Police have just released details of an autopsy, concluding the bass player in the award-winning metal band “Slipknot” died of a drug overdose.

On May 24, a hotel employee discovered 38-year-old Paul Gray dead in a suburban Des Moines hotel room.  The Urbandale Police Department issued a statement this afternoon, saying toxicology and autopsy results were complete and that “Dr. Gregory Schmunk concluded that Paul Dedrick Gray died of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl (a synthetic morphine substitute).”

The police statement said Schmunk “also noted the presence of significant heart disease.”

Authorities say Gray had been dead for several hours before his body was discovered. “There was no evidence of foul play observed,” according to a police statement, which described Gray’s death as “untimely.” 

Gray was a founding member of Slipknot, which won a Grammy in 2006.  Band members and his wife held a news conference in late May, calling Gray the “essense of the band.” 

Read the statements from Urbandale Police below:

The Urbandale Police Department was notified by the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office that the results of the toxicology and final autopsy report were complete. Dr. Gregory Schmunk concluded that Paul Dedrick Gray died of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl (a synthetic morphine substitute).  Dr. Schmunk also noted the presence of significant heart disease.

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On Tuesday May 25, 2010 at approximately 8:30 AM, an autopsy was performed on Paul Dedrick Gray at the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office.  Dr. Gregory Schmunk (Polk County Medical Examiner) has indicated the cause of death is still under investigation, pending the results of the toxicology testing.  Dr. Schmunk stated it could be four to six weeks before actual toxicology results were in and the cause of death for Paul Gray positively determined.  The autopsy did confirm Urbandale Police Detective’s initial investigation that there was no evidence of foul play or trauma, and that Paul Gray had been dead for several hours before his body was discovered.

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On Monday, May 24, 2010, at approximately 10:50 A.M., Urbandale Police responded to the Town Plaza Hotel (8800 N. Park Drive Urbandale, IA) on a report that hotel employees had found a guest deceased in one of their rooms. Upon arrival, officers found 38-year-old Paul Dedrick Gray of Johnston, IA, deceased in a room of the hotel.

There was no evidence of foul play observed, but a complete investigation of the untimely death of Paul Gray will be completed by Urbandale Police Detectives. The Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office is assisting in this death investigation and will perform an autopsy on Tuesday May 25, 2010. Toxicology testing will be completed to determine if there were any contributing factors in the death of Paul Gray.