New information about Aaron Carter’s death has emerged.
According to online records obtained by E! News, the singer drowned in November after his cause of death was initially postponed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Secondary causes included the effects of alprazolam, also known as Xanax, and difluoroethane, a compressed gas. His death was ruled an accident, and the case has since been closed.
According to the full coroner’s report, Aaron became “incapacitated while in the bathtub due to the effects” of the substances and drowned.
Aaron died on November 5, 2014, at the age of 34, according to his rep, who confirmed to E! News that the musician was discovered unresponsive in his Southern California home.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies from the Lancaster station responded to a call from a house sitter who discovered an unresponsive male in the bathtub around 11:00 a.m. PT. While the house sitter was advised to perform CPR, the man died after deputies and fire personnel arrived. The identity of the man has not been confirmed by the Sheriff’s Department.
Following the news of Aaron’s death, several fans, fellow stars, and family members of the former child star—who rose to fame with hits like “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)”—paid tribute, including his brother Nick Carter.
“My heart is broken,” the Backstreet Boys member wrote on Instagram on Nov. 6, after honoring Aaron at one of the band’s concerts. “Even though my relationship with my brother has been complicated, my love for him has never faded.” I’ve always hoped that he’d someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
Nick then reflected on Aaron’s battle with addiction and mental health issues, which the “I Want Candy” singer had previously discussed.
“Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness are the real villains here,” Nick wrote. “No one will ever know how much I will miss my brother.” Chizz, I adore you. Now you can have the peace you could never find on Earth…Please, God, look after my baby brother.”
Aaron died almost a year after he and Melanie Martin welcomed a son named Prince.
“We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” Melanie said after Aaron died, according to the Associated Press. “Your prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated.”
