Brittany Murphy did not die of natural causes, lab report shows

[SumnerRain]

I went down the rabbit hole reading about heavy metals in cosmetics.

Isn't that insane? Did you see the video I posted showing her bathroom she died in? The sheer amount of cosmetics is astounding, it would not shock me at all what was in those bottles.

 

[squeaky]

There are a lot of things to consider here, but a few stick out to me.

1. The results of the hair analysis are not conclusive enough to suggest Brittany was poisoned to death, especially when the cosmetics are considered. A skin or blood sample analysis would be far more convincing in this regard. Therefore, despite the findings of the hair analysis, it cannot be concluded unequivocally that Brittany was poisoned.

2. The report was leaked to the media by Brittany's father, who is actively promoting a book and movie that perpetuate the poisoning theory.

Given these two simple assessments, I am led to believe that the poisoning theory is more likely designed to sell books than get to the bottom of poor Brittany's untimely demise. The more straightforward explanation of her death, as described by the coroner, is much easier to believe.

Just my opinion.

 

[SumnerRain]

This article brought up some very interesting points.

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...etals_in_her_hair_mean.html?wpisrc=burger_bar

Some have been touched on:

Hair dye is the most likely source of heavy metals in a woman’s hair. A 2008 study, for example, found that hair dye can lead to elevated levels of manganese, iron, nickel, copper, cadmium, and antimony. Medical examiners typically do not perform hair tests for heavy metals unless there is other evidence to suggest poisoning. Mees’ lines, white bands that run crosswise on the fingernails and toenails, are a classic indicator of heavy metal poisoning. Since the Los Angeles County coroner’s office didn’t order heavy metals testing, it’s very unlikely they observed Mees’ lines or any other circumstantial evidence of poisoning.

The article also brings up some points on the chain of custody and qualifications of the lab and/or examiner.

I think several other people have brought up great points. It is always a good idea to follow the money, and I think Squeaky has some great points as to who would have something to gain by claiming rat poison was the culprit.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I don't think its some great mystery, I think the answer lies in some crack dealer who cut his product with toxic chemicals....we'll never find out who or what, most likely.

Brittany was clearly afflicted by some sort of major addictions for the last years of her life.

Such a shame, she was so talented.


:twocents:

 

[BlueberryBird]

OT, but some of the hysteria about metals in makeup products is way overstated. The metals (lead, for example) in many pigments are not bio available, so even if ingested, they won't accumulate in the body.

When the FDA did their report on lead in lipsticks (especially red lipsticks) a couple of years ago, the methods section detailed how much trouble and effort it was to extract the lead out to test.

These metals will be in any product using natural mineral material. This is why the findings cross all products lines and categories.

More than anybody probably wants to know at this link, including the FDA assertion that the lead levels found in makeup is safe: http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm137224.htm#expanalyses

 

[jjenny]

What I find suspicious is that both of them (Brittany and husband) died from the same symptoms six months apart. What are the odds?
The fact that coroner didn't order heavy metal testing doesn't tell anything to me. I am not the one to count on authorities always doing proper work and looking for signs of poisoning.
When Urooj Khan died (from cyanide poisoning) no tests were ordered at all. His death was ruled "from natural causes."
Only when family member contacted police they found cyanide in his blood.
But his body was already buried without an autopsy. Likely as a consequence of this, nobody has been arrested for poisoning him.

 

[SeekingJana]

I don't think its some great mystery, I think the answer lies in some crack dealer who cut his product with toxic chemicals....we'll never find out who or what, most likely.

Brittany was clearly afflicted by some sort of major addictions for the last years of her life.

Such a shame, she was so talented.


:twocents:

SapphireSteel, I had thought this, but was wary of posting it. I didn't follow her career ups and downs, just knew there were rehab. stays.
IF she was doing any type of street drug, absolutely yes, the odds are very high that she had a stash of bad drugs.

I do not know if her husband was a user, but it is uncommon to find a couple where one is actively using and the other is absolutely abstaining, from my experience working in the field of addictionology, anyway.

 

[jjenny]

There was a toxicology done on her after she died. They didn't find any illegal drugs. They did find a bunch of legal medication for the treatment of cold. She had pneumonia and was anemic.

"Multiple medications were present in the blood, with elevated levels of hydrocodone, acetaminophen, and chlorpheniramine. L-methamphetamine was also present," the report said.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/25/brittany.murphy.autopsy/

 

[jjenny]

Then her husband dies 6 months later.
From exactly same cause. Pneumonia, anemia, multiple legal meds (at low levels).
Now, there is a good reason why she could have been anemic.
But why was her husband anemic?

