Official: Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of toxic mix of drugs

Friday, February 28, 2014

photo In this Jan. 19, 2014 file photo, Philip Seymour Hoffman poses for a portrait at The Collective and Gibson Lounge Powered by CEG during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

NEW YORK - Officials say actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died from a toxic mix of heroin and other drugs.

A spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner said Friday that Hoffman died from a mix of heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and benzodiazepines (ben-zoh-dy-AZ'-uh-peens), which are psychoactive drugs such as Librium.

The death was ruled an accident.

Police had been investigating his death as a suspected drug overdose.

Law enforcement officials have said Hoffman was found Feb. 2 with a needle in his arm, and tests found heroin in samples from at least 50 packets in his Manhattan apartment.

The 46-year-old star of "Capote" and "The Master" said in interviews last year that he had sought treatment for a heroin problem after 23 years of sobriety.