Coroners on Sunday completed their autopsy on the body of singer Whitney Houston and confirmed that she was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room, but said the cause of death would not be determined until more lab tests were completed.
Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, revealed little about the autopsy at a news conference Sunday, but said medical examiners found no visible signs of trauma or foul play.
He declined to comment on various media reports that Houston, 48, had drowned in her hotel bathtub, possibly after succumbing to drugs or alcohol. He added, "I'm not going to comment on any of the meds or prescriptions that were obtained."
I'd just comment that she was found in the bathtub. ... I believe somebody removed her from the bathtub and the paramedics did CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on her."
He said toxicology tests, which would take six to eight weeks to conduct, would be necessary to determine what factor, if any, drugs or alcohol might have played in Houston's death.
On Monday, the Beverly Hills police also worked to keep a lid on growing media speculation about Houston's death.
"As can be expected in a high profile incident such as this there have been many rumors circulating and much speculation by the media and the public," Beverly Hills Police said in the statement. "In order to minimize such speculation, the Beverly Hills Police Department has asked the Coroner's office to place a security hold on their findings until they have a complete and final report prepared."
'Detectives are still probing the death and will release few details until they have completed their inquiry, Beverly Hills Police spokesman Lieutenant Mark Rosen said at a news conference on Monday. "We are not conducting a homicide investigation at this time. We do not know the cause of death, we do not know the circumstances leading up to her death," Rosen said.
The coroner's briefing Sunday came as the Grammy Awards opened a few miles away at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where rapper-actor LL Cool J payed tribute to the late pop star just after the start of the star-studded music show.
"We've had a death in our family and so at least for me ... the only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman we loved, for our fallen sister, Whitney Houston," he said.
His brief prayer was followed by a clip of Houston singing her hit, "I Will Always Love You," as the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, revealed little about the autopsy at a news conference Sunday, but said medical examiners found no visible signs of trauma or foul play.
He declined to comment on various media reports that Houston, 48, had drowned in her hotel bathtub, possibly after succumbing to drugs or alcohol. He added, "I'm not going to comment on any of the meds or prescriptions that were obtained."
I'd just comment that she was found in the bathtub. ... I believe somebody removed her from the bathtub and the paramedics did CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on her."
He said toxicology tests, which would take six to eight weeks to conduct, would be necessary to determine what factor, if any, drugs or alcohol might have played in Houston's death.
On Monday, the Beverly Hills police also worked to keep a lid on growing media speculation about Houston's death.
"As can be expected in a high profile incident such as this there have been many rumors circulating and much speculation by the media and the public," Beverly Hills Police said in the statement. "In order to minimize such speculation, the Beverly Hills Police Department has asked the Coroner's office to place a security hold on their findings until they have a complete and final report prepared."
'Detectives are still probing the death and will release few details until they have completed their inquiry, Beverly Hills Police spokesman Lieutenant Mark Rosen said at a news conference on Monday. "We are not conducting a homicide investigation at this time. We do not know the cause of death, we do not know the circumstances leading up to her death," Rosen said.
The coroner's briefing Sunday came as the Grammy Awards opened a few miles away at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where rapper-actor LL Cool J payed tribute to the late pop star just after the start of the star-studded music show.
"We've had a death in our family and so at least for me ... the only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman we loved, for our fallen sister, Whitney Houston," he said.
His brief prayer was followed by a clip of Houston singing her hit, "I Will Always Love You," as the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
