Country singer Luke Bell died as a result of an accidental fentanyl overdose. Nearly a month after the singer was found dead days after he was reported missing out of Tucson, Arizona, the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday released Bell’s cause of death as well as more details surrounding his tragic passing at the age of 32.
Bell was first reported missing in Tucson on Aug. 20, with police confirming, according to NBC News, that approximately a week later on Aug. 26, a passerby found the singer dead in a shaded area of a parking lot in Tucson. Drug paraphernalia was also found at the scene. Bell’s cause of death, however, remained unconfirmed until the medical examiner released its report Monday, confirming, “in consideration of the known circumstances surrounding this death, the available medical history, and the examination of the remains, the cause of death is ascribed to fentanyl intoxication.” The medical examiner ruled Bell’s death accidental.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The report further shared, per PEOPLE, that a toxicology report ordered by the medical examiner found that the “Where Ya Been?” singer had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his system and had also been drinking. The autopsy report also revealed that Bell suffered arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease at the time of his death.
Shortly following his passing, Bell’s family confirmed the singer’s death in a statement to PEOPLE, sharing that the musician, whose music evoked the early days of the genre’s history, struggled with his mental health.
“Unfortunately Luke suffered from the disease of mental illness, which progressed after his father’s death in 2015. Luke was supported through his disease by a community of loving family and friends. Despite this, he was unable to receive the help he needed to ease his pain,” the family said, adding that their “hearts go out to the millions of people affected by mental illness who, like us, understand the devastating disappointment of a system that consistently fails to provide caring solutions to those who suffer.”
Born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1990, Bell grew up in Cody. After briefly attending college, he decided to exclusively focus on music, eventually meeting singer/songwriter Pat Reedy, who introduced him to life on the road. He eventually made his way to Nashville, where he recorded the album Don’t Mind If I Do, which Bandcamp released in 2014. He went on to open for Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Dwight Yoakim, and others, and in 2016, he signed a deal with Thirty Tigers and planned to release a self-titled album featuring new songs and the best tracks from Don’t Mind If I Do. In January 2021, he released one last single, “Jealous Guy.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call the National Drug Helpline at (844) 289-0879.
