Billy Mays' widow says she never bought into the medical reports showing cocaine contributed to the legendary pitchman's death -- and now she says a brand new investigation backs up her claim.
Deborah Mays just released a statement claiming the family commissioned a 2nd review by an independent medical examiner, Dr. William L. Manion, who concluded, "chronic cocaine use was not demonstrated by the autopsy findings of Mr. William Mays.
In addition, there is nothing in his medical, social or professional history to suggest chronic cocaine use.
Therefore, I do not believe cocaine played a significant contributing factor in the death of Mr. Mays as the autopsy specimens and findings are not consistent with the cardiac conditions normally observed in a person chronically using cocaine."
Billy died back in June and in the first autopsy report, performed by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, cocaine was listed as a "contributing cause" of death -- along with hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease.
See More
Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 4) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
Notice how they say chronic cocaine use was not found. They don't deny cocaine use. They just deny chronic cocaine.
Face it wifey, your husband did cocaine.
Oh come on, when we pay these experts, they will say what we want to hear. Its like a courtroom battle, the other side always has some doctor they can drum up to rebut the other sides doctor.
They need to just drop it already. We don't care HOW he died, we care that he died. What the world be like without Billy? We love him!
He always put a smile on my face. To me, he is an icon. What a salesmen. I'm going to miss him.
I do not believe cocaine played a significant contributing factor in the death of Mr. Mays...is what they said so therefor he used cocaine it just didn't call him. Wow his wife must feel like a dumb ass now!!!
The key word is "chronic"...it doesn't state that he never used cocaine. This looks like an insurance dispute.
Exactly #2. Just because the autopsy doesn't show "chronic cocaine use" doesn't mean he didn't use the drug. He had cocaine in his system, end of story. If he had a heart condition (or any medical condition), I'm sure the cocaine didn't help.
RIP Billy Mays
(Southparks' episode was f*ing brilliant. LOVED it) =)
It may not have been chronic, but it was in his system. They are splitting hairs.
And it didn't have to be long term. For those old enough to remember Len Bias did cocaine once and he died.
It really doesn't matter because Mays is dead and I hope the family can grieve more peacefully with their autopsy results.
This mans wife is in as much denial as that man whose wife was drinking the vodka, wrecked the mini-van, & killed 8 people. She just finds it impossible to believe that maybe she didn't know her husband as well as she thinks she did. That's a bitter pill for a wife to swallow I'm sure. Makes me wonder what else she & the world DIDN'T know about Billy Mays.
Basically they're tap dancing
around the fact that he did
have cocaine in his body, but
no evidence that it was an
ongoing habit.
Obviously the guy was a dope fiend. Who can get that excited over laundry detergent?
I'm sure the Insurance company was trying to weasel it's way out of paying what was probably a hefty sum because (jokes aside), I highly doubt he would actually use cocaine.
He died of hypertension, which would have been aggravated by even small amounts of cocaine. The original autopsy didn't cite "chronic" use either. Both are correct.
