Bummer - Heath Ledger Found Dead
I hate to start right out with a bummer, but that’s the news. Heath Ledger, Australian actor, was found dead in his New York residence Tuesday (Jan 22). He was only 28 years old. There really isn’t that much detail available yet, there were sleeping pills near the bed, but the autopsy will reveal if those were involved or not. His family is characterizing it as an ‘accident’ which makes it sound like police advised them that an excess of sleeping pills was the likely cause. Otherwise they would just be saying they were bewildered, wouldn’t they?
Of course if it was suicide (and I don’t believe people accidentally overdose on sleeping pills) then it is certainly tragic — he was a talented actor and had great prospects before him. There were no indications he was the troubled sort, he doesn’t seem have been a drinker or drug-user (other than the prescription kind, which can be nearly as dangerous). I wouldn’t be surprised if the coroner found that some drug interaction or unusual allergic reaction were the cause, or maybe one of those undetected genetic disorders. Guess we will have to wait and see about the cause, but certainly this is another of those ‘too young to die’ stories.