Heath Ledger’s autopsy results and ‘one-off thing’ that caused death

The world of entertainment was plunged into shock amid the news of Heath Ledger ‘s tragic death.

Some 16 years ago, the talented star, aged just 28, was found dead in bed by his masseuse, leaving behind his beloved daughter Matilda with ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams. The Australian actor had spent months immersing himself into the role of The Joker for Christopher Nolan’s Dark Night and had moved into a Manhattan rental apartment following his split from Michelle.

Plagued by insomnia, desperate to sleep and suffering from ‘walking pneumonia’, his friend and sometimes housemate Gerry Grennell told how a tortured Heath would fitfully pace the floors. He told People magazine: “I would hear him wandering around the apartment and I’d get up and say, ‘Come on, man, get back to bed, you have to work tomorrow.’ He said, ‘I can’t sleep, man.’”

And when Heath’s housekeeper arrived on January 22, 2008, at 12:30pm, she found him lying in bed face down with his sheets pulled around his shoulders. She told The Associated Press she popped in to change a light bulb before slipping back out after hearing him snoring.

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At 3pm his massage therapist Diana Wolozin arrived but found she could get no answer from his bedroom door or his mobile phone. She decided to set up her table in his bedroom, but upon trying to wake him was horrified to discover his body was cold and unresponsive.

Realising he was dead, Diana called 911 where an operator reportedly guided her through CPR until the paramedics arrived minutes later. According to CNN, medical technicians administered CPR and used a cardiac defibrillator before the Brokeback Mountain star was pronounced dead at 3:36pm.

Rumours immediately flew about what had caused his mysterious and sudden death, with many speculating that the darkness of The Joker and his split from Michelle had plunged him into a state of depression. However, at an autopsy, the New York coroner found that he had died of ‘acute intoxication’ after ingesting a cocktail of prescription medication. His death was ruled an accident.

Anti-anxiety drugs, the painkiller oxycodone, cough suppressant hydrocodone and sleep aids were found in his system among others. “Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine,” Ellen Borakove, the spokeswoman for the medical examiner, said in a statement.

And in 2017, forensic pathologist Dr Jason Payne-James said that it was the addition of oxycodone and hydrocodone that proved fatal. In the run-up to his death, friends had been worried about Heath’s increasing reliance on prescription pills.

And just the night before, his sister Kate made a final plea for the star to cut some of his medications out. “You can’t mix drugs that you don’t know anything about,” their father Kim recalled her saying. “I’ll be fine,” replied Heath. And it was his heartbreaking failure to heed her warning that his family believes ultimately cost Heath his life.

“It just put his whole system to sleep I guess,” Kim told news.com.au of the coroner’s findings, sharing his heartache over Heath’s reluctance to listen to his sister. He continued: “It was a one-off thing. That’s what killed us, because he was warned by his sister the night before: ‘You shouldn’t mix what you’re taking for pneumonia with your Ambien.’

“He was a young guy that travelled all the time for work. Even as a two year old, he hardly ever slept. He was trying to work and travel and do everything in a short space of time.” He continued, “Heath mixed a couple of drugs together with sleeping tablets and he’s gone forever.”

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