Cory Monteith’s Cause Of Death Still Unclear, Nothing Pointing To Drug Use, Say Police

Robbie Daw | July 16, 2013 9:29 am

UPDATE: The Coroners Service of British Columbia has reportedly stated that Cory Monteith, 31, died of mixed toxicity, and that heroin and alcohol were found in his body.

An autopsy conducted yesterday (July 15) on the body of 31-year-old Cory Monteith, who was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room on Saturday (July 13), appears not to have resolved the Glee actor’s cause of death, Canadian authorities said today. Results of toxicology tests have yet to come in, but Vancouver police Sergeant Randy Fincham noted that there’s nothing to indicate Monteith’s death was due to illicit drug use, according to CBS.

Police said Saturday that Monteith had been with other people on Friday night, but, according to hotel video footage, returned to his room at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel alone in the early morning hours on Saturday. No foul play is suspected.

Monteith’s death has shocked fans of Glee, as well as the actor’s fellow co-stars, many of whom took to Twitter over the weekend to express their grief. “At this time please send nothing but love and light,” tweeted Harry Shum, Jr., who, like Monteith, has appeared in all four seasons of Glee, and plays the character Mike Chang. “This tragic news still doesn’t seem real to me. I love you Cory.”

Monteith and his on-screen girlfriend Lea Michele (Rachel Berry on Glee) were also partnered up in real life over the past few years. The pair were still a couple at the time of Monteith’s death. “We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea’s privacy during this devastating time,” Michele’s reps stated over the weekend.

Since then, others from the cast have spoken out, including Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez on Glee). “The entire Glee family and I are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Cory was and always will be a part of my own family and a good friend,” she said in a statement. “He was a special part of this world and will forever be missed. My heart goes out to Cory’s family and Lea and while we are grateful for everyone’s well wishes, privacy during this time of grief is greatly appreciated.”

Mark Salling (Noah Puckerman on Glee) tweeted the following:

In a 2011 interview with Parade, Victoria, British Columbia, native Monteith mentioned that, as early as age 16, he had struggled with drug use. He revealed that he did a stint in rehab at age 19. “I’m lucky on so many counts,” he told the magazine. “I’m lucky to be alive.”

Monteith found himself back in rehab just this past spring, as Glee‘s fourth season was winding down. On March 31, E! Online confirmed that the actor was once again seeking help for substance abuse. He completed his treatment on April 26.

On a personal note, on Sunday I rounded up a handful of what I felt were Cory’s best performances from the first four seasons of Glee. I can’t overstate how heart-wrenching this one is in particular — Monteith and the entire cast doing Coldplay‘s “The Scientist” from Season 4 episode “The Break Up”: