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Celebrity Justice
New Billy Mays Autopsy -- Cocaine in Dispute

Posted Oct 15th 2009 9:43AM by TMZ Staff

Billy MaysBilly 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.

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Tags: autopsy, billy mays, BillyMays, cocaine, medical examiner, MedicalExaminer

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1. 1st

Posted at 10:00AM on Oct 15th 2009 by michael jack

2. 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.

Posted at 10:01AM on Oct 15th 2009 by oblivious101

3. Love you Billy!!

Posted at 10:04AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Karen

4. 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.

Posted at 10:05AM on Oct 15th 2009 by snaps

5. lawyer-talk just makes my heart warm-- soo billclintonic

Posted at 10:06AM on Oct 15th 2009 by donn

6. 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!!!

Posted at 10:09AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Jay

7. The key word is "chronic"...it doesn't state that he never used cocaine. This looks like an insurance dispute.

Posted at 10:09AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Sally

8. 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) =)

Posted at 10:10AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Two Cents

9. 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.

Posted at 10:10AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Helene

10. 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.

Posted at 10:12AM on Oct 15th 2009 by janalal4

11.

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.

Posted at 2:04PM on Oct 15th 2009 by Machelle

12. thats a real woman clear her man name good job!!

Posted at 10:15AM on Oct 15th 2009 by jose

13. Obviously the guy was a dope fiend. Who can get that excited over laundry detergent?

Posted at 10:18AM on Oct 15th 2009 by WhatsNext

14. I think we are all expressing the same opinion, chronic and did use are not mutually exclusive. There is no denying he had cocaine in his system and it that can't be denied as a stress point to an already overtaxed cardiac ticking time bomb.

On a side note though, I wouldn't be surprised if he was using cocaine, given this man was in a LOT of pain most likely and about to have another hip replacement. To be doing the job he did, you can't be limping around and "out of it" on pain meds. Adding coke to the mix would allow someone to try and function under those circumstances.

I do believe his widow is entitled to try and show the public that he wasn't just some cokehead that kicked the bucket high as a kite.

Posted at 10:18AM on Oct 15th 2009 by Fools Rush In

15. "What the world be like without Billy?"

Quieter.

Posted at 10:23AM on Oct 15th 2009 by yup

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