Investigation Into Tom Petty’s Cause of Death: Report

By Jack Phillips
October 4, 2017 4:26 pm Last Updated: October 9, 2017 11:40 am
Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform during their 40th Anniversary Tour at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. on April 25, 2017. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Sacks and Co)

Los Angeles County officials say they will try to determine the cause of death for singer-songwriter Tom Petty, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Petty died Monday at the age of 66 after reportedly suffering from cardiac arrest. He was found unconscious at his home in Malibu, California.

Department spokesman Ed Winter told the LA Times that his death isn’t considered suspicious, and the coroner investigates all deaths, even natural ones.

The autopsy results for Petty were done Tuesday, Oct. 3, and the results are pending.

A toxicology report usually takes weeks to complete and will delay the release of the coroner’s report, the Times reported.

According to TheWrap, Petty wrote his own epitaph. “He really liked rock ‘n’ roll,” it read. Petty wrote it in 1981.

“I used to have these soul-searching nights where I’d lie awake and think, ‘When it’s all over, all you’re gonna leave behind is the records,’” said Petty back in 1981. “That’s all the [expletive] you’re doing.”

“You can talk about money or fame or whatever gets you off, but all that’s left is the records,” he also said. “You’ve been given that chance, and if you don’t do what you want, then you’re a real fool, no matter how they sell or what people say.”

Over the years, Petty released a number of huge hits like “Refugee,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “Breakdown,” “Free Fallin,” and “American Girl”