I doubt it was suicide 9 pills may seem like alot to most people but to those familier with the horrors of additicion it does not seem to out of line (the dosage of each pill etc. would be needed to be known) also a person builds up a tolerence to opiates very quickly so what may seem like a deadly dose to some one that has only taken them occationally can be anything but for an addict.
Mixing opiates and benzodiazepines is a very deadly drug combination a many more ppl than you realize die from this. The deadliness of this combo is not well know and I wish it was better publisized. I had a close family member that passed away from this combination. The dose of either drug was not a lethal drug it is the interaction of the two.
Cocaine and opiates is also a very deadly combination. This is better know, it has been the cause of many high profile deaths such as Chris Farly, John Belushe (sp?), and river phoenix.
Mix all three together all its the proverbial tugging on superman's cape.
I definitely get this. I have been addicted to opiates and have lots of experience with oxycontin and at one point needed a daily addiction maintenance amount that would have certainly killed someone non-tolerant.
Still - the one in his mouth - he was obviously still putting them while he was nodding out. That doesn't make sense and really gives me some doubts as to whether or not this was intentional.
But you are right - we really need more information about all of it.