Prince: Feds Join the Investigation Into His Death
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the DEA will work with local authorities.
— -- Federal authorities are now investigating Prince's death.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office told ABC News in a statement today that the organization, along with the DEA, will work in conjunction with the local sheriff's office to investigate the singer's death last month.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA are joining the Carver County Sheriff’s investigation. The DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office are able to augment this local investigation with federal resources and expertise about prescription drug diversion," the statement read. "While this remains an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment.”
Local authorities told ABC News that the feds' involvement is largely due to the fact they need to be able to investigate what happened involving Prince in other states. Of particular interest: the emergency landing his plane made in Illinois the week before his death.
Late last month, the music legend was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. That morning, Prince was scheduled to meet with Andrew Kornfeld, the son of opiod addiction specialist Dr. Howard Kornfeld, according to the Kornfelds' lawyer, Bill Mauzy. Mauzy added that Dr. Kornfeld had been contacted by Prince's reps to discuss how to help the singer, who may have struggled with prescription drug addiction.
ABC News has confirmed that authorities are looking into the possibility that the singer died of an overdose.
Still, according to his longtime friend, bassist Larry Graham, Prince, who did not discuss his health openly, seemed "pretty normal" before his death.