What Killed Anna Nicole Smith?

A Forensic Psychiatrist, Dr Michael Welner, M.D. analyzes what may have happened and why?

What are the possible causes of death?

Accident, suicide or homicide. At this early stage, no one can jump to conclusions. However, it would be professionally irresponsible to not consider all three possibilities.

What is the importance of an autopsy here?

An autopsy will examine for causes of sudden death, such as heart disease, or toxicology signs of overdose, or poisoning.

In a death investigation such as this, will an autopsy yield the answers?

Not necessarily. Even if Anna Nicole Smith is found to have a toxic combination of substances in her system, the possibilities of such an event happening still include accident, homicide and suicide.

What, then, can an autopsy definitively clear up?

If Anna Nicole Smith had cardiac disease severe enough to associate with a fatal heart stoppage, heart disease may be seen. If she ingested a poison, or an exceptionally high dosage of something, toxicology analysis will show that. Even then, such a finding of excess toxin or drug only eliminates accident as a cause of death. One would still need to pursue the probability of suicide versus homicide.

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