost two years after the singer had been found lifeless in his home in Paisley Park in Minnesota, the local county district attorney, Mark Metz, released a large amount of new details surrounding the case.
Results Of The Investigation Released
Based on their investigation, the prosecutors have not found evidence of foul play. No one will be charged for the death of the "Purple Rain" singer in April 2016.
"In all likelihood, Prince had no idea he was taking a counterfeit pill that could kill him," said Metz.
They found that the singer thought that he was taking Vicodin, a common painkiller. The counterfeit drug, however, was laced with fentanyl, an opioid also used to relieve severe pain, but is said to be 50 times more powerful than heroin.
In addition, Metz said that investigators confirmed that people close to him had not known that he was taking counterfeit pills either. However, the district attorney admits that the investigators were not able to identify any person who supplied the late singer with the counterfeit pills.
According to The Guardian, the announcement came a few hours after Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg had reached a settlement with prosecutors who accused him of illegally prescribing an opioid to Prince. A previously released search warrant detailed that the local doctor had prescribed opioid to Prince, whose real name is Prince Rogers Nelson, under the name Kirk Johnson for privacy reasons. Johnson is a friend of the singer and a bodyguard.
Metz added that the opioid painkiller prescribed by Schulenberg did not kill the award-winning singer. Prince has been secretly addicted to painkillers after years of enduring severe pain for years. The musician had also been taking medication for years.
"Prince's death is a tragic example that opioid addiction and overdose deaths do not discriminate, no matter the demographic," Metz added.
The announcement brings the investigation surrounding the unexpected death of Prince to a close.
The Toxicology report revealed earlier this year detailed that the "I Wanna Be Your Lover" singer had died of fentanyl overdose. A week before his death, his private plane had to make an emergency stop in Illinois following a performance in Atlanta. He was reportedly administered a drug used to reverse the effects of opioid.
A day prior to his death, his people called a specialist from California for an urgent medical emergency.
Prince's Family Reacts
However, the family of the singer was not happy with the prosecution's decision to not charge anyone for his unfortunate death.
"Someone should be held accountable and I'm going to make sure that happens someday," said Chazz Smith, a cousin of Prince told Fox9.
