Chris Cornell's Wife Vicky Believes His Suicide Was an Accident

05/19/2017 03:28 pm EDT

Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell was found unresponsive with a band around his neck in his bathroom at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit Thursday morning, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. After an initial autopsy, his death was ruled suicide by hanging, but his wife, Vicky, said in a statement that she doesn't believe Cornell's suicide was fully intentional.

"Chris's death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband. He was my best friend. His world revolved around his family first and of course, his music, second," Vicky said in a statement to E! News. "He flew home for Mother's Day to spend time with our family. He flew out mid-day Wednesday, the day of the show, after spending time with the children."

Cornell was a father to three children, aged 16, 12 and 11, and Vicky's statement shared just how much family meant to the singer.

"Chris's death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband. He was my best friend. His world revolved around his family first and of course, his music, second," Vicky said. "He flew home for Mother's Day to spend time with our family. He flew out mid-day Wednesday, the day of the show, after spending time with the children."

She added that she and Cornell discussed Memorial Day plans before the singer played his final show.

"When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different," she explained. "When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him."

"What happened is inexplicable and I am hopeful that further medical reports will provide additional details," she continued. "I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life. The outpouring of love and support from his fans, friends and family means so much more to us than anyone can know."

"Thank you for that, and for understanding how difficult this is for us."

Photo Credit: Twitter / @RollingStone, Twitter / @RollingStone

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