The report from the medical examiner who conducted Prince’s autopsy is tantalizing for what it doesn’t say.
The single-page document lists a fentanyl overdose as the cause of death, but it offers few clues to indicate whether the musician was a chronic pain patient desperately seeking relief, a longtime opioid user whose habit became an addiction or a combination of both.
Blanks for contributing causes are marked “na,” and it’s unclear whether that acronym stands for “not applicable” or “not available.” A space for “other significant conditions” is also marked “na.”
Authorities probably know much more than they are willing to discuss publicly as they seek the source of the fentanyl and consider criminal charges. For now, details in the report , combined with what’s known about Prince’s final days, hint at a fuller picture.
Among those details is a note that Prince’s body had scars on the left hip and right lower leg. The report doesn’t say, but it’s possible the scars were evidence of past surgeries for joint pain. At least one friend has said Prince suffered years of hip and knee pain from his athletic stage performances.