Police are investigating whether foul play was involved in Prince’s death after authorities revealed there was “no reason to believe” he killed himself.
The music superstar died at his Paisley Park estate near Minneapolis on Thursday after he was found collapsed in a lift. He was 57.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said there were "no obvious signs of trauma" on Prince's body and it was "still under investigation" whether foul play was involved.
Speaking at a press conference at Carver County Courthouse in Chaska, Minnesota, Sheriff Olson refused to comment on reports that Prince had been taking a powerful painkiller before his death.
He said Prince was last seen at 8pm the night before his death when he was dropped off at Paisley Park.
The singer had been alone at the estate and staff members had been unable to reach him, the official added.
A postmortem examination took place on Friday, where information about Prince’s “medical and social history” was gathered, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said.
His body has been released to his family but a cause of death may not be made public for weeks, officials said.
Percocet
Celebrity news website TMZ reported that Prince had overdosed on a painkiller called Percocet when his private jet made an emergency landing in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 15th, six days before his death.
The star was taking the drug for a hip problem after having corrective surgery around six years ago, TMZ said.
A spokeswoman for the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said it would not release information from the post-mortem examination until “all results are obtained” and the findings of a toxicology scan “could likely take weeks”.
A day after Prince was taken to hospital on April 15th, he hosted a dance party at Paisley Park where fans said he “seemed happy” and appeared to look healthy.
Gretchen Richardson (27),said: “It was just a short appearance. He just said, ‘Save your prayers for a couple of days. I’m OK. I’m here, thank you. I appreciate it’.”
Jeremiah Freed, who also attended the event, said that Prince told the crowd: “Just wait a few days before saying your prayers.”
Tributes have flooded in for the singer, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson. US president Barack Obama described Prince as a “creative icon”.
Madonna said he was a “true visionary” while Sir Elton John shared a picture of Prince on his Instagram page, writing: “The greatest performer I have ever seen.”
Sales of Prince’s music soared after news broke of the pop star’s death, and fans continued to leave floral tributes at Paisley Park many hours after his death was announced.
Thousands of Prince fans also gathered at the club in Minneapolis where he filmed Purple Rain as the venue hosted a free all-night dance party in his honour. Two more similar events are planned at the venue over the weekend.
PA
