Page 18 - RIVER AUTOPSY WITH NOTATIONS

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
. INVESTIGATOR'S REPORT
DEPARTMENT OF CORONER
3
INFORMATION SOURCES~
cc #93-10011 PBOE:NIX, RIVER JUDE OOD 10-31-93
ACC
LASD/80MICIDE BUREAU #093-09738--0978-496
Autopsyfiles.org - River Phoenix Autopsy Report
1. LASO HOMICIDE SGT. MIKE LEE; AT HOSPITAL.
2. GERRYGIBSON,HOSPITALADMINISTRATIVESUPERVISOR;ATHOSPITAL. 3. LASO DEPUTY J . WILLIAMS #275868; AT HOSPITAL
4. ARLYN S. PHOENIX, DECEDENT'S MOTHER; VIA PHONE.
5. MARR NEALON, FAMILY FRIEND, ACTRESS; AT THE DEPARTMENT.
INVESTIGATION:
1 OF 2
AT 0150 HOURS ON 10-31-93, THE DEPARTMENT WAS NDrIFIED OF A POSSIBLE ACCIDENTAL DEATH BY OVERDOSE, INVOLVING ACTOR RIVER PHOENIX. THB DECEDENT HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED TO CEDARS-SINAI HOSPITAL BY PARAMEDICS AND SUBSEQUENTLY PRONOUNCED.
I RESPONDED TO TllE !!OSPITAL PER LT. MICHAEL JOSEPH AND COt'll'ACI'ED LASO HOMICIDE SGT. MIKE LEE. IT WAS LEARNED FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WERE AT THE HOSPITAL, HOWEVER WHEN THE DECEDENT WAS PRONOUNCED, THEY LEFT THE HOSPITAL. THE DECEDENT'S AGENT WAS ALSO AT THE HOSPITAL (ID'D AS IRIS BUR'ION) BUT ALSO LEFT BEFORE SHE COULD BE INTERVIEWED.
APPARENTLY THE DECEDENT HAD GONE 'IO A NIGHTCLUB (THE VIPER) LO:::ATED AT 8860 SUNSET BLVD., WEST HOLLYvn:JD, ON THE EVENING OF 10-30-93, WITH FRIENDS AND HIS BROTHER. THE DECEDENT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN USING DRUGS IN THE NIGHCLUB'S RESTROJM. A'ITENDEES WHO RE- FUSED TO BE IDENTIFIED, REPORT THE DECEDENT 1'SPEEDBALLING." HIS GIRLFRIEND, ID'D AS SAMANTHA MATHIS (008 5-12-70) TOLD DEPUTIES, SHE HEARD SOMF.ONE HAD GIVEN TBE DECEDENT "SOMETHING" TO CALM HIM IXMN. SHE ASSUMED THE "SOMETHING" TO BE VALIUM. SHE DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECEDENT'S DRUG USE. (IT SHOULD BE N::ITED, MATHIS WAS CONTACTED TWICE VIA PHONE, HCMEVER REFUSED TO OFFER INFORMATION REGARDING THE INCIDENT~)
AT 0110 HOURS, 10-31-93, LASO AND LACFD RECEIVED A 9-1-1 CALL FOR MEDICAL AID, POSSIBLE SEIZURE ACTIVI:l'"Y. UPON ARRIVAL OF RA 7 (CAP!'. RIBAR, PARAMEDICS HOUSTON, scarr AND PHILLIPS) THE DECEDENT WAS OBSE;RVED JUST OUTSIDE THE FRONT IXX)R OF THE CLUB ON THE SIDE- WALK AND WAS IN FULL ARREST, PER CAPT. RIBAR. CPR WAS IMi"lEDIATELY STARTED AND AT 0131 HOURS, THE DECEDENT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL, ARRIVING AT 0134 HOURS. THE DECE- DENT WAS SUBSF.Q{JENTL'l PRONOUNCED IN THE ER BY DR. PAUL SH.KA~ AT 0151 HOURS.
-THE DECEDENT WAS SCREENED DRUGS AND ETHANOL. THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PANEL DETECTED: BENZODIAZEPINFB, CANNABINOIDS, COCAINE METABOLITE, PROPOXYPHEJNE AND OPIATES. ETHANOL WAS NOT DETBc;."I'ED. (SEE ATI'ACHED REPORT.)
THE DECEDENT WAS OBSERVED IN THE HOSPITAL MORGUE, AND WAS NOI'ED TO BE WEARING BRcmN "SPLIT" JEANS WITH BLACK STRIPS, SIZE M, LG; WHITE SOCKS AND BLACK "CONVERSE" HI-TOP SNEAKERS. (PER CAPT. RIBAR, THE DECEDENT HAD A JACKET AND A SHIRT, WHICH HE BELIEVES
WERE LEFT AT THE SCENE UPON TRANSPORTING.) PER THE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPER.VISOR,, THE DECEDENT HAD NO PROPERTY UPON ARRIVAL.
C'ONTINIJED ON FORM #3•.•
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