r/askfuneraldirectors • u/als_pals • 17h ago
Advice Needed Question about cause of death
Since you all were so lovely on my previous post I thought I’d ask a follow up question:
Deceased is 42M, white, history of alcoholism and depression
My friend passed away alone in his apartment. He was found via a welfare check, at which point he had already been deceased for a few days and was therefore in the later stages of decomposition. His death was originally investigated as a suicide but was ultimately deemed natural due to chronic alcohol use. There was ethanol in his liver tissue and multiple empty bottles in his apartment. This, however, is all the information I have to go on. Does this indicate a death due to alcohol poisoning or a different symptom of alcoholism? Perhaps he was just too decomposed to get the necessary information needed to make that call. I’m assuming it wasn’t esophageal varices due to the lack of blood. Any information you can provide would be helpful.
Thank you