Prodigy Singer Keith Flint Had Taken Drugs and Alcohol Prior to His Death

By Henry Chu

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Prodigy singer Keith Flint had drunk alcohol and taken drugs sometime before he was found dead at his home outside London on March 4, a coroner’s court has heard.

An autopsy revealed that Flint, 49, had cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his system at the time of his death, according to British media reports on the inquest Wednesday. Flint’s body was found by a friend at his home in Essex. He had died by hanging.

However, the coroner left open the verdict as to whether the singer’s death was a suicide, media reports said. “I don’t find that there’s enough evidence for that,” said Caroline Beasley-Murray, the senior coroner for Essex. The decision does not imply that evidence points to either an accident or foul play. Beasley-Murray said that “we will never quite know what was going on his mind on that date, and so that’s why I’m going to record an open conclusion.”

co-founder Liam Howlett said at the time that his bandmate’s death was self-inflicted. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend,” Howlett tweeted.

Fans lined the streets for Flint’s funeral March 29. A horse-drawn carriage bore his coffin, which had a microphone on top.

The band, which was formed in 1990, found success on Britain’s rave scene before going on to become a major dance music act. It was scheduled to tour the U.S. this month. The group released its latest album, “No Tourists,” last November.