Fentanyl toxicity has been ruled as the cause of the death of former child actor Austin Majors, who died earlier this year at the age of 27 in a homeless shelter.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office revealed the cause of Mr. Majors’ death on Tuesday.
His death was declared accidental by the medical examiner.
TMZ reported that Mr. Majors died on Feb. 11 while residing in a homeless shelter in Los Angeles and that there were no indications of foul play.
As a child actor, he featured in television series like “Providence,” “ER,” “Threshold,” “According to Jim,” “NCIS,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
He also lent his vocal talents to animated movies such as “Treasure Planet” and “The Ant Bully.”
His portrayal of Theo Sipowicz in the ABC police drama “NYPD Blue” was a high point in his career, with performances in 48 episodes from 1999 to 2004, resulting in him winning the 2002 Young Artists Award for best performance in a TV series.
Mr. Majors’ family paid tribute to his memory in a statement initially shared with TMZ. The family remembered him as “a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being,” capturing the essence of his character beyond the spotlight.
“Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion for directing and music producing,” the family said.
“Austin’s younger sister, Kali Raglin, says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with ‘Kids With a Cause,’ and backpacking together,” the statement said. “Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.”
“My big brother, Austin, is gone. He died last night,” Ms. Raglin wrote in an Instagram post. “It’s so surreal to me still. He was only 27 with so much life left to live.”