ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 13, 1993                   TAG: 9311130085
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                                LENGTH: Medium


COCAINE, HEROIN MIX KILLED RIVER PHOENIX CORONER CLOSES PROBE INTO DEATH OF

Actor River Phoenix died from a lethal combination of cocaine and heroin, a coroner's spokesman said Friday. The same deadly mix killed comedian John Belushi 11 years ago.

Toxicological tests conducted on the 23-year-old-actor, who convulsed and died outside a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 31, showed extremely high levels of cocaine and heroin, said coroner's spokesman Scott Carrier.

Also found in Phoenix's body were traces of marijuana, the prescription sedative Valium and an over-the-counter cold medication, Carrier said.

Phoenix's death outside the Viper Room, a trendy music club co-owned by actor Johnny Depp, had prompted widespread speculation about whether the actor, known for clean living and vegetarianism, had been abusing drugs at the time of his death.

Unlike Belushi, Phoenix had not injected heroin and cocaine in a mixture referred to as a "speedball." Belushi died in 1982 at a Hollywood hotel after a binge of cocaine and heroin injections administered by a female companion.

"There were no needle marks" on Phoenix's body, Carrier said. "Maybe it was ingested, maybe it was inhaled. How it was introduced into his body is unknown at this time."

The coroner's office has ruled the death accidental, Carrier said, and the Sheriff's Department said Friday it had closed its investigation into Phoenix's death.

Viper Room patrons said Phoenix had been weaving and acting strangely before he went into convulsions at the club and was led outside, where he collapsed on the sidewalk.

The star of such movies as "Running On Empty" and "Stand By Me" was accompanied by his brother, Joaquin "Leaf" Phoenix, who summoned help with a frantic 911 call.

"You must get here, please, you must get here, please," he told 911 dispatchers in the tape-recorded call. "I'm thinking he had Valium or something."



 by CNB