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Autopsy of Ledger is inconclusive

A memorial has been created in front of 421 Broome St. in Manhattan, where Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment Tuesday. A memorial has been created in front of 421 Broome St. in Manhattan, where Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment Tuesday. (Marko Georgiev/reuters)
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January 24, 2008

Six different prescription drugs were found in Heath Ledger's New York apartment - including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills - though the cause of his death won't be known for days after a preliminary autopsy yesterday was inconclusive, authorities said.

A rolled-up $20 bill was also found on the floor near the Australian actor's bed, but lab tests detected no traces of drug residue. Police also said no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Police released an in-depth timeline of Ledger's final moments. According to it, a massage therapist who discovered Ledger in his apartment made her first call to Mary-Kate Olsen.

Police said Ledger probably died sometime between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Tuesday of what authorities say could be an accidental drug overdose. Among the six different types of prescription drugs that authorities found in Ledger's apartment were pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Ledger's housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, arrived at his apartment with her own key and let herself in. At 1 p.m., she went to his bedroom to change a light bulb and saw Ledger sleeping and heard him snoring. She left the room without thinking anything was wrong.

At 2:45 p.m., a masseuse named Diana Wolozin showed up for her massage appointment with Ledger, who didn't answer when she knocked on his door. She then tried to call him on his cellphone but again got no response. She went into the bedroom, set up her table, and tried to wake Ledger. Wolozin told police that Ledger was cold to the touch, but she assumed he was unconscious. She proceeded to grab his cellphone and call Olsen, whose number is programmed into the phone. Wolozin knew that Olsen and Ledger were friends, and she asked Olsen for advice on what she should do next.

Olsen, who also lives in Manhattan but was in California at the time, responded by saying she would send over her private security guards. In the ensuing moments, Wolozin realized that Ledger might be dead, and called 911. The emergency operator provided Wolozin instructions on CPR, but it was too late. Paramedics arrived minutes later - at about the same time as Olsen's security guards.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said the autopsy on the 28-year-old actor was inconclusive and that more would be known in about 10 days, when more tests were completed.

Fans left flowers and candles outside Ledger's apartment. News of the death stunned family, fans, and colleagues.

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," said "Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee. "He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rhymes's case wraps
Busta Rhymes pleaded guilty yesterday to assaulting his ex-driver and a fan in a deal that will bring three years' probation and 10 days of community service. The 35-year-old rapper also must pay a $1,250 fine, plus court costs, for driving while intoxicated and with a suspended license. He pleaded guilty to the charges - related to four separate incidents - in Manhattan Criminal Court on the day he was set to stand trial. Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, must also enroll in a DWI program. "I just want to say that I'm very grateful to the judge, and I'm very grateful to the system. I believe in the system," Rhymes said as he left court. (AP)

Lil Wayne's big trouble
Lil Wayne was arrested on three felony drug charges yesterday after federal agents said they found illegal drugs including cocaine on his charter bus at a checkpoint in southwestern Arizona. The rapper - real name: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. - was being held at the Yuma County jail on state drug charges. James Tilson, a local lawyer retained by Carter, said his client was not formally charged and his next court date was scheduled for tomorrow. His bond was set at $10,185. Tilson said they were working on his release. (AP)

Winehouse drug video
Scotland Yard started an investigation yesterday into a video that allegedly shows troubled British singer Amy Winehouse smoking crack. The British tabloid The Sun released grainy footage showing Grammy-nominated Winehouse, 24, inhaling fumes from a pipe. The video was reportedly shot hours before she attended a court hearing for her jailed husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. The singer's father, Mitch Winehouse, told The Sun he hoped it would prompt his daughter to turn her life around. "Your video of Amy taking drugs may well be the best thing that has ever happened to her," the newspaper quoted him as saying. (AP)

Quick exit for Britney
Britney Spears bolted from a Los Angeles courthouse yesterday before setting foot in her child-custody hearing, which went on without her and ended with a court commissioner upholding an order suspending her visitation rights. The pop star went to court to seek visits with her sons, entered the building, and went through security screening. But she suddenly said she wanted to leave and was driven away, spokesman Allan Parachini said. Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, have been battling over their sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1. (AP)

Quite an endorsement
"It was, in my opinion, the stupidest thing ever produced. There's no plot." Clay Aiken, who now stars in "Spamalot" on Broadway, describing his reaction the first time he saw the musical.

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