The Los Angeles County Coroner has requested “more investigation” into the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who died after a suspected cardiac arrest at her home last week.
Presley, a musician and the only daughter of rock’n’roll legend Elvis Presley, died on January 13 at the age of 54.
Presley’s mother, Priscilla, confirmed her death on Friday afternoon (AEDT).
Presley was rushed to hospital just hours earlier after being found in her home unresponsive due to a suspected cardiac arrest.
“Presley was examined on January 14 and the cause of death was deferred,” according to Sarah Ardalani, a spokesperson with the LA County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner told CNN on Wednesday local time.
“Deferred means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies.
“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination,” she said.
CNN’s Dr Sanjay Gupta said there could be a multitude of reasons for the deferral.
“There are things on an initial autopsy, trauma, stroke, significant infections, blood clots, pulmonary embolism,” he said.
“If you see those and they’re obvious within the initial physical autopsy, they may come back with a cause of death. But there are things that are deferred.”
“They may want to evaluate more medical records and get more history,” he added.
Family statement
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla Presley said in a statement at the time.
“She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.
“At this time there will be no further comment.”
Paramedics performed CPR and administered the drug epinephrine to restart Lisa Marie’s pulse when she was discovered at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas.
Priscilla later confirmed her daughter was on life support in a critical condition.
Born in 1968, Lisa Marie was the owner of her father’s Graceland mansion in Memphis, a popular tourist attraction. She was nine years old when Elvis died there in 1977.
Her own music career began with a 2003 debut album To Whom It May Concern. It was followed by 2005’s Now What, and both hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart.
A third album, Storm and Grace, was released in 2012.
Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley attended the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills last Tuesday, where Austin Butler won best actor in a drama film for his leading role in last year’s Elvis biopic.
As he accepted the award, Butler thanked both of the women, saying, “I love you forever.”
He said his “heart is completely shattered” following her death.
“I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared. Her warmth, her love and her authenticity will always be remembered,” he told Variety.
A public memorial for Presley has been planned at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee on January 22, according to a statement on Graceland’s website.
In addition to family and friends, the general public is invited to attend, and a crowd of thousands of fans are expected to descend on the estate.
Following the service, there will be a procession to view Presley’s final resting place in Meditation Garden.
“In lieu of flowers, the family encourages all who wish to send something to do so in the form of a donation to The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation,” a notice on the site reads.
– with AAP
