The death of the son of Eagles head coach Andy Reid was caused by an accidental heroin overdose, this according to a coroner who spoke on Thursday.
Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said a toxicology test confirmed the presence of heroin in Garrett Reid‘s body. Investigators revealed they found a used syringe and spoon in his room, along with a gym bag filled with dozens of syringes and needles, many of them unopened.
“We are confident today that Mr. Reid’s death was the result of a self-injected lethal dose of heroin,” District Attorney John Morganelli said at a news conference in Easton.
The son of Andy Reid was found dead in his dorm room early on August 5th at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, where he was assisting the team’s strength and conditioning coach during training camp.
He was a recovering drug addict who seemingly had turned his life around. His father, Andy Reid, had indicated that his 29-year-old son may have had a relapse.
In a statement released through the Eagles, the Reid family said Garrett Reid’s smile, laugh and energy will be missed.
“These results sadly confirmed what we had expected all along,” the family’s statement said. “We understood that Garrett’s long-standing battle with addiction was going to be difficult. He will, however, always have our family’s love and respect for the courage he showed in trying to overcome it. In the end, we take comfort in our faith and know that he’s in a better place.”
Lehigh police were called to Garrett Reid’s dorm room around 7:20 a.m., arriving after Eagles team physician Dr. Omar Elkhamra had tried to revive him with a defibrillator.
Investigators found 47 syringes and 65 needles in Reid’s gym bag, along with 19 vials of an unknown liquid that Morganelli said will undergo testing.
“We’re not sure, exactly, what those substances are at this time,” he said, adding they had nothing to do with Garrett Reid’s death.
Morganelli said the investigation is now focused on learning the identity of Garrett Reid’s supplier. Investigators are combing through Reid’s phone records to see who he was calling and texting in the days, weeks and months leading up to his death. Reid’s body showed signs of chronic drug use, according to Lysek.
