Prince's death raises numerous questions about prior health
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — There were no obvious signs of trauma on Prince's body when he was found unresponsive at his home in suburban Minneapolis, and suicide isn't suspected in the musician's death, the local sheriff said Friday.
Despite his debauched stage presence and erotically charged music, Prince had a reputation for clean living and an ability to put on shows that were electrifying in their athleticism.
[...] after his death — following a series of canceled shows, a reported emergency plane landing for medical treatment and a subdued hometown appearance — questions are being raised about whether he was hiding health problems from his fans.
An autopsy was completed Friday to determine what caused the death of the "Purple Rain" superstar, though officials said it could take days or weeks before results are released.
Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator on the first floor of his Paisley Park compound in suburban Minneapolis and could not be revived, sheriff's officials said.
Smith said Prince swore off drugs and alcohol as a kid, and the group they played with saw a lot of music greats fall, so "we decided to never get into that stuff, and no one did."
Minnesota authorities declined at the Friday news conference to say what may have been taken from Prince's home after his death, or to discuss a report that the musician suffered a drug overdose less than a week before he died.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson and a medical examiner's office spokeswoman refused to comment Friday when asked about prescription drugs or a possible overdose.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing "multiple" unnamed sources, has reported that Prince received treatment for a painkiller overdose while traveling home from concerts in Atlanta last week.
Asked whether Prince's flight made such a landing at the Quad City Airport in Moline, public safety manager Jeff Patterson said Friday that a private Falcon 900 plane made a "medical diversion landing" at 1:17 a.m. that day.