Drug Agents Open Investigation Of Johnny Grunge Death; Guess Who Wrote His Prescriptions?
Fox 5 out of Atlanta, GA reported the following story tonight:
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5) – Drug agents said they are investigating the death of a professional wrestler who was also a patient of Dr. Phil Astin.
It was a 911 call on February 16, 2006, that brought police to investigate the death of professional wrestler Michael Durham.
In the ring, Durham was known as Johnny Grunge and he was half of the tag team duo, Public Enemy with partner, Rocho Rock.
Investigators found Durham's body on the floor with a pill bottle next to him and another nearby. Durham was 40-years-old at the time of his death.
Investigators said a prescription for the muscle relaxer Soma was written by Dr. Phil Astin of Carrollton, the same physician who was the personal doctor of wrestler Chris Benoit and is now the subject of a federal investigation into over-prescribing drugs.
Tyrone police said Durham had been turned away from pharmacies in Tyrone before his death and that the pharmacies were concerned about the number of prescriptions for Soma that Durham was bringing in.
Investigators said that the day before Durham's death, Dr. Astin had prescribed 120 tablets of Soma, but then they found the bottle, it was empty.
When Dr, Astin's name surfaced in the investigation of Chris Benoit, Tyrone police turned over their case file the Fayette County Sheriff's Drug Task Force.
Fayette County drug agents confirmed to FOX 5 News that they were launching an investigation into the Durham's death.
An autopsy report obtained by FOX 5 News says that Durham died from a coronary artery blockage and morbid obesity.
According to the autopsy report, the medical examiner found the drugs Soma and the painkiller Hydrocodone in Durham's system.
The report said, "The combined effect of these drugs would have likely resulted in toxicity and probably contributed to the death, although the drug toxicity would not be expected to have been fatal by itself in the absence of heart disease."
The investigation involving Durham's death is a drug investigation, not a homicide case and investigators said they want to find out what drugs Dr. Astin was prescribing Durham and if he was over-prescribing medications.
FOX 5 News spoke with Dr. Astin's attorney, Manny Arora he said that he didn't know anything about the case and would talk to Dr. Astin before commenting.
Printer friendly page