Questions remain in death of Rodney King, relative says

Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES

One of Rodney King’s close relatives said Thursday that questions remain about how he drowned in his backyard pool despite the findings in a coroner’s investigation.

The San Bernardino County coroner’s office concluded that King died as a result of an accidental drowning after he fell into the pool in a “state of drug and alcohol-induced delirium.” Toxicology tests found alcohol, marijuana, PCP and cocaine in his system when he died.

King’s fiancee, Cynthia Kelley, told police that he was drinking and smoking marijuana the night before his death.

But one of King’s cousins, Ontresicia Averette, said that coroner’s officials told her Wednesday that some of the drug traces found were in such minute amounts that they may have been remnants from previous drug use.

Averette said the autopsy also found that King had an enlarged heart and may have suffered a heart attack before falling into the pool.

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