Cocaine Tied To TV Pitchman's Death

(AP)  An official autopsy report released Friday found that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV pitchman Billy Mays in June, but his family called the finding "speculative" and considered getting an independent look at the results.

The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office previously determined that the bearded, boisterous TV spokesman had a heart attack in his sleep. His wife found him unresponsive in bed in their Tampa condo June 28.

Mays, 50, was a pop-culture fixture with his energetic commercials pitching gadgets and cleaning products like Orange Glo and OxiClean.

While heart disease was the primary cause of death, a report released Friday by the medical examiner listed cocaine as a "contributory cause of death."

The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release.

The office said Mays last used cocaine in the few days before his death but was not under the influence of the drug when he died. Hillsborough County spokeswoman Lori Hudson said nothing in the toxicology report indicated the frequency of Mays' cocaine use.

"We were totally unaware of any non-prescription drug usage and are actively considering an independent evaluation of the autopsy results," Mays' family said in a statement.

The statement said the family was "extremely disappointed" by the release of the information by the medical examiner's office. The report "contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension, which only demonstrates how important it is to regularly monitor one's health."

Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause thickening of the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said.

The toxicology tests also showed therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays had suffered hip problems and was scheduled for hip-replacement surgery the day after he was found dead.

Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of the "As Seen on TV" product company Telebrands, said Mays never exhibited any signs of drug use and was always prepared for his many commericial shoots.

"I'm just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen."

Mays, a McKees Rocks, Pa., native, developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "As Seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.

He got his start on TV on the Home Shopping Network and then branched out into commercials and infomercials. He developed such a strong following that he became the subject of a reality TV series, Discovery Channel's "Pitchmen."

[mrleme]

Toxicology reports can be unclear because many 'drugs and alcohol' remain in you system for a very long time, sometimes years, no wonder the family wants another report done. Regardless of what many of you think of the said deceased, he obviously was liked by many more people and please don't sound so self-righteous, we all have our 'addictions.'

[stupa2]

Cocaine user no wonder this guy was an obnoxious pitch man...sham wow!

[kipinmaine]

I'm glad you guys aren't my maker ! I hope better things are written about you saints when your time comes.

[amulette]

What a bunch of cold-hearted remarks.Such a sad,full of hate and disrespectfull world we live in.

[stupa2]

Get over it no sympathy for self absorbed selfish dope users

[skeetchamp]

This guy was LOADED on a cocktail of party drugs that would make a rock star sick.

[novamba]

Speculative? The man obviously had signs of cocaine use in his system, and possibly enough for a person who makes their living determining causes of death, to determine he used too much for his own good. Leave the PR machine alone, the man is dead and possibly left a boat load of cash. just let it be and move on. That poor family is perpetuating its own nightmare.

[formrusmcsgt]

Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani said Mays never exhibited any signs of drug use and was always prepared for his many commericial shoots.
--
Like Billy wasn't takling at 1,000 wpm and in an octave about 3 higher than most men...

[wdh3007]

In reading this one might wonder what if this guy had traces of cocaine in his own products he marketed.

[prometheus21]

The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release.

Considering FAR MORE people consume saturated fat, cholesterol and have GENETIC predisposition toward high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, than consume cocaine; it's a wonder why the coroner and "free press that chose not to question, but cherry-pick this to report" decided to alert people to the fact that saturated fat, cholestoral and HEREDITY contributed GREATLY to the development of heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death.

One person's history of heart disease and cocaine use is hardly as interesting as the disease of democracy, a propagandist "free press".

[rondivoo]

Hooray for the free press... The public SHOULD know the awful truth about the lowlifes who rip off the public with their idiotic antics. People who were fooled by him don't like to admit they fell for a big-mouthed cokehead!!

[AttentionDeficit]

I wonder if people who say he "got what he deserved" say the same thing about people who keel over from heart attacks from their smoking or eating garbage food.

[bobnjersey]

["I'm just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen." ]

and now he's not?

[rondivoo]

You got it!!!

[rondivoo]

You got it!!!