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No one will face criminal charges for the death of legendary artist Prince, who died two years ago after taking counterfeit painkillers that contained the powerful opioid fentanyl, authorities announced Thursday.
"The bottom line is we simply do not have enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime regarding Prince’s death," said Mark Metz, the Carver County Attorney, in a press conference.
Prince, the legendary pop music pioneer, died on April 21, 2016 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.
A toxicology report after his death found an "exceedingly high" level of the opioid fentanyl in his body.
Metz explained on Thursday that Prince had been taking counterfeit Vicodin pills which were laced with fentanyl.
Metz said there was no evidence that the 57-year-old had any idea that the pills contained a drug that is 30 to 40 times stronger than heroin.
“In all likelihood, Prince had no idea he was taking a counterfeit pill that could kill him," said Metz.
Authorities found "a lot of pill bottles" at Paisley Park, including dozens in his dressing room and nightstand. The musician was long known to suffer pain from injuries relating to performing and to take painkillers for them.
"Prince had no known Vicodin or fentanyl prescription," said Metz. He added that despite a two-year investigation, authorities had no knowledge of how or where Prince was getting the counterfeit pills from.
"I cannot factor Prince’s celebrity status and tremendous fame into the charging decision. The charging decision must be biased on the legal merits," said Metz.
Metz also noted that on April 20, the day before he died, Prince spoke with his doctor, Michael Schulenberg, and told him he was "feeling antsy" and asked questions about opioid withdrawal.
That evening, after speaking with his doctor, his management made contact with a drug addiction program.
Schulenberg, who is accused of illegally prescribing Prince an opioid a week before the musician died, will pay $30,000 in a settlement for a federal court case over the prescription, the US Attorney's office announced on Thursday.
Schulenberg prescribed Percocet to Prince on April 14, a week before his death, but wrote the prescription to Kirk Johnson, Prince's bodyguard, as a way to maintain Prince's privacy.
Writing a prescription for a fake name is a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
But the drug Schulenberg prescribed does not contain fentanyl and did not cause Prince's death.
Documents from the US Attorney's office clarify Schulenberg is not under any criminal investigation.
"Doctors are trusted medical professionals and, in the midst of our opioid crisis, they must be part of the solution,” said U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker, in a statement released Thursday, announcing the $30,000 civil settlement.
"As licensed professionals, doctors are held to a high level of accountability in their prescribing practices, especially when it comes to highly addictive painkillers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA will not hesitate to take action against healthcare providers who fail to comply with the Controlled Substances Act. We are committed to using every available tool to stem the tide of opioid abuse," added Brooker.
Also Thursday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke on the Senate floor on Thursday about Prince, in honor of the upcoming anniversary of his death.
"For Minnesotans, Prince was a superstar next door," she said. "On Saturday, that anniversary, purple will rain again."
from BuzzFeed - USNews https://ift.tt/2qLLO0V
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