2nd Inquest Confirms Winehouse Died Of Alcohol Poisoning
LONDON (CBSMiami) -- A second investigation into singer Amy Winehouse's death confirms she died of accidental alcohol poisoning.
Coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled that the 27-year-old soul singer "died as a result of alcohol toxicity" and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. She said there were no suspicious circumstances.
She said that Winehouse "voluntarily consumed alcohol; a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to her death."
The Grammy-winning singer, who fought a very public battle with drug and alcohol abuse for years, was found dead at her London home on July 23, 2011, with empty vodka bottles scattered around her.
Radcliffe said a postmortem had found that Winehouse had a blood alcohol level five times the legal driving limit, and above a level that can prove fatal.
She said that that much alcohol could affect the central nervous system so much that a patient could "fall asleep and not wake up."
Winehouse's family did not attend the 45-minute inquest, which was held after the original coroner was found to lack the proper qualifications for the job.
The coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been hired by her husband, the senior coroner for inner north London.
The first inquest in 2011 produced an identical verdict.
In Britain, inquests are held to determine the facts whenever someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in disputed circumstances.
The beehive-haired Winehouse shot to global fame with her 2006 album "Back to Black," which won five Grammys. But her erratic public behavior, turbulent private life and frequent health problems -- which included seizures, emphysema and bulimia -- often overshadowed her musical talent.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
