Drug cocktail killed Heath Ledger: US officials

NEW YORK (AFP) — Hollywood star Heath Ledger, found dead in his New York apartment two weeks ago, died of accidental intoxication caused by a cocktail of painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs, officials said Wednesday.

Ledger, who scored critical acclaim for his performance as a repressed gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005, had six prescription medicines including the drugs marketed as Xanax and Valium in his system when he died.

"Mr Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine," the New York chief medical examiner's office said in a statement.

"We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications," it added.

The cause of the 28-year-old Australian's death had been shrouded in mystery since his death on January 22, with an initial autopsy proving inconclusive and conflicting ...