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Keith Flint death: Coroner reaches ‘open verdict’ on Prodigy frontman’s passing

Keith Flint of The Prodigy performs live on stage at O2 Academy Brixton on Dec. 21, 2017 in London, England. Simone Joyner/Getty Images

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.

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Keith Flint of The Prodigy performs at the Warrior Festival in Belgrade on Sept. 15, 2012 in Belgrade, Serbia. Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

“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.”

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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

Click to play video: 'The Prodigy singer Keith Flint dead at 49'
The Prodigy singer Keith Flint dead at 49

According to the BBC, Beasley-Murray told the court that Flint’s family and manager did not want to attend the inquest.

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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.”

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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.

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“The Prodigy fully supports the campaign to improve mental health for all,” the band wrote before sharing a number of international professional health organizations.

adam.wallis@globalnews.ca

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