Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Music news Sean Costello's autopsy cites accidental drug overdose
Posted by Chad Radford @ChadRad on Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 9:25 PM
On Tuesday, June 3, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office released its autopsy report on Atlanta bluesman Sean Costello, the subject of this week’s Creative Loafing cover story: Sean Costello, 1979-2008.
Sadly, it was a drug overdose that killed him. The report states that the cause of death was “toxicity of heroin, chlordiazepoxide, ephedrine and amphetamine.”
The report also notes recent cocaine use by Costello. The medical examiner who completed the autopsy, Dr. Geoffrey Smith, says that it is impossible to determine exactly which drug or drug interaction caused Costello’s death, but it was most likely the result of the combination of the drugs in his system.
Chlordiazepoxide, also known as Librium, is a prescription anti-anxiety medication that is often prescribed to patients who are experiencing alcohol withdrawal, and not a typical treatment for just anxiety. Ephedrine and amphetamine, also known as speed, were found in small doses.
The police officer’s notes that were released with the autopsy also indicate that two packs of Parliament cigarettes were discovered in the hotel room where Costello’s body was found. One pack was full. The other contained one cigarette and a crack pipe. The initial police report stated that Costello died a natural death.
In light of the autopsy report, Costello's former bass player and business partner, Aaron Trubic, underscores the tragedy with his quotes from this week's cover story:
"... If you're talking about demons and depression they should be used to catalyze a discussion about how the music business fucks with you on a daily basis and is not conducive to a normal lifestyle, and if you have a chemical disorder it makes it 10 times harder."
(Photo courtesy Peters Management)
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
No big deal. Costello was a douchebag anyway. Good riddance.
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Actually he was an amazingly talented musician and a wonderful person. My dad was great friends with him and we knew him for years. You should be ashamed of yourself for saying something like that.
I concur, Leah. I knew him as well, and he was a beautiful, altruistic person with a gentle soul. Though his music lives on, he will be continually missed by those that knew him.
i live in cleveland mississippi and i got to see sean when he was just fifteen and followed his career until his tragic and sad end,my heart still hurts for his families loss of a son and the music worlds loss of a true musical genius,he was a wonderful human being and he will forever be missed,a true legend
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