Comic actor Robin Williams committed suicide by hanging himself, coroners said. The 63-year-old, known for high-energy, rapid-fire improvisation and clowning, was found dead on August 11 at his home in Marin County, north of San Francisco.
The coroner for Marin County, Robert T Doyle, said the investigation into his death had concluded, giving the cause as “asphyxia due to hanging” and the manner of death as “suicide”. It was also confirmed that he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his suicide.“Toxicological evaluation revealed the absence of alcohol or illicit drugs. Prescription medications were detected in therapeutic concentrations,” it added in a brief statement.
Robin Williams, an Oscar-winner and veteran of movies, stand-up shows and hit television series, was one of Hollywood’s most popular entertainers and his death triggered an outpouring of emotion the world over. The father-of-3 had spoken openly in the past about his battles with alcoholism and drug abuse – and often drew on them in his stand-up comedy routines.
Star of hit films such as “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Mrs Doubtfire,” Williams had last been seen alive the day before his death by his wife Susan Schneider before she went to bed. She left the house the next day assuming he was still asleep in a separate room in the home in Tiburon.
A few days after his death, his wife Susan Schneider said her husband was suffering from depression and the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
ADVERTISEMENT
President Barack Obama and the US first family joined the outpouring of grief, calling him “an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between.” “But he was one of a kind,” Obama said.
His ashes were scattered in San Francisco Bay, according to media reports.
We’ll always remember you, Mrs. Doubtfire, in ways more than just one. Rest in peace.
