Investigators seek answers to Houston's death

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120213/D9SS7K6G0.html

By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Investigators worked Sunday to piece together what killed Whitney Houston as the music industry's biggest names gathered for a Grammy Awards show that felt as much like a memorial as a celebration.

Coroner's officials say they will not release any information on an autopsy performed Sunday at the request of police detectives investigating the singer's death. The singer was found in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, but Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter declined to say anything more about the room's condition or any evidence investigators recovered.

He said there were no obvious signs of trauma on Houston's body, but that officials were not ruling out any causes of death until they have toxicology results, which will take weeks to obtain.

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said that his agency may release more details Monday about Houston's death, but it will depend on whether detectives feel comfortable releasing any information.

FULL story at link.

[KT2000]

2. I don't undrstand why

it takes so long for toxicology test results.

I keep thinking of my neighbor who died a few weeks ago. He didn't feel good so he took a bath and died there from a heart attack.

[Confusious]

7. It's not CSI

each thing has to be checked for individually. There's a test for cocaine, heroin, etc . Each of the tests is probably based on a reaction, and each one takes time. They don't happen automatically, and all at once.

If you have the big ones come back negative, then you have to start looking for other things, which takes more time.

[FarCenter]

14. She's dead. There is no reason to hurry anything.

Other aspects of the investigation can proceed in parallel.

[onehandle]

3. Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!

It was drugs.

[MarianJack]

4. Based on what I've read so far,...

...some of the little info being released is that she had perscriprion meds in the room and she was found underwater in her tub.

This, plus a lot of whiskey, was how my little sister was found in 2/9/96. She had a load of her painkillers and booze in her system and slipped under the water and drowned. Her death was ruled a suicide. The night before her death (reportedly) she'd had a huge fight with our son of a bitch bastard of a father over her desire to date an african amreican man.

At the time of her death, she was very ill and would have probably not have lived much longer anyway, but it was still a very painful loss, even though I hadn't asociated with that branch of my family since 1986.

Please understand that I'm not saying that Whitney Houston committed suicide, I'm just saying that the very few details I know sound similar to my sister's death. Both died way too young. My sister was 29.

PEACE!

[crunch60]

5. I am very sorry you lost your sister so young. God bless--nt

[MarianJack]

11. She was a great kid.

Her suicide was directly preceeded by a massive fight with our bastard of a father over her desire to date a black guy.

He's NEVER had the opportunity to get his claws into my African American son.

PEACE!

[amandabeech]

6. There are reports and photos out there in the entertainment sites.

According to one story, Whitney was seen bleeding from the wrists and legs at a club on Friday night. There is a pick showing the bleeding leg.

No one took her to the emergency room then. The cutting is usually a symptom of serious emotional problems. It really sounds bad.

I'm very sorry about your sister. What a tragedy.

[MarianJack]

12. My sister was...

...a sweet girl. She could be a bitch when we wanted to be. But, then again, who of us can't?

PEACE!

[blondie58]

9. my deepest condolences on your loss, MarianJack

Life is just not fair sometimes.


Peace.

[MarianJack]

13. Thank you.

it's one of those losses that doesn't just go away.

PEACE!

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Why do toxology reports always take weeks?

Does the lab tech tell them to "put it on the shelf and I'll get to it when I find time", or is the process so intricate that it takes days and days of tediuous research?

I suspect the former, but one would think that's quite a backlog. Can't they hire an assistant or something?
I know a probation officer can have an answer in 20 minutes.

[Posteritatis]

10. A probation officer cannot run a test for dozens of chemicals in 20 minutes. (nt)

[izquierdista]

15. Chemistry takes time, but not weeks of it

It's probably not a good thing to jump her samples up to the front of the line. Just let the lab get to them in the normal queue of things and once they start the analyses, they can probably do them in a few days.