An autopsy will be carried out on the body of actor Heath Ledger overnight Australian-time, the New York City Police Department says.
A police spokesman this evening said the medical examiner’s office would conduct the autopsy between 9am and 5pm (1am and 9am AEDT). Police have confirmed that sleeping pills were discovered near the body of Ledger, 28, when he was found dead in a Manhattan apartment today.
New York Police Department deputy commissioner Paul Browne said the Oscar-nominated Australian actor’s body was found naked and face-down on the floor of his bedroom by a housekeeper about 3.30pm Tuesday (7.30am Melbourne time). ”There were pills within the vicinity of the bed,” Mr Browne said. But he stressed that pills were not scattered around Ledger’s body, as had been previously reported. “There were some prescription medications that included sleeping pills,” he said.
The 28-year-old actor, who had reportedly been ill with pneumonia, had an appointment for a massage at the apartment, which is believed to be his home in Soho in Manhattan. The housekeeper went to tell Ledger the masseuse had arrived and found him naked and unconscious at the foot of his bed.
Ledger’s former fiancee, Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams - the mother of his two-year-daughter Matilda - was reported to be ”devastated” by his death and had boarded a flight to New York. Representatives of the actor’s family said police had advised them his death was accidental, the TMZ.com website reported.
The site said representatives had made contact to say Ledger’s family was particularly distraught over media speculation that he may have taken his own life. He was not that kind of person, the family said.
Ledger’s Californian attorney, John LaViolette, could not be contacted this morning. A spokeswoman at his office said he was currently on a plane. “I’m sorry, we can’t talk about this now, we’re too upset,” she said, before ending the phone call.
Ledger’s death comes during the making of his latest film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam and in which he was to star alongside Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits. Ledger was an Oscar nominee for his role in Brokeback Mountain and had numerous other screen credits.
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CAFE ORCA
n the beachfront in Melkbosstrand, you will find the most delightful restaurant, situated virtually on the beach! Café Orca has become an institution in the area, specialising in seafood but also offering other choices, all of the highest quality and exceptional value. Café Orca is a fully licenced venue.
