Overview
- The cause and manner of death were certified on August 7 by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner as the effects of heroin and cocaine and ruled accidental.
- Paramedics found Clarke unresponsive in a San Fernando Valley bedroom on May 11 and pronounced him dead about 15 minutes after their arrival.
- The medical examiner listed the combined effects of multiple prescription medications as a significant contributing condition but did not name specific drugs and said the full report will be released later.
- Investigators reported narcotics and drug paraphernalia at the scene and found no signs of foul play, and a separate April arrest in Arkansas for possession of a large quantity of kratom remains part of the public record.
- Clarke was 29 and spent seven NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, and the forthcoming full medical examiner report could clarify toxicology details that affect legal records and public understanding of his final months.