New details have been released about former child star Blake Garrett’s death.
Garrett, 33, was found unresponsive next to his bed in a sober living house on February 8 and pronounced dead at the scene, according to documents from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, obtained by Us on Monday, July 27.
Drug paraphernalia, including rolled dollar bills, a lighter and foil with burnt residue, were present at the scene, per the docs, which noted that his body was received on February 9 for an autopsy examination. Identifying marks included a “1992” tattoo on his neck and a tattoo honoring his mom on his foot.
Autopsy findings showed his alcohol testing came back negative. Us previously exclusively reported Garrett’s cause of death as acute fentanyl toxicity. His death was ruled an accident.
Garrett’s mother, Carol, confirmed the actor’s death to TMZ in February. She told the outlet that her son visited an emergency room in Tulsa one week before his death due to “intense pain.” He was later diagnosed with shingles, the outlet reported.
Carol also noted that Garrett moved to Tulsa three years before his death to focus on his sobriety, adding that she believed he had “truly turned things around.”
Garrett began his acting career as a child in local productions, including Aladdin and His Magical Lamp and Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Tribute. He began touring at age 10 for the arena show Barney’s Colorful World International Tour.
Garrett made his video debut at age 11 in 2004’s Barney’s Colorful World, Live! He later starred in his first and only feature film, How to Eat Fried Worms, playing Plug, a friend of classroom bully Joe (Adam Hicks), in 2006.
“I play the bully’s henchman,” Garrett, who was 13 years old at the time, told The Oklahoman. “But everybody got along on the set.”
Garrett also recalled getting the “first pick” out of a row of bicycles on set.
“There was one scene where we were riding on a gravel road and got to slide to a stop. The guys who could ride worked on that scene. They had a camera on the ground, and in one scene I slid and gravel hit the camera,” he told the outlet. “They really liked that shot, and that’s the one they used in the movie.”
Garrett’s role in How to Eat Fried Worms earned him a 2007 Young Artist Award. He and the rest of his cast won Best Young Ensemble in a Feature Film that year.
After the movie’s success, Garrett went home to Edmond, Oklahoma, where he finished his time at Summit Middle School. He lived the rest of his life out of the spotlight.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
