Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 23 april 2018
As Prince's health waned, alarm grew in inner circle

By AMY FORLITI guard Kirk Johnson, who how did he hide this so
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some told investigators that he well?"
of Prince's closest confi- had noticed Prince "look- Metz said some of Prince's
dants had grown increas- ing just a little frail," but said friends might have enabled
ingly alarmed about his he did not realize he had him as they tried to protect
health in the days before an opioid addiction until him.
he died and tried to get he passed out on a plane a "There is no doubt that the
him help as they realized he week before he died. actions of individuals will
had an opioid addiction — "It started to all making be criticized, questioned
yet none were able to give sense though, just his be- and judged in the days
investigators the insight havior sometimes and and weeks to come," Metz
they needed to determine change of mood and I'm said. "But suspicions and in-
where the musician got like oh this is what, I think nuendo are categorically
the fentanyl that killed him, this is what's going on, that's insufficient to support any
according to investigative why I took the initiative and criminal charges."
documents released Thurs- said let's go to my doctor One of Prince's sisters took
day. because you haven't been to Twitter Friday , expressing
Just ahead of this week- to the doctor, let's check it In this Nov. 22, 2015, file photo, Prince presents the award for disappointment about the
end's two-year anniversary all out," Johnson said, ac- favorite album - soul/R&B at the American Music Awards in Los way the death investiga-
of Prince's death, prosecu- cording to a transcript of Angeles. tion was handled. Sharon L.
tors announced they would an interview with investiga- Associated Press Nelson tweeted: "There is so
file no criminal charges in tors. much about Prince's death
the case and the state in- Johnson said after that cian had to be revived with that Prince was struggling and this investigation that
vestigation was closed. episode, Prince canceled two doses of a drug that re- with opioids. At that time, troubles me and millions of
"My focus was lasered in on some concerts as friends verses effects of an opioid Schulenberg told inves- #prince fans around the
trying to find out who pro- urged him to rest. Johnson overdose. tigators, Johnson apolo- world." In another tweet,
vided that fentanyl, and we also said that Prince "said A paramedic told a police gized for asking the doctor she references an article
just don't know where he he wanted to talk to some- detective that after the to prescribe the previous noting that Prince's com-
got it," said Carver County body" about his addiction. second shot of naloxone, painkiller. puter wasn't searched im-
Attorney Mark Metz. "We Johnson asked his own doc- Prince "took a large gasp An assistant to Prince told mediately, saying "This was
may never know. ... It's pret- tor, Michael Todd Schulen- and woke up," according investigators that he had disappointing and hurt-
ty clear from the evidence berg, to see Prince on April to the investigative docu- been unusually quiet and ful. Let's hope the Federal
that he did not know, and 7, 2016. Schulenberg told ments. He said Prince told sick with the flu in the days Gov't does better." The U.S.
the people around him authorities he gave Prince paramedics, "I feel all fuzzy." before he was found dead. attorney's office also said
didn't know, that he was an IV; authorities said he A nurse at the hospital Meron Bekure said she Thursday it had no credible
taking fentanyl." also prescribed Vitamin D where Prince was taken last saw Prince a day ear- evidence that would lead
Metz said Prince had suf- and a nausea medication for monitoring told detec- lier, when she was going to to federal criminal charges.
fered from pain for years — under Johnson's name. tives that he refused routine take him to the doctor for A law enforcement official
and likely believed he was Johnson then called Schul- overdose testing that would a checkup but that Prince close to the investigation
taking a common painkill- told her he would go with told The Associated Press
er. Prince was 57 when he Johnson instead. that the federal investiga-
was found alone and unre- On that day, Schulenberg tion is now inactive unless
sponsive in an elevator at saw Prince and ran some new information emerges.
his Paisley Park studio com- tests and prescribed other The official spoke on condi-
pound on April 21, 2016. His medications to help him. A tion of anonymity because
death sparked a national urinalysis came back posi- the federal case remains
outpouring of grief and tive for opioids. That same open. But federal authori-
prompted a joint investiga- day, Paisley Park staffers ties announced that Schul-
tion by Carver County and contacted California ad- enberg had agreed to pay
federal authorities. diction specialist Dr. How- $30,000 to settle a civil vio-
An autopsy found he died ard Kornfeld. The doctor lation from the allegation
of an accidental overdose sent his son, Andrew, to that he illegally prescribed
of fentanyl, a synthetic opi- Minnesota that night, and the opioid oxycodone for
oid 50 times more powerful the younger Kornfeld was Prince in Johnson's name.
than heroin. among those who found Schulenberg admitted to
The investigative materials In this Feb. 4, 2007, file photo, Prince performs during the half- Prince's body. Andrew no facts or liability in the
— including documents , time show at the Super Bowl XLI football game in Miami. Kornfeld was carrying bu- settlement, which includes
photos and videos — were Associated Press prenorphine, a medication stricter monitoring of his
posted online Thursday af- that can be used to help prescribing practices, and
ternoon. Several images treat opioid addiction. authorities said he is not
show the music superstar's enberg on April 14, asking have included blood and Andrew Kornfeld told inves- the target of a criminal in-
body on the floor of his the doctor to prescribe urine tests. When asked tigators that Prince was still vestigation. Oxycodone,
Paisley Park estate, near an a pain medication for what he had taken, he warm to the touch when the generic name for the
elevator. He is on his back, Prince's hip. Schulenberg didn't say what it was, but he was found, but that rigor active ingredient in Oxy-
his head on the floor, eyes did so, again under John- that "someone gave it to mortis had begun to set in. Contin, was not listed as
closed. His right hand is on son's name, Metz said. him to relax." Other docu- The documents also show a cause of Prince's death.
his stomach and left arm On the night of April 14 to ments say Prince said he that Prince's closest con- But it is part of a family of
on the floor. April 15, Prince passed out took one or two pills. fidants knew he was a pri- painkillers driving the na-
The documents include on a flight home from Atlan- The documents show that vate person and tried to tion's addiction and over-
interviews with Prince's in- ta, and the private plane Johnson contacted Schul- respect that, with Johnson dose epidemic, according
ner circle. That included made an emergency stop enberg again on April 18, saying: "That's what pisses to the Centers for Disease
longtime friend and body- in Moline, Illinois. The musi- and expressed concern me off cause it's like man, Control and Prevention.q