Autopsy results show that Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, whose body was discovered in an Iowa motel room on May 25, died from an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, a synthetic opiate 100 times more potent that morphine.
According to CNN, the Polk County, Iowa, medical examiner also found that the 38-year-old suffered from “significant heart disease” at the time of his death.
The medical examiner added that Gray had been dead for several hours before his body was found by a hotel worker, who told a 911 dispatcher that a hypodermic needle and pills were found near Gray’s body.
As previously reported, Gray struggled with drug addition; in 2003, he was arrested on drug charges after police discovered small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and two syringes in his Porsche following a traffic accident in Des Moines, the metal band’s hometown. Gray later admitted he was using drugs at the time of the accident. He was sentenced to one year informal probation.
Gray, known to fans as “#2” or “The Pig,” was a founding member of the Grammy-winning band, who are known for wearing masks onstage. Slipknot’s last album, All Hope is Gone, debuted in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart. Gray has also performed with Unida, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Reggie and the Full Effect during his career.
