Actor Jack Wagner attends the Sixth Annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2016. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for American Humane Association)
Harrison Wagner, the son of veteran actor and soap star Jack Wagner, was found dead early on Monday in a parking lot in Los Angeles, California, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. He was 27.
The young Wagner was found dead in a parking lot in North Hollywood at 5:14 a.m. local time on June 6, according to a case report released by the coroner. The cause of death is currently being investigated and the office has listed it as “deferred.”
“Deferred means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies,” the coroner’s office told Fox News.
“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination.”
In July 2016, Wagner’s 62-year-old father revealed that his son struggled with substance abuse when he went missing for almost one week after a relapse, although it is unclear whether that contributed to his death.
“I’m going to ask those who want to share their fears, addictions & struggles to do so [with] me via Twitter. We can face them [together], I’ll start,” Jack wrote on Twitter at the time.
“I fear for my youngest sons safety. Harrison has struggled [with] drugs & alcohol just as I did when I was younger. He’s relapsed & is MIA [for] 5 days,” he added.
Wagner contacted his family the next day after Jack sent out the messages on Twitter. He thanked fans for the “love and prayers,” adding that he would like people to continue to share their struggles.
About two weeks ago, the mother of Wagner, Kristina Malandro, shared a picture together with her two sons on Instagram after leaving their family vacation home.
Actor Jack Wagner and his son, Harrison, arrive at the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on April 28, 2006. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
“A bittersweet farewell to the place we called Wagner Ranch for 25 years,” Malandro wrote. “The prickly beauty of the high desert and a landscape surrounded by national forests always reminded us that there is peace when you are willing to look for it.”
The 59-year-old actress met Jack while working together on the soap opera “General Hospital.” They had two children, Harrison and Peter Wagner, 31. The couple married in 1993, but they divorced several years later in 2006.
Wagner’s most recent post on social media was on May 22, when he shared a photo of himself sitting on a bench outside, gazing into the distance.
“Focus,” he wrote in the caption of the photo, “You are left with YOU and your thoughts.”
Authorities responded to the parking lot after a call about a medical emergency and do not suspect foul play at this time, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told E-News.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-4357 or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to reach a 24-hour crisis center.
