U.S. federal prosecutors dropped the investigation into how Heath Ledger obtained two painkillers that contributed to his overdose, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.
Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan had been overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into whether the painkillers found in Ledger's system were obtained illegally. But the prosecutors have bowed out "because they don't believe there's a viable target," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no charges have been filed.
The decision comes in the wake of news reports that the Drug Enforcement Administration was pressuring actress Mary-Kate Olsen to speak to agents about the accidental overdose death of her close friend.
The DEA had obtained a subpoena that could have forced Olsen if she continued to hold out. But the subpoena, issued in April, is no longer valid because it was contingent upon prosecutors pursuing the case, the official said. The official added that the case could still be revived if evidence of a crime emerges.
Ledger, 28, who starred in such blockbuster films as "Brokeback Mountain" and the recent "The Dark Knight," was found dead Jan. 22 in his New York apartment.
He was discovered by his masseuse after she arrived for an appointment that afternoon. She entered his bedroom to set up for the massage, found him unresponsive and proceeded to call Olsen three times over the next 9 minutes before dialing 911.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
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