TAMPA, Fla. — Billy Mays, the notorious infomercial pitchman, most likely died from a heart attack based on initial autopsy results revealed Monday.
Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams told The Associated Press that Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, but that further tests are still needed before determining an exact cause of death. Those results won’t be known for several more weeks.
The 50-year-old Mays was found dead early Sunday by his wife at the couple’s home in Tampa, Fla.
There has been some speculation that an airplane incident may have played a part in the pitchman’s sudden death. On Saturday, Mays was aboard a US Airways flight that experienced a hard landing when the plane’s front tires blew out after touching down at Tampa International Airport. However, Adams said the autopsy didn’t reveal any sign of head trauma.
Adams also disclosed that Mays was taking the prescription painkillers Tramadol and hydrocodone for hip pain, but he said there weren’t any signs of drug abuse.
