River Phoenix died at the height of his career on Halloween night in 1993, and more than 30 years later, the details of his autopsy remain heartbreaking.
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00:00River Phoenix died at the height of his career on Halloween night in 1993,
00:04and more than 30 years later, the details of his autopsy remain heartbreaking.
00:09According to the L.A. Times, River, who was 23 at the time,
00:13was at the Hollywood hotspot The Viper Room when he started having seizures.
00:17River's brother, actor Joaquin Phoenix, called 911 after River went unconscious. Doctors at
00:22Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were unable to save River, who'd suffered from cardiac arrest.
00:28Joaquin's tragic call was released shortly after River's death.
00:31In it, the 19-year-old can be heard pleading with the operator to hurry up.
00:36You must get over here, please. You must get over here, please.
00:39Joaquin also told the operator what he thought River had taken.
00:43Okay, now I think he's had Valium or something, I don't know.
00:46River's autopsy report later revealed that he did have Valium in his system,
00:50but it wasn't what killed him. According to the Los Angeles coroner's office,
00:54acute multiple drug intoxication — specifically, lethal levels of cocaine and morphine — caused
01:00River's untimely death. Marijuana and ephedrine were also present in his system.
01:05The coroner's office was unable to say with certainty how River used the substances that
01:09night, but reported that there were no track marks on his body, adding,
01:13"...it looks like it was snorted."
01:15As the news circulated, Sgt. Mike Lee from the L.A. Sheriff's Office said that the person who
01:19gave River the substances was looking at potential murder charges, telling the press,
01:24"...even if Phoenix took the drugs voluntarily, the person who supplied the drugs would be the
01:28target of a second-degree murder case. It will be a matter of if people come forward and do
01:33the right thing." However, he wasn't hopeful about that outcome, adding,
01:37"...for some reason in these situations, people who know often turn around and defend the person
01:41who supplied it because they just want it to go away. To this day, no one has ever been charged."
01:48If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
01:52Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website
01:56or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP-4357.