Chris Cornell's Toxicology Report Released

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Jun 2, 2017

The news of alt-rock icon Chris Cornell's death on May 17 shocked the music world, with a medical examiner ruling that the Soundgarden vocalist had committed suicide by hanging. Now Cornell's toxicology report has been released, revealing the vocalist had used a number of prescription drugs prior to taking his own life.

As TMZ reports, the report shows that Cornell had Naloxone (Narcan), Butalbital (sedative), Lorazepam (Ativan), Pseudoephedrine (decongestant) and barbiturates in his system at the time of his passing. The musician's widow, Vicky Cornell, had said that the family believes Ativan may have played a role in his actions based on a phone call before a Soundgarden performance in Detroit the evening he died.

"When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him," Vicky Cornell previously said. "What happened is inexplicable and I am hopeful that further medical reports will provide additional details. I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life."

TMZ also notes that four needle puncture wounds were found on Cornell's left arm, though they came from medical personnel administering Narcan in an attempt to counteract an opiate overdose.

Chris Cornell was found dead with a band around his neck on the bathroom floor of his hotel room at the MGM Grand Detroit following a concert Soundgarden performed at the Fox Theater. 

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