Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Brittany Murphy's Dad Sues Coroner's Office Over Its Investigation Into Her Death, He Believes Toxic Mold Actually Killed Her

brittany.jpg
Brittany Murphy via Shutterstock.com
()

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 

Brittany Murphy's dad, who thinks his daughter's moldy home killed her in 2009, is suing the coroner's office over its investigation of her death.Murphy's father Angelo Bertolotti is claiming in a lawsuit that the coroner's office inadequately investigated his daughter's death before coming to the conclusion that her untimely death was an accident and the result of drug intoxication. Murphy is seeking access to her hair samples and other specimens, according to Radar Online.

At the time Murphy's autopsy was released, the coroner paid a visit to her home, saying that her toxicology report might not tell the whole story. The autopsy report ended up attributing Murphy's death to community-acquired pneumonia and iron deficiency anemia, which is also what killed her husband Simon Monjack just five months later.

But two years after the couple's deaths, both Bertolotti and Brittany's mom Sharon Murphy believe toxic mold at Murphy's home killed both her and Monjack. The family settled with the home's builders over its defects last January, and agreed not to sue the builders in connection with Murphy's death. Last month Sharon Murphy filed a suit against her lawyers for malpractice, claiming that they duped her into settling.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist