Chris Cornell's Wife Says Drugs May Have Triggered Suicide

Chris Cornell's wife believes her husband's death was actually caused by an overdose of Ativan and that if he took his life he was not in his right mind.

Vicky Cornell confirms the story we broke Thursday ... that she spoke with Chris twice hours before his death and he was not suicidal ... not even depressed. Vicky says when she spoke with Chris before his Detroit concert they discussed vacation plans over Memorial Day.

She says after the show when they spoke, she noticed he was slurring his words, and that's when Chris told her he "may have taken an extra Ativan or two."

The family lawyer is not ready to concede Chris' death was suicide, and says the toxicology tests may provide the key. The lawyer notes Chris was a recovering addict and, "The family believes if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions." He adds Ativan can cause paranoid or suicidal thoughts.