This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/17/andrew-getty-died-of-haemorrhage-ulcer-bad-heart-and-meth-official

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Andrew Getty died of haemorrhage, ulcer, bad heart and meth – official Andrew Getty died of haemorrhage, ulcer, bad heart and meth – coroner
(about 1 hour later)
Andrew Getty, the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon J Paul Getty, died of an accidental gastrointestinal haemorrhage and also had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his system, a Los Angeles coroner’s official has said. Andrew Getty, the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon J Paul Getty, died of an accidental gastrointestinal haemorrhage and also had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his system, according to official findings.
The drugs, a duodenal ulcer and heart disease contributed to the death of the 47-year-old heir to the Getty oil fortune, said Larry Dietz, watch commander at the Los Angeles county coroner’s office. The drugs, a duodenal ulcer and heart disease contributed to the death of the 47-year-old heir to the Getty oil fortune, said the Los Angeles county coroner’s office.
Getty was found dead on 31 March at his Hollywood Hills home. The Los Angeles Times reported he was found on the bathroom floor by his girlfriend Lanessa DeJonge although he had recently gotten a restraining order against her. Getty was found dead on 31 March at his Hollywood Hills home. The Los Angeles Times reported he was found on the bathroom floor by girlfriend Lanessa DeJonge against whom he had recently gotten a restraining order. There was no evidence of foul play.
Getty’s personal assistant told investigators that the heir had complained of stomach pain for the past two months and had been due to see a doctor on 1 April, the day after his body was discovered.
The death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles county coroner’s office. A 2 April autopsy report concluded that Getty died from a gastrointestinal haemorrhage due to duodenal ulcers but “acute methamphetamine intoxication” and heart disease were contributing factors.
Getty’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, who found his body, told authorities that he took methamphetamine daily and the coroner’s report said testing found the level in his blood was in the “toxic range”.
“Methamphetamine is a known cardiac central nervous stimulant,” said the report, which was made final on 12 June and obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday. It was first reported on Tuesday by TMZ.com.
Methamphetamine, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in the home.
The reclusive Getty had said in recent court documents he was battling a “serious medical condition” that could endanger his life. He obtained a restraining order earlier this year against DeJonge, noting her behaviour and arguments between them, and expressing concern that “heated arguments can cause my blood pressure to rise dangerously”.
Getty’s grandfather, J Paul Getty, died in 1976. He had merged several smaller oil companies into Getty Oil in the 1960s.Getty’s grandfather, J Paul Getty, died in 1976. He had merged several smaller oil companies into Getty Oil in the 1960s.
At one time one of America’s richest men, he was also an avid art collector who established the trust that funds the J Paul Getty Museum and other institutions.At one time one of America’s richest men, he was also an avid art collector who established the trust that funds the J Paul Getty Museum and other institutions.
Andrew Getty was not the first heir of the oil tycoon to die in middle age. His cousin, J Paul Getty III, was kidnapped in Italy in 1973 and the kidnappers cut off the 16-year-old’s ear. The oil baron eventually paid a ransom reported to be $3m. Once released the teenager resumed a jet-set lifestyle of abusing drugs and consorting with rock stars until he suffered a debilitating stroke in his 20s. He died in 2011 at age 54.
His stepmother, actress Talitha Pol, who had lived her own jet-set life, died of a heroin overdose in 1971.
“The story of the famed Getty family is one of the most obvious examples that money, cold hard cash, doesn’t buy happiness,” Forbes Magazine reported in a profile in 2014 when it listed the combined family fortune at $5bn – 54th highest on its list of America’s most wealthy.