KEY POINTS:
Brokeback Mountain actor Heath Ledger's death has sent shockwaves across the globe.
The mystery surrounding his untimely passing, coupled with the fact the acting community has lost a remarkable rising talent, bears all the hallmarks of a Hollywood tragedy.
Was his death a result of experiencing too much, too young? Or was it a tragic accident, as his reps are claiming?
The internet is currently buzzing with conjecture, speculation and hearsay on details relating to his death, and separating fact from fiction is a nigh on impossible feat.
And, as always, there's a very fine line between wanting to report and document what's likely to be this year's most dramatic celebrity news, and being mindful of the turmoil his family will be experiencing.
Our celebrity news blogger, Myrddin Gwynedd, picks up the latest developments surrounding Heath Ledger's death.
Latest updates:
Thursday, January 24, 3:30pm: News just in states that five different types of pills were found in Heath Ledger's apartment.
TMZ reports that nearly full pill bottles were identified containing: Anti-anxiety medications Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), sleeping medication Zoplicone (Lunesta) and the sedative Temazepam (Restoril). All of the drugs were reportedly prescribed to Ledger.
The same website states that paramedics who attended the scene said things looked "normal" when they arrived - which the website is interpreting as meaning there was no obvious sign of any illicit drug use.
3:00pm: Ledger's best buddy, Jake Gyllenhaal, has reportedly been told of his pal's death.
The Donnie Darko star, currently filming in New Mexico, has ordered extra security to fend off unwanted paparazzi attention.
Understandably, Gyllenhaal, who is also godfather to Ledger's daughter, is said to be "devastated".
1:30pm: The New York Times is reporting that Diana Wolozin, the masseuse who found Ledger unconscious, called Mary-Kate Olsen before calling 911.
Click here for the details.
12:30pm: No illegal drugs were found in Heath Ledger's apartment, according to NYPD.
Theinsideronline.com also says that tests on the $20 bill which was reportedly found at the death scene concluded there was no drug residue present.
12:45pm: Heath Ledger will be buried in his home town of Perth, Australia.
Sources say the actor's body has now been transported from the New York medical examiner's office, where an autopsy was performed this morning, to the Frank E. Campbell funeral chapel.
The website claims that preparations to ship Ledger's body are now being made.
Michelle Lee, a representative for the Australian consulate, told PageSix.com: "Our consulate has been in contact with his family and has offered assistance to help fly the actor's body back to Australia."
Meanwhile, Ledger's ex-fiance Michelle Williams is said to be flying in to New York from Sweden as we speak.
10:40am: Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner for Public Information of the New York Police Department, confirmed the following during a press conference held on Wednesday regarding Ledger's death:
" The deceased was discovered by a masseuse and a housekeeper at approximately 2:45pm (New York time) on January 22.
" The masseuse was there for a regular appointment.
" The deceased was found in his bedroom.
" The deceased was lying on the floor, curled up, at the foot of his bed.
" The deceased was naked and face down.
" There were not pills found scattered around the room as had been previously reported.
" There were some prescription bottles - including prescription sleeping medication - uncovered.
" Police do not know how long the deceased had been in the apartment.
" The deceased was renting the apartment.
" The cause of death has not yet been determined. The determination will be made by the medical examiners office.
Source: Us magazine.com
Meanwhile, the freaks have crawled out of the woodwork...
Ledger's barely been dead a day, and some homophobic religious nuts are already out to tarnish his memory.
Westboro Baptist Church, the group which rose to "fame" for its disturbing "God Hates Fags" campaigns in the US, has announced its intention to picket Ledger's funeral, because its furious he portrayed a gay man in Brokeback Mountain.
Click here to see the Westboro Baptist Church's press release declaring its vicious intent.
10:35am: Veteran actor Jack Nicholson said he cautioned Heath Ledger before his death, The Sun claims.
When the Joker actor was told about Ledger's death by a photographer, he replied "I warned him" adding "I told him so".
10:30am: Three bottles of prescription pills found in Heath Ledger's apartment contained antidepressants and Ambien (a prescription sleep aid), a police source tells PageSix.com.
The Dark Knight actor had previously spoken of his trouble with sleeping, but one of his friends now adds that Ledger was also battling depression.
"I was hearing that he was depressed," says actor Jonathan Zarin, who got to know Ledger through mutual friends.
"I'm sure he must have been in a really bad place. I'd been hearing that for a while."
When posed with the question as to whether Ledger had a drug problem, Zarin said, "Everyone in Hollywood experiments with drugs."
10:20am: Heath Ledger's family has made a statement expressing their understandable grief over the "accidental" death of their 28-year-old son.
Click here to watch a video of Heath's parents speaking about their son's untimely death.
10:00am:
An initial autopsy conducted on Heath Ledger's body has failed to give any conclusive indication of what killed him.
The medical examiner involved has indicated that more testing would need to be performed, which will take about ten days to complete.
"The autopsy was inconclusive," New York City Medical Examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove tells People.com.
"We have to do further testing including toxicology and tissue testing. Neither cause of death or manner of death has been concluded. We expect additional results in 10 days to two weeks."
Meanwhile, celebrity news website Usmagazine.com is reporting that police found drugs in the apartment where Ledger was found dead.
As well as sleeping pills, cops allegedly found what's being described as a "$20 bill with a narcotic residue on it".
TMZ claims NYPD sources have confirmed a $20 bill was rolled up "in a certain way" with a powdered substance on it.
The website adds that the nature of the powder, as it stands, is unknown. Their sources say the manner in which the bill was rolled made them "suspicious".
WCBS.com says: "Sources add they also found several drug packets containing an unknown substance. CBS 2 has learned these items were all listed on the official police report from the scene.
"To be clear, it's still unknown whether these items belonged to Ledger or whether he even actually ingested them."
WCBS says it has received no comment from the NYPD on their claims.
Pneumonia ruled out
A leading forensic pathologist has said that if the pneumonia Ledger was supposedly affected by had been the cause of his death, it would have been evident in the autopsy results.
People.com quotes pathologist Michael Baden as saying pneumonia would have been "readily identifiable at the time of autopsy, because the lungs, instead of being filled with air, are filled with fluid, and we die from pneumonia because we can't breathe".
He adds: "I would assume under the circumstances that if he'd died of pneumonia that would be clearly stated, because of concerns from the family."
And on the inconclusive nature of the autopsy results, Baden had this to say: "My interpretation means they didn't find a proper cause of death.
"That kind of rules out the natural causes, such as a brain haemorrhage, pneumonia or a cardiac abnormality that is common in that age group.
"That leaves drug overdose as the most likely cause of death."
He adds: "That still needs an interpretation as to intentional or unintentional, but that's done by gathering information about his mental health and his recreational activities by interviewing physicians, neighbours, friends and family."
Story developing. Stay tuned to this blog for further updates...
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