The death of former NFL wide receiver Charles Johnson on July 17 last year has now been ruled a suicide after he was found to have overdosed on drugs in a North Carolina hotel room. This information comes from a report released by the North Carolina State Coroner’s Office.
USA TODAY Sports received Johnson’s report, noting that the 50-year-old was found dead on a bed on July 17 in a room at the Hampton Inn hotel, which was 6.5 miles from his home. The report also said Johnson had “paid for a funeral and cremation” a week before his death and was “behaving strangely.”
Raleigh police officers found Johnson after hotel employees asked them to check on a guest’s well-being in a room. Johnson did not check out as scheduled by the hotel on July 17. According to the report, Johnson booked the room from July 15, then drove home and returned to the hotel without several important items, including his wallet, cell phone and keys.
Johnson also left his car at his residence. According to the report, the only items in his hotel room were “two empty water bottles, an empty travel container, a pair of sandals and a pair of glasses.”
He also did not appear to be taking any prescription drugs in the room and had an unremarkable medical history. However, the report pointed to “acute oxycodone, hydrocodone and mirtazapine toxicity” after Johnson died.
Charles Johnson, a former stellar wide receiver in Colorado, was drafted into the NFL by the Pittsburg Steelers in 1994 and played there for five seasons. After his time in Pittsburgh, Johnson played for the Eagles from 1998 to 2000 before joining the Patriots and winning the Super Bowl in the 2001 season.
His last NFL stint was with the Bills in 2002, then he retired. At the time of his death, he was the associate athletic director at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
This article was written by Wilton Jackson
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The original for this article “Autopsy brings sad certainty about death of ex-NFL star” comes from Sports Illustrated Germany.
