Coroner: Cory Monteith Died of 'Intravenous Heroin Use' and Alcohol
 

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Cory Monteith

The final report from the B.C. Ministry of Justice issued Wednesday confirms the late "Glee" star's death was accidental, and not due to fatal injury, illness or disease.


CANNES – The late Glee star Cory Monteith died of a mixed drug ****tail involving "intravenous heroin use combined with the ingestion of alcohol."

That finding was part of the final B.C. Coroner's report on the July 13 death of the Hollywood actor in Vancouver that had previously been ruled accidental.

The final report, made public Wednesday, goes into additional detail, including indicating Monteith was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel shortly after noon on July 13. He was 31.

"He had checked in to the hotel on July 6 and had been expected to check out on the 13th. When he had not done so, hotel staff checked his room and found him unresponsive on the floor," the report stated.

Investigators on the scene found drug paraphernalia in Monteith's presence, including "a spoon with drug residue and a used hypodermic needle, along with two empty champagne bottles and glasses."

At the time of his death, Monteith had an alcohol level of 0.13 percent, with a "moderate" level of intoxication.

The report also pointed to the presence of morphine, codeine and "6-monoacetylmorphine," a metabolite of heroin.

The coroner's investigation added the hotel video captured Monteith returning alone to his room at 2:16 a.m. on July 13, which marked the final time the actor was seen alive.

The coroner's report also confirmed that Monteith had a "history of illicit drug use," with periodic stints in rehab, followed by staying off drugs for periods years or months in duration.

The report also confirmed what others had speculated previously, that abstinence from using opioids, including heroin, for a period of time lessens tolerance to the toxicity of the deadly drug.

Fox's Glee, meanwhile, will pay tribute to its late star on Oct. 10.