"While last month preliminary findings determined the 40-year-old succumbed to acute pneumonia and severe anemia, the Los Angeles County Coroner released its complete autopsy report today."

http://www.eonline.com/news/193696/...illed-simon-monjack-just-like-brittany-murphy

 

[BeginnersLuck]

Then her husband dies 6 months later.
From exactly same cause. Pneumonia, anemia, multiple legal meds (at low levels).
Now, there is a good reason why she could have been anemic.
But why was her husband anemic?

"While last month preliminary findings determined the 40-year-old succumbed to acute pneumonia and severe anemia, the Los Angeles County Coroner released its complete autopsy report today."

http://www.eonline.com/news/193696/...illed-simon-monjack-just-like-brittany-murphy

I questioned the anemia with him when I was reading over the autopsy report. There seems to be some correlation with CAP and anemia.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s15010-011-0122-8?LI=true

From reading the report, it appears that he was battling the CAP for a long time and for whatever reason decided not to get treatment. He also had heart issues. There was a tremendous amount of fluid in his lungs. He laid there and died and Brittanys mother didn't call for medical assistance. She stated he didn't want it.

If they want to convince me that there was poisoning involved, then they need to do blood and tissue testing and provide an opinion by a reputable pathologist.

 

[ctkid]

Rat poison or hair dye? Experts disagree over analysis of Brittany Murphy’s hair, four years after her death

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...disagree-over-analysis-brittany-murphys-hair/

 

[21merc7]

Rat poison or hair dye? Experts disagree over analysis of Brittany Murphy’s hair, four years after her death

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...disagree-over-analysis-brittany-murphys-hair/

Interesting article. I'll say I agree with Baden, that tests on organ tissue would be the only route to take to see what is going on. His comments:

However, there is one major dissenting opinion, that of physician and board-certified forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, Forensic Science Contributor for Fox News, and the consulting/lead pathologist and expert witness on a number of high-profile investigations, including the deaths of Sid Vicious and John Belushi, and Claus von Bulow’s alleged attempted murder of his wife by poisoning.

Baden said the results were “interesting, but not evidence of foul play.”

"The grouping of heavy metals is more suggestive of hair product use -- dyes, soaps, heat, etc. --than of rat poison," Baden said. "The news reports indicate that the hair was obtained from the L.A. Medical Examiner’s Office. The tissues routinely saved at that office from her organs would provide more accurate and more interpretable results that could even be used in court if needed."

Baden also said the container holding the hair specimen needs to be considered.

“When hair is stored for so long, the increased sensitivity of newer chemical tests will pick up whatever is in the hair's container,” he said. “Was the container tested?”

 

[21merc7]

Looking up anemia, there are quite a few causes listed:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-basics?page=2

 

[BeginnersLuck]

Interesting article. I'll say I agree with Baden, that tests on organ tissue would be the only route to take to see what is going on. His comments:

I also agree with Baden.

The article is misleading. It states that she tested high for arsenic and lithium and those were not two of the ten that tested high.

It also states that her husband had these metals in his body. I didn't see that he had been tested. Did I miss that or was it reported wrong?

 

[SumnerRain]

I don't know what caused his anemia, but they said in his autopsy he had a history in his medical records, so now that part of the COD does not strike me as odd at all.

I looked to see if someone posted his autopsy report, and I missed the link, but here it is (again?)
http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/monjack, simon_report.pdf
His history says he had NINE bouts of pneumonia in the last year?? So it does sound like they were just passing it around back and forth.

CNN just released an article that disputes a lot of the claims of the "rat poison" theory, and supports the theory that her chemically treated hair could be skewing the results.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/19/showbiz/brittany-murphy-death/

Here is Brittany's autopsy, it sure is loading slow though, probably because of the increased media reports of rat poison. http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/murphy, brittany_report.pdf There seems to be a missing page (or more) at the end. As others mentioned, her iron was low because of her history of heavy periods. I didn't see a mention of any implants in the autopsy (breast, lip, etc). Just hair extensions and chemical treatment/dye.

I must have missed that her culture for Oxacillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus was positive. ORSA is the same as MRSA.

http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/Supplement_5/S378.full

A recent increase in staphylococcal infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), combined with frequent, prolonged ventilatory support of an aging, often chronically ill population, has resulted in a large increase in cases of MRSA pneumonia in the health care setting. In addition, community-acquired MRSA pneumonia has become more prevalent. This type of pneumonia historically affects younger patients, follows infection with influenza virus, and is often severe, requiring hospitalization and causing the death of a significant proportion of those affected. Ultimately, hospital-acquired MRSA and community-acquired MRSA are important causes of pneumonia and present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Rapid institution of appropriate antibiotic therapy, including linezolid as an alternative to vancomycin, is crucial. Respiratory infection–control measures and de-escalation of initial broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens to avoid emergence of resistant organisms are also important. This article reviews the clinical features of, diagnosis of, and therapies for MRSA pneumonia.

