Feds probe doctors in Heath Ledger's death

**sharon_b** · February 28th, 2008, 08:56 AM

A doctor in California and another in Texas are under investigation by federal drug authorities in the matter of Heather Ledger's's death, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The Australian actor, 28, was found dead in his downtown New York apartment on Jan. 22. An autopsy whose results were announced earlier this month blamed an accidental mixture of prescription drugs, said New York City's Chief Medical Examiner.

“We are investigating doctors in Los Angeles and Texas with regard to Ledger’s prescriptions,” the source tells PEOPLE.

However, the source did not say whether any wrongdoing is involved, saying, “We don’t know yet. The agents were there this week, and we are waiting to hear from them.”

The doctors in question are thought to have supplied Ledger with Oxycontin and Vicodin, law enforcement sources tell New York's Daily News.

At issue is whether or not the powerful painkiller were prescribed legally, says the newspaper.

DEA Subpoenas

The subpoenaing of Ledger's autopsy results by the Drug Enforcement Administration was reported shortly after the findings of the report were announced. On Feb. 6, it was said that the DEA would look into the source of the actor's prescriptions.

Besides Oxycodone and Vicodin (also known as Hydrocodone), autopsy results also showed that Ledger's system contained Diazepam (commonly called Valium), as well as Temazepam, which treats anxiety or sleeplessness; Alprazolam (also known as Xanax); and Doxylamine, a sedating antihistamine often used as a sleeping aid.

On Feb. 9, Ledger's former girlfriend, Michelle Williams – who is mother of his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda – joined Cate Blanchett, Ledger's family and hundreds of mourners at a memorial in Australia for the actor. On Jan. 26, a private memorial in Los Angeles was held for close friends and family.

Feds Probe Doctors in Heath Ledger's Death - Heath Ledger : People.com

**Sleuth** · February 28th, 2008, 04:27 PM

A doctor in California and another in Texas are under investigation by federal drug authorities in the matter of Heather Ledger's's death, PEOPLE has confirmed.

is it possible to fix this typo in the first line??

i don't know if they will find anything but i think there should be some sort of a database for doctors only so that when patients visit a million different doctors they can access the patients records and see their medical history and what they have been prescribed.

**Folieadeux** · February 28th, 2008, 04:30 PM

I can understand why they are investigating the Doctors. But Heath was the one who took all of the medication. He was also the one who probably doctor shopped a bit in order to get so many prescriptions. It's not the doctors fault. It was Heaths.

**Grimmlok** · February 28th, 2008, 04:46 PM

No, heath is a demigod tragic figure who wasnt responsible for anything

**Trixie** · February 28th, 2008, 04:55 PM

Yeah, who would expect a demigod to realize that mixing 6 different narcotic pain pills, sedatives, anxiety meds and antihistamines would be a bad idea?

**cheray** · February 28th, 2008, 05:26 PM

Those bloody doctors. Killing poor (praise be to ) Heath. Him so innocent and trusting and the stinking conniving doctors intentionally poisoning (oh wonderful lord) Heath.

**sparkly** · February 28th, 2008, 05:31 PM

Of course it was Heath's fault for the way he treated himself, but if it was only one doctor that prescribed him all those pills, than an investigation should be done. MD's have a moral responsibility to not prescribe their patients pills if they know they're addicted to them. It sounds like he had more than one doctor though, in which case it would be difficult to prove any intentional wrongdoing.

**SweetPea** · February 28th, 2008, 07:34 PM

What kind of pain was he in that he took Oxycontin? My Mother-In-Law took this in the end stages of her cancer.

DitaPage* · February 28th, 2008, 07:38 PM

I could find several different medications in my house right now; if i was take them all at once, it wouldn't be a doctor's fault.

I still think there's the possiblity he commit suicide; surely he would know that all those medications together could be lethal. Otherwise he was already out of it, really wanted to sleep, and shoved it all in without thinking properly.

**MrsMarsters** · February 28th, 2008, 08:55 PM

Oh in that case why don't they go investigate my neighbor's doctor/s, since she's taken over 6 different pain killers. It's sad he's dead, but he was an adult ....doesn't that count for anything?

**sparkly** · February 28th, 2008, 09:49 PM

Perhaps because the feds don't want the public to come down hard on them. Ledger was well liked, and people tend to want to believe that he's the victim.

DitaPage* · February 29th, 2008, 01:23 AM

^You're right. He was the master of his own self destruction. There's nothing accidental about loading yourself up with drugs - prescription or otherwise.