Prince’s autopsy allegedly found that he had Percocet in his system at the time of his Thursday, April 21, death, according to a new report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The newspaper quotes a source familiar with the investigation saying that the prescription opioid was present in the late pop icon’s body when he was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
The Star Tribune’s source added, however, that it is not yet clear whether the heavy-duty painkiller contributed to Prince’s tragic passing. While an autopsy was completed on April 22, one day after the “Purple Rain” singer died, a cause of death has yet to be determined.
Last week, NBC News reported that the seven-time Grammy winner was found with prescription painkillers on him. Then on Wednesday, May 4, The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they were assisting Carver County investigators after it was publicly disclosed that Prince was scheduled to meet with a California doctor on April 22 to be treated for an alleged painkiller addiction.
"We're continuing to investigate the circumstances of Prince's death," Jason Kamerud, the chief deputy of the Carver County Sheriff's Office, told Us Weekly on Wednesday, April 27. "The [medical examiner] will provide toxicology results with her findings." Results are expected in a few weeks.
Prince’s former fiancée Sheila E. previously told the AP that the groundbreaking musician suffered from chronic hip and knee pain that stemmed from years of jumping off speakers and risers while wearing heels.
Prince's remains have since been cremated, and his family paid tribute to his memory during a private memorial service held on Saturday, April 23.
