Anna Nicole Smith's Tragic Death
February 09, 2007 SEND TO A FRIEND RSS NEWS FEEDS Photo: Canaan Rubin Photo: Entertainment Tonight Anna Nicole Smith, seen here in her final interview, only with ET, died Thursday in Florida. The latest: No illegal drugs found. Plus, our exclusive video of Anna Nicole's last moments alive.
ET confirms that ANNA NICOLE SMITH died Thursday afternoon at a Florida hospital after she was found unresponsive in her hotel room. She was 39.
On Friday, officials announced that no illegal drugs were found in Anna Nicole's room, and Police Chief CHARLIE TIGER told reporters that no evidence has been found to suggest foul play.
An autopsy took place Friday to determine the cause of death. Although it may take three to five weeks to complete the investigation, the chief medical examiner said that no pills or tablets were found in Anna Nicole's stomach.
In other new developments, on Friday morning a judge denied a request by LARRY BIRKHEAD's attorney for an emergency DNA test of Anna Nicole's body. Birkhead is seeking a paternity test to determine whether or not he is indeed DANNIELYNN's biological father, and his lawyer had asked for an immediate DNA test of Anna's body. Both sides are due back in court in 10 days to continue the paternity hearing.
Those close to Anna -- including her good friend and confidante KHRISTINE EROSHEVICH -- tell ET she had been running a fever in the days before her death, which reached as high as 105°. She was given anti-viral medication and her temperature dropped below 100° -- allowing her to fly to Hollywood, Florida. Her fever had broken by Wednesday. That afternoon, she fell in the bathroom and hit her head. She said she was feeling fine, had a meal and went back to bed.
On Thursday, Eroshevich says she received the call from Howard. "I kept thinking maybe she isn't dead, maybe they saved her," she says. "And then I talked to a person at the Hard Rock and they said it didn't look good."
Sources tell ET that back in December Anna was actually found unconscious and face-down in the pool at her Bahamian home. Discovered by partner HOWARD K. STERN, her bodyguard was able to revive her. "I don't know if it was an accident," Eroshevich says of the incident. "Anna never talked about her actions or her feelings. In retrospect I wonder if that was a suicide attempt or if she was confused."
She also reportedly often talked about suicide, asking, "Is there any way for me to join DANIEL [her deceased son]?" According to Eroshevich, it was a constant battle for Anna between those urges and her love for her newborn child.
LINDA BELL BLUE, executive producer of "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," visited Howard at his hotel in Miami Friday morning. Bell Blue says, "Howard is devastated, inconsolable and distraught after the death of Anna Nicole." She adds that he was "hysterical and could barely speak."
Anna and Howard planned to wed in the Bahamas on February 23rd, 2007. Our own MARK STEINES had been invited to the ceremony.
Florida authorities held a press conference Thursday afternoon to confirm the details of her death:
At 1:38 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, a female private nurse in Anna Nicole's sixth-floor hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel found her unresponsive after trying to wake her from a nap. Her eyes were dilated and a call was placed to the hotel front desk operator for help. Only the nurse was in the room with Anna Nicole at this time.
At 1:45 p.m., a bodyguard arrived in the room and administered CPR.
When the emergency response team arrived, they found Anna Nicole unconscious and unresponsive. She was then rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital, about three blocks away from the hotel.
At 2:49 p.m., Anna Nicole was pronounced dead.
Stay tuned to ET for the latest details on this developing story.
More Anna Nicole: Take a look back at her life and watch video clips from her final interview.
Exclusive video provided by Splash News Agency.
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Smith at the MTV awards ceremony, Sydney 2005.Credit:  Foraggio (Some rights reserved) Anna Nicole Smith, who was born as Vickie Lynn Hogan, was found unconscious in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida in her 6th floor hotel room. One of her attorneys has confirmed that she was pronounced dead at a hospital less than an hour later. She was 39.

Paramedics are reported to have performed CPR on the actress and had to have breathing equipment inserted into her chest after a nurse found her passed out in her hotel room and witnesses say that Smith was receiving CPR while the ambulance took her to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. EST.  Smith's bodyguard is reported to have given Smith "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" before paramedics arrived.

"I can confirm that she is deceased. It's as shocking to me as to you guys. I don't know what the cause was. This is just tragic and that's all you can say right now and I don't know anything further," said one of Anna Nicole's lawyers, Ron Rale.

Smith was taken by ambulance to Memorial Regional Hospital and "checked in Monday to the hotel at 8 p.m. as a guest. She was due to check out tomorrow," said cafe spokeswoman, Danielle Giordaano.

"Our rescue crews got there, and they were escorted to a bedroom, where they found a female alone in her room and unresponsive. We then began our normal protocol for dealing with a non-breathing individual. The victim never regained consciousness and we continued with CPR and all life-support methods right up until the time we delivered her to the hospital and then the hospital takes over," said a spokesman for the responding paramedics team. Smith was pronounced dead at the hospital at 2:49 p.m. EST.

According to Broward County Medical Examiner's Office investigator, Edwina Johnson, an autopsy will be performed on Smith on Friday and that her death is currently being investigated. Authorities are not yet treating her death as a crime.

One of Smith's attorneys, Howard K. Stern, is reported to have been staying with Smith in her room, but authorities have yet to locate Mr. Stern.  Mr. Stern is identified by ''TRIMSPA'' as Smith's husband.

"He was here with her. I don't know where he's at right now," said Charlie Tiger the chief of the Seminole Police Department also adding that Smith's 5 month old baby was not with them.

Smith was a spokeswoman for the company ''TRIMSPA'' when she passed, and TrimSpa has removed all content from their site for now, shutting it down and posting only a message in response to her death.

"Today, Anna Nicole Smith’s grief stricken and tumultuous personal life came to an end. Anna came to our Company as a customer, but she departs it as a friend. While life for Anna Nicole was not easy these past few months, she held dear her husband, Howard K. Stern, her daughter, Dannielynn Hope, her most cherished friends, beloved dogs, and finally, her work with TRIMSPA. Anna knew both the joy of giving life, and the heartache of losing a child. We pray that she is granted the peace that eluded her more recent days on earth, and that she find comfort in the presence of her son, Daniel," said the statement on TRIMSPA's website posted by Alex Goen, CEO and Founder of TRIMSPA.

Smith was rushed to the hospital in November of 2006 after she was suffering from symptoms of pneumonia. Smith's son, Daniel Smith, died on September 10, 2006 shortly after Anna gave birth to a baby girl 5 months ago.

Smith was shopping for a new boat in Florida and reports say she felt ill and had a fever for at least a day.