Chris Cornell's cause of death ruled a suicide by hanging
Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell's death has officially been declared a suicide, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement Thursday. Cornell, who was 52, committed suicide by hanging.
"The Medical Examiner has completed the autopsy on 52-year-old Chris Cornell, the Soundgarden musician who died last night in Detroit," read the statement on its Facebook page. "The cause of death has been determined as hanging by suicide. A full autopsy report has not yet been completed. There is no additional information at this time."
"Chris Cornell passed away late Wednesday night in Detroit, MI. His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause," a rep for the singer said in a statement earlier Thursday. "They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time."
Video surfaced online Thursday morning of Cornell's final performance with Soundgarden in Detroit Wednesday evening. The clip shows the band ending their concert with their song "Slave and Bulldozers." Halfway through, they segued into a cover of Led Zeppelin's "In My Time of Dying." The lyrics to the song include, "In my time of dying, I want nobody to mourn / All I want for you to do is take my body home / Well, well, well, so I can die easy."