A report from the Tennessee Department of Health Tuesday revealed that revered singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle died in August of an accidental “acute combined drug toxicity.”
Earle’s family also announced the results of the singer’s autopsy report alongside a plea to help those struggling with addiction. “Next to alcohol and cocaine, the autopsy report revealed traces of fentanyl indicating that that usage of fentanyl-laced cocaine resulted in an overdose,” the estate wrote.
“Even though Justin was very outspoken and concerned about the opioid epidemic and the dangers of the ‘legal’ drugs fed by the pharmaceutical companies, he became the victim of a deadly dose of fentanyl,” the estate added. “Illicit drugs laced with fentanyl are causing an enormous rise in overdoses, turning cocaine usage into an even deadlier habit. It only takes a few salt-sized granules of fentanyl to cause an overdose.”