What stood out to me was the amount of missing drugs unaccounted for. Especially the Klonapin (12 missing) and Hydrocodone (65 missing) if taken as directed.

Considering his poor health, and her health issues & the missing prescriptions, I don't see how it would be odd for them to die of the same illness, especially with it being antibiotic resistant. I don't trust the dad's poisoning theory at all, especially since he used chemically treated hair (with extensions) and not arm or pubic hair. Honestly, the fact that her mom is alive still is more of a shock to me than the married couple dying, I would assume with her health problems, she would have been susceptible as well. I imagine as a parent, it would be hard to accept that my healthy 30 something daughter died of something relatively as simple as pneumonia, poison might be an easier theory to swallow (no pun intended).

 

[SumnerRain]

I questioned the anemia with him when I was reading over the autopsy report. There seems to be some correlation with CAP and anemia.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s15010-011-0122-8?LI=true

From reading the report, it appears that he was battling the CAP for a long time and for whatever reason decided not to get treatment. He also had heart issues. There was a tremendous amount of fluid in his lungs. He laid there and died and Brittanys mother didn't call for medical assistance. She stated he didn't want it.

If they want to convince me that there was poisoning involved, then they need to do blood and tissue testing and provide an opinion by a reputable pathologist.

BBM.

http://www.tmz.com/2010/06/25/brittany-murphy-husband-simon-monjack-voice-mail-death/

Sources close to the case tell TMZ when investigators went through Simon's cell phone, they found a message in his voicemail box that was created on the day he died ... in which Simon can be heard saying, "I need to go to the hospital. I have a fever."

Later on the recording, Brittany's mother Sharon can be heard saying, "Tell them you have a ... fever." It's unclear who "them" is.

We're told investigators are unclear if Monjack pocket-dialed his own voicemail ... intentionally called his cell phone from another line .... or was so disoriented, that he accidentally dialed the wrong number in an attempt to call for help.

I wonder if he was appeasing her pretending to call his doctor, or if he truly was trying to get help.

 

[dizzychick]

I totally have NO problems with her prescription drug list. Nothing on there should have been a problem or caused her death.

The heavy metal I zero in on because of its rarity is Platinum. I have seen most, but not all, of the others in tox. screens before. ( Not post- mortem though).
The extremely cell- toxic drug Cisplatin, is given as a chemotherapy drug for cancer. It would probably show up as Platinum in the hair sample.
IF someone was dosing her and her husband with heavy metals, not only were they criminal, they were stupid. She wasn't cremated, thus the substances show up in hair and other tissues.
Also, Cisplatin is only given via IV administration. Here's the wiki on the only platinum containing substance I know of:
Cisplatin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Agree that her husband's body should be tested, and the lady in the house, if she is still alive, is probably also very ill.
Because all 3 had the same symptoms, I believe there is a 4th person involved.
Financial gain would seem the most likely motive for Brittany's death, and perhaps that of her husband who was probably her beneficiary.

Just how sick IS the woman upstairs?

One last thing: I haven't checked today's news, but the NE is the only source reporting this. I have seen the copies of the reports and believe them to be valid, but why hasn't another source reported on this?
Is someone trying to suppress the results? Maybe LE has asked her father to not publicize the reports pending a criminal investigation?

The key to solving this, IMO, will be the source of the platinum.

She was diabetic from the looks of her I suspect type 1, so there is your route perhaps contaminated insulin but what about him ? how did they get him too?

 

[dizzychick]

Just a general observation here but over the years I have noticed what lousy medical care it appears they get in LA, example John Ritter goes in for chest pains twice I think is given the ok then dies of a heart condition, I can go on and on with all types of bad diagnosis, I dunno if it is just because of Hollywood and all the reporting they do or if there is just a lax medical system to blame.???

 

[LinasK]

What I find suspicious is that both of them (Brittany and husband) died from the same symptoms six months apart. What are the odds?
The fact that coroner didn't order heavy metal testing doesn't tell anything to me. I am not the one to count on authorities always doing proper work and looking for signs of poisoning.
When Urooj Khan died (from cyanide poisoning) no tests were ordered at all. His death was ruled "from natural causes."
Only when family member contacted police they found cyanide in his blood.
But his body was already buried without an autopsy. Likely as a consequence of this, nobody has been arrested for poisoning him.

I agree, this is very fishy. Did the mother have any motive to poison them-life insurance???

 

[SeekingJana]

She was diabetic from the looks of her I suspect type 1, so there is your route perhaps contaminated insulin but what about him ? how did they get him too?

Cisplatin is not something people have access to unless they are cancer patients being treated with it, pharmacists, or nurses working with chemotherapy.
Even IF Brittany's mother was some kind of monster murderer who happened to be undergoing IV chemotherapy, she would not have had a way to extract a concentrated dose of medication from the closed IV system which was also diluted with ordinary IV fluids.