Posted on 02/13/2006 4:53:27 PM PST by LouAvul
LOS ANGELES - Actor Chris Penn died accidentally from an enlarged heart and the effects of a mix of multiple medications, the county coroner's office said Monday.
Penn, 40, the younger brother of Sean Penn, was found dead in his Santa Monica condominium on Jan. 24, but the results of his autopsy and toxicology tests were not released until Monday.
The primary cause of death was "nonspecific cardiomyopathy," an oversized heart, with the "effects of multiple medication intake," according to a statement issued by the coroner's office.
"We know he had several prescriptions, including promethazine with codeine, which featured predominantly in his death," Harvey said.
Promethazine with codeine is known as a highly addictive prescription medication. Promethazine is an antihistamine that prevents vomiting, while codeine suppresses coughing and relieves pain, Harvey said.
"We don't know how much he ingested or when," Harvey said. "There are a lot of 'what ifs' to be factored in."
A full coroner's report with further details will be available in a few weeks, Harvey said.
Penn's heart weighed 700 grams, a few hundred grams more than an average heart. Harvey said Penn was not taking heart medication at the time of his death.
Penn appeared in such films as "Reservoir Dogs," "Rush Hour," "Starsky & Hutch" and "Corky Romano."
And "Pale Rider", a role he did quite well, BTW.
Condolences to family and friends.
Beschemi: Yeah, Yeah, laugh it all you want. I still don't know why I had to be Mr. Pink. What the F is that all about? Mr. Pink, my ass. Hah Hah hah!
May he rest in peace.
How can you forget footloose!!!!!
Prayers to his family.
He was also in "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon if I remember correctly.
Was in "All the Right Moves" (1983) which starred Tom Cruise, with Craig T Nelson and Lea Thompson. He played a visible minor character - the Football buddy hoping for a athletic scholarship to a big-time California school who gets local girl pregnant and never leaves town. Cruise character finally leaves steel-town and goes to go good engineering school on a full-ride scholarship.
How young they were...
dvwjr
One degree...
In other words: Accidental Overdose.
He did do a good job in the movie.
Too bad the movie was such a horrible remake of Shane.
Sure hope Clint is sharing his royalties.
Yep.
Chris Penn in All The Right Moves
I find it hard to understand why his heart condition wasn't diagnosed and treated.
At 700 grams his heart was half a pound heavier than a normal heart.
His role in Resevoir Dogs put him on the high B list. His demise is a big miss.
700 grams! Shouldn't the normal heart be close to half that weight?
A normal heart would weight 300 grams in an adult male. My 17 year old nephew did of sudden cardiac arrest due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(his toxicology report was clean though)His heart weighed 800 grams according to his autopsy.
I find it hard to understand why his heart condition wasn't diagnosed and treated.
Unless he had an echo-cardiogram, which is not a normal routine test, it is possible to miss it. My nephew had a sports physical 2 weeks before he died and was cleared to play sports. He died on the baseball field during practice.
Sorry for your loss. It really saddens me one the young ones go too soon.
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