Amy Winehouse's death Saturday was not unexpected by fans and detractors alike. Winehouse's struggle with alcohol and drugs, including crack and heroin, was as public as it was disturbing. Predictions of her death have populated the Internet for more than two years.
The coroner's office in London performed a preliminary autopsy Monday and took several samples for future analysis. Winehouse's Jewish faith requires burial as soon as possible after death. BBC News reports the initial autopsy proved inconclusive, with the coroner announcing that toxicology tests could take four weeks or more to be completed for a more in-depth analysis.
While it may take weeks or months to learn if Winehouse's death was caused by her addictions or another reason altogether, we can eliminate some possibilities that would have been immediately apparent in the autopsy.
Mechanical Suicide
If Winehouse had committed suicide through mechanical, rather than chemical, means, there would have been clear indications on the body and clues in the flat. A gunshot wound would have turned up on the autopsy and there would have been blood and a gun near the body. If she hanged herself, ligature marks and bruising would have been visible and she would likely still have been connected to the noose. Initial reports state that she died in bed, so many mechanical suicide scenarios are unlikely.
Emphysema
In 2007, the father of Amy announced publicly that his daughter had been diagnosed with emphysema, a lung disease. In her case, the cause of the disease was smoking crack cocaine. Emphysema causes shortness of breath because the lung tissue around the smaller air sacs around the lung breaks down. Emphysema would be visible to a coroner in an autopsy.
Asphyxiation
Often, heavy drinking or drug use causes an unconscious state that still allows for digestive reflexes. Many celebrities have died from asphyxiating on their own vomit. The vomit blocks airways and the victim suffocates. Both Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham died in this manner. The presence of vomit and blockage of the airways would have been obvious in a preliminary autopsy.
Liver Failure
Heavy, prolonged drinking of alcohol can cause liver disease, resulting in liver failure. All alcohol has to be processed through the liver and an excess can overwhelm it. Over time, alcoholics can have "fatty livers" that are enlarged and function poorly. In the event of liver failure, the skin or eyes of a victim turn yellow because of an excess of bilirubin circulating in the body. A fatty liver and changes to skin color would have been obvious on autopsy. Also, liver enzyme levels can be tested within 24 hours and they would indicate if the liver was functioning properly.
Winehouse may have been a victim of her addictions or her death may have been a completely random event. It will take time for coroners to analyze her cause of death and release a statement. All we know right now is what she didn't die of.
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