Quebec singer-songwriter Karim Ouellet died a natural death according to coroner Sophie Régnière whose report was made public on Wednesday.
Régnière concluded that Ouellet died of a diabetic ketoacidosis but noted it happened within a context of drug use — specifically the consumption of methamphetamines.
In her report, Régnière said that Ouellet’s death took place on Nov. 15, 2021, two months before his body was discovered on Jan. 17, 2022.
Ouellet’s body was found after the owner of the studio where he was staying called 911 following complaints of a foul odour.
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According to the coroner, when police and paramedics found the singer’s body, it was “at the beginning stages of mummification.” No traces of violence or signs of a robbery were observed.
Ouellet, 37, had Type 1 diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication that often occurs in people whose diabetes is poorly controlled.
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Ouellet made his debut in the music industry with his album Plume, released in 2011. He went on to produce two other successful albums that were a mix of hip-hop, funk and folk-pop.
He won several awards in his career, such as the 2014 Juno for Francophone Album of the Year for his second album, Fox.
— with files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier
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