No Drugs on Heath's $20 Bill

As the search for answers in the tragic death of Heath Ledger continues, new evidence has emerged in the case.
A rolled-up $20 bill was discovered near the actor's body, police confirmed, adding that no illegal drugs were found in his apartment.

Although no visible drug residue was found on it, the bill was to be taken to a lab for testing, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday at a Manhattan news conference.

Hours later, police announced that the bill had come up negative for illicit substances, scuttling the theory that the actor had been snorting drugs before his death.

Police said that bottles of prescription sleeping aids were found nearby, leading them to question whether Ledger died of an overdose.

In all, six types of prescription medicines were discovered in the apartment, including sleeping aids, antianxiety drugs and an antihistamine, sources close to the investigation said. Three of the medications were prescribed in Europe.

New York's CBS affiliate cited sources close to the investigation who said several packets containing an unknown substance were found in the apartment. It was not clear whether the mystery packets belonged to Ledger.

The 28-year-old Oscar nominee was found Tuesday afternoon by his housekeeper and a masseuse, lying naked and unresponsive on his bed.

He was declared dead by officials who arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.

Officials have said there were no signs that the actor committed suicide, nor any sign of foul play.
An initial autopsy was completed Wednesday morning but proved inconclusive, with the medical examiner stating that additional tests, including toxicology screens, would be required to determine the cause of death.

Ledger's family has called the death an accident and requested privacy as they come to grips with the loss of the Brokeback Mountain star.

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him," his father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement.
"He was a down-to-earth, generous, kindhearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many."

Larry Williams, father of Ledger's onetime fiancée Michelle Williams, called the actor a "great talent" and a doting father to his two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

"I think Tennyson got it right in the poem when he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends, and oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath, what a beautiful flame he made and a great talent," the elder Williams told the Melbourne Herald Sun.

"My heart goes out to everyone in his family and my family."

Meanwhile, Oscar winner Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, said "working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life."

"He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined—a thirst for life, for love and for truth and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking," the filmmaker said in a statement.

Lee Daniels, who produced the Ledger-starring film Monster's Ball, disputed the notion the actor had drug-abuse issues.

"They're saying it's drug-related. I don't believe that. We know the partiers and he wasn't that guy," Daniels told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The actor's rep said Wednesday there were no plans, as of yet, for a memorial service in either the United States or Ledger's native Australia.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=73b86298-5681-4729-8cdc-3782e9390584&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories