It’s been more than two months now since the unexpected death of The Prodigy frontman Keith Flint, and on Wednesday morning, after a brief inquest, a coroner officially concluded that the cause of his passing was an open verdict.
Flint died at the age of 49 on March 4, 2019. He was found in his Essex, England home and pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics.
The cause of death was ruled a hanging after a post-mortem exam. According to the Guardian, toxicology reports also found that the singer had alcohol, cocaine and codeine in his system.
Senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray rendered the death an open verdict as Flint’s intent and state of mind were unclear. There wasn’t enough evidence at the scene to determine whether it was an accident or a voluntary act of suicide.
“We will never know quite what was going on in his mind on that date,” said Beasley-Murray.
READ MORE: Prodigy singer Keith Flint dies at age 49
“I have considered (it to be) suicide,” she added. “(But) to record that, I would have to have found that on the balance of probabilities, Mr. Flint formed the idea and took a deliberate action knowing it would result in his death.”
Get daily National news
Beasley-Murray also revealed that she considered the verdict could have been an accident but found no evidence to support it.
“Having regard to all the circumstances, I don’t find that there’s enough evidence for that,” the coroner added.
WATCH: Keith Flint found dead at an address in Essex, England on March 4
According to the BBC, Beasley-Murray told the court that Flint’s family and manager did not want to attend the inquest.
She asked the court to send their sympathies to the family.
“He clearly was extremely popular,” she concluded. “He was much loved by so many fans.”
READ MORE: Rock band Tool officially announces album release date — after a 13-year wait
On Tuesday, The Prodigy posted a message to fans reflecting on the passing of Flint and the band’s intent to promote mental health awareness.
“It has been a tough time for everyone over the last few weeks since Keef’s passing,” they wrote on Twitter.
“If you are struggling with depression, addiction or the impact of suicide, please do not suffer in silence,” they added.
“The Prodigy fully supports the campaign to improve mental health for all,” the band wrote before sharing a number of international professional health organizations.
—
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.
Comments