Episode 5: It's CSI Beverly Hills in this episode as we take a deep dive into Whitney Houston's autopsy report. According to the coroner, the cause of death is drowning due to the effects of heart disease and cocaine.
We dig into every detail of the report, break down each of the the aspects (drowning, heart disease, and cocaine use), consult an expert on the water temperature in the tub, and attempt to piece together the testimony we know with the physical evidence in the report. Spoiler alert: it doesn't quite fit.
In the end one key question remains: is the water really evil?
Links:
Dr. Drew analyzes Whitney’s autopsy. HLN. (YouTube 2012).
Full 2-part interview with Whitney Houston & Oprah Winfrey (YouTube 2020).
Resources:
Blankstein, Andrew. “Cop: I Was Demoted for Reporting Ogling of Whitney Houston’s Body.” nbcnews.com, 10 March 2014.
Budnick, Lawrence D., MD, MPH, and David A. Ross, DSc. (1985). Bathtub-Related Drownings in the United States, 1979-81. AJPH, Vol. 75, No. 6.
County of Los Angeles. (2012). Coroner's Report (Case No. 2012-01022). Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from abcnews.com
Dolak, Kevin and Sheila Marikar. “Whitney Houston’s Death: 9 Surprising Details in Coroner’s Report.” abcnews.com, 5 April 2012.
Duke, Alan. “Whitney Houston drowned in a foot of hot water, autopsy says.” CNN, 5 April 2012.
Gleeson, Colin. "Adults drowning in baths 'very rare,' says Irish Water Safety." The Irish Times. 7 Sept 2018.
Seal, Mark. "The Devils in the Diva." Vanity Fair, June 2012.
Whitney. Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Produced by Lisa Erspamer Entertainment, Lightbox, Roadside Attractions, and Miramax. 2018.
Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All. Lifetime Television, 2021.
Wick, Krista. “Whitney Houston’s Autopsy: An Expert Weighs in.” etonline.com, 5 April 2012.
Special thanks to Dr. Justin Park, PhD, Kennesaw State University