Though Bahamian authorities finally issued a death certificate for Anna Nicole Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel yesterday, mercifully allowing her to proceed with funeral arrangements, mystery and controversy still swirl around his sudden death in her hospital room on September 10, where he was visiting in celebration of the birth of her daughter three days earlier.
The cause of death was left "pending chemical analysis" upon the cert, a painfully open-ended situation for the statuesque blonde icon, who had repaired to the Caribbean nation to escape the prying eyes of the media after she became, to use her phrase, "pregnated."
Smith privately brought in pathologist-to-the-stars Dr. Cyril Wecht (Elvis, JonBenet) to perform a second autopsy on her son, the results of which will not be available until next week. But in reviewing initial findings from the tests performed by the local coroner, Wecht said the antidepressant Lexapro was found in the young man's system, "but probably not enough of it to kill him," he told the New York Post.
Smith had reportedly been depressed for several weeks over a girl.
"If it was 10 times as high [the level of Lexapro in Smith's body] ... it might be considered a contributing factor," Wecht said. But he added, "It's not a close call ... nowhere near a toxic range." The sleeping medication Ambien was also found in Smith's system, but again at low, "therapeutic," levels.
Wecht also said that initial tests ruled out "everything ... in the major category of drugs. They tested for tranquillizers, barbiturates, opiates."
The 75-year-old pathologist indicated that Daniel Smith had been treated for an elevated heart rate about six weeks ago, and he was still waiting to see doctors' notes. "If drugs are not the answer, then it's most likely his heart," Wecht told the Post.
"Her Majesty's Coroner" Canned
The Smith tragedy and attendant turmoil has also caused considerable static in the normally quaintly genteel Bahamian groove. "Her Majesty's Coroner" Linda P. Virgill was roundly criticized from various camps for both the style and substance of her performance last week when she rather dramatically labeled Daniel's death "suspicious," and grandly declared that she already knew what had killed him—though she wasn't telling—even though toxicology results were not yet in.
Too much C.S.I.?
Smith's local attorney Michael Scott belittled Virgill, asking, "Unless she’s psychic or God, unless the pathologists know the cause of death, how does she?”
But Virgill was also criticized for offering celebrity Smith "preferential treatment" when she scheduled an inquest just three days after her son's death - despite a large backlog of other cases.
In fact, Wednesday Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez announced that not only had Virgill been taken off the Smith case for "some remarks she made in the press," but that the entire system for medical inquests was being overhauled in direct response to citizen complaints.
Gomez said that "angry Bahamians" had objected loudly to having Smith's inquest scheduled so quickly (for October 23) while some had been waiting for years just to get a hearing date scheduled, and others "had ... been given dates for their cases a couple years ago [but] are still waiting to have a hearing," he told the local Nassau Guardian.
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Article comments
1 - Spider Snack
Well- it must have been something! Maybe even low levels of this antidepressant with the combination of Ambien- coupled with other factors played a part. All of these prescription drugs are not as safe as they want us to believe. I hope they solve this mystery.
2 - Eric Olsen
true Spider, it must have been SOMETHING. Sometimes, it seems, very random combinations of things can combine to kill a person seemingly out of nowhere. What were the odds against Steve Irwin being stung in the heart? It's crazy.
I really hope they figure it out too
3 - billi
i don't believe drugs were a factor at all.i believe daniel's cause of death is due to a rare heart condition. could you find out what some of these fatal conditions are ?
4 - Eric Olsen
billi, I will certainly follow this story and report on what they find
5 - trish
I just wish people would leave this woman and her family alone. If they had that kind of fame and money would they be saying the things they are saying right now?NO.Just because she is famous or a playboy bunny of the past doesn't mean that there has to be something that involves foul play. Young paople die too. Everyday.Just because she has money doesn't mean she does drugs or she had some thing to do with the death of her own child. Please just quit bashing her and give her some support even if she doesn't know you or that you are doing it ,a little prayer goes a long way. Quit haten on her because you don't have IT like she does. Her life isn't exactly really nice right now either
6 - Eric Olsen
trish, I don't think anyone here was bashing Nicole or suggesting anything nefarious. Like you say, people do die unexpectedly every day (well, not the same people, but you know what I mean) but it usually doesn't get much attention unless there is fame or foul play involved. It probably was a freak combination of factors that somehow added up to this very sad situation.
I used to think of her in cartoonish terms, but she became very real to me after this happened. As father of four I feel extremely bad for her.
7 - susan flint
who are the physicians who prescribe medications without knowing all the drugs their patient is taking - what a monumental recipe for disaster
8 - DEMWA
Have there been any funeral arrangements made for this kid. It looks like everybody is now focusing on the committment services, that of course are not legally binding. I just want to know has this kid been given a diginified burial service. Or he is still laying on the morgues table in the fridge. I think this story needs to be put to bed, and I think Daniel would have wanted a dignified funeral sevice, and laid to rest without all of the drama. Let's be real this kid was always surrounded around his mother's everyday drama. Don't you think it's fair for this to end now. So that Daniel can rest in peace, and so the Anna can begin the healing process for her to move forward with her life,s o that she is able to move forward with her new daughter. She already has enough to deal with now that there is question of who the father is to her new child. I think Daniel and Anna deserve PEACE, it's really time to move forward, this kid has been dead for almost a month. And I haven't heard anything about this kid being laid to rest. Put this thing to BED!