Autopsy on Prince is complete; results could take weeks

Authorities say they have completed the autopsy on Prince’s body, but preliminary findings were not being immediately released.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said it finished its autopsy on Prince at 1 p.m. Friday, roughly four hours after it began. The 57-year-old musician died a day earlier after he was found unresponsive at his Paisley Park compound.

The medical examiner’s office says that relevant information about Prince’s medical and family history is being collected. The agency says it won’t release its findings until all information is in, including results of toxicology tests, which could take weeks.

Prince’s body will be released to his family later Friday.

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, in a news conference Friday, said there were no signs of trauma on Prince’s body when he was found, and that suicide isn’t suspected in the musician’s death.

The singer’s death came two weeks after he canceled concerts in Atlanta because he wasn’t feeling well. He performed April 14 in Atlanta, apologizing to the crowd shortly after coming on stage for the earlier cancellation.

While talking to the crowd between songs, he joked about having been “under the weather,” giving a slight smile. His voice seemed a bit weak at times when he spoke, but he sounded fine when singing during the 80-minute show, which featured “Nothing Compares 2 U” and his finale, “Baby, I’m A Star.”

He sat at his piano for most of the show, but stood up at times to pound the keys and walked around the piano a couple of times, soaking up cheers.

Following news reports that he had fallen ill while returning from Atlanta to Minneapolis, Prince hosted a dance party on April 16 at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota.

Jeremiah Freed, who runs the website drfunkenberry.com and who got to know Prince after writing about him over the years, said he last saw Prince at the dance party. Freed said he believed Prince held the party to show everyone he was fine.

Freed said Prince made a brief appearance but that he didn’t have one-on-one time with the musician that night. Freed said the artist showed off a new purple piano he had received as a gift, as well as a purple guitar, but seemed upset about the reports of an illness.

“When he had to talk about the stories going on, he didn’t seem too pleased. It was kind of like, ‘I’m here. I’m good,’ ” Freed said, adding that Prince told the crowd: “Just wait a few days before saying your prayers.”

Lars Larson, a 37-year-old Minneapolis man who worked security for Prince and at Paisley Park events for about six years, said he attended the same party. Larson said the singer briefly appeared on stage and spoke to the crowd before standing by the sound board for 20 minutes then disappearing for the night.

“He seemed great. He looked like Prince,” he said. “The whole point of the show on Saturday was to show he was doing all right.”

Associated Press writers Paul Newberry in Atlanta and Kevin Burbach in Minneapolis contributed to this report, along with researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York.

The 911 call

A transcript of the 911 call at 9:43 a.m. Thursday from Prince’s Paisley Park compound to the Carver County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office:

Dispatcher: 911, where is your emergency?

Unidentified Male: Hi there, um, what’s the address, here? Yea we need an ambulance right now.

D: OK.

UM: We have someone who is unconscious.

D: OK, what’s the address?

UM: Um, we’re at Prince’s house.

D: OK, does anybody know the address? Is there any mail around that you could look at?

UM: Yea, yea, OK, hold on.

D: OK, your cellphone’s not going to tell me where you’re at, so I need you to find me an address.

UM: Yea, we have um, yea, we have um, so, yea, um, the person is dead here.

D: OK, get me the address please.

UM: OK, OK, I’m working on it.

D: Concentrate on that.

UM: And the people are just distraught.

D: I understand they are distraught, but –

UM: I’m working on it, I’m working on it.

D: OK, do we know how the person died?

UM: I don’t know, I don’t know.

D: OK.

UM: Um, so we’re, we’re in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we are at the home of Prince.

D: You’re in Minneapolis?

UM: Yea, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

D: You’re sure you are in Minneapolis?

UM: That’s correct.

D: OK, have you found an address yet?

UM: Yea, um, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I need, I need the address here?

Unidentified Female: 7801.

Unidentified Male: 7801.

D: 7801 what?

UM: Paisley Park, we are at Paisley Park.

D: You’re at Paisley Park, OK, that’s in Chanhassen. Are you with the person who’s …

UM: Yes, it’s Prince.

D: OK.

UM: The person.

D: OK, stay on the line with me.

UM: OK

(phone ringing)

Ridgeview Ambulance dispatcher: Ambulance, Shirley.

D: Carver with the transfer for Paisley Park Studios, 78.

Ambulance dispatcher: Paisley Park Studios, OK.

D: 7801 Audubon Road.

Ambulance dispatcher: OK.

D: We have a person down, not breathing.

Ambulance dispatcher: Down, not breathing.

D: Yup.

UM: He’s, he’s –

D: We’re going to get everybody, go ahead with the transmittal sir.

(Carver County Dispatcher 2 comes on line)

Ambulance dispatcher: Yea, Kayley, this is Shirley at Ridgeview. You can cancel anybody going to Aubudon, confirmed DOA.

Dispatcher 2: OK, thank you.

Ambulance dispatcher: All right, thanks, bye.

Source: Carver County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Autopsy on Prince is complete; results could take weeks."