An autopsy has revealed the cause of death of country singer Luke Bell, who died after going missing in Tucson last month.
Bell, 32, died from fentanyl intoxication, according to the autopsy report from the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner. The Aug. 26 death has been deemed an accident.
Bell was reportedly found unresponsive by a passerby in a shaded area of a parking structure in the 5500 block of East Grant Road, near North Craycroft Road. Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, the autopsy report said.
Bell, who is originally from Wyoming, had gone missing on Aug. 20 in Tucson, according to an article from Saving Country Music. Bell was hiding a severe battle with bipolar disorder, the article said. It went on to say Bell had gone missing before, sometimes hopping freight trains to travel around the country.
Matt Kinman, a close friend who was with Bell, said his mental state took a turn for the worse and he ran off while Kinman went to get something to eat in Tucson, Saving Country Music reported.
“The honky-tonk musician was widely celebrated for reenergizing a bygone sound, and despite releasing just one album ... Bell quickly rose to prominence and critical acclaim, opening for the likes of Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam,” According to the Daily Beast website.
Bell, a native of Cody, Wyoming, was born on Jan. 27, 1990. He started his music career in Austin, Texas, with numerous gigs in the Lone Star State’s capital, according to the Los Angeles Times. He traveled to New Orleans and Nashville for his music.
In 2016, Bell released a self-titled, 10-song album and performed at the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio, California, that same year. He previously spoke to The Times about his start and his approach to music.
