Amy Winehouse Autopsy under Way: ?Inappropriate to Speculate on Cause of Death?

An autopsy is under way in London to find out how singer Amy Winehouse died, Scotland Yard said. The singer, adored for her talent but infamous for erratic public behavior, arrests and documented drug problems, was found dead at her apartment in Camden, London on Saturday.

In addition to the autopsy, which will be performed at St. Pancras Mortuary, an inquest will be held at St. Pancras Coroner's Court at 2:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. ET), Scotland Yard said.

In a statement, the London Metropolitan Police said, "Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene."

"I am aware of reports suggesting this death is the result of a suspected drugs overdose," said Superintendent Raj Kohli of the Metropolitan Police, "but would like to re-emphasize that no post-mortem has yet been done and that it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of death.

"At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident," he added.

"Rigor mortis had set in," a source told The Sun, "indicating she is likely to have been dead for anything up to six hours."

"She was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep and when he [her bodyguard] went to wake her he found she wasn't breathing," a friend and rep for Winehouse said according to TMZ.

Police sources told UK newspapers that there were no signs of drugs at the house.

Witnesses had earlier reported seeing Winehouse buying a variety of drugs in Camden around 10:30 pm on Friday night. A source told The People that the singer bought cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and possibly heroin.

"Amy seemed determined to have a big one on Friday night," the source said. "She was out in Camden on Friday evening, but seemed determined to carry on the party back at her flat."

Winehouse had seen a doctor on Friday evening and received a clean bill of health.

The Winehouse family said in a statement Sunday it "has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives. We are coming together to remember her and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time."

"We are trying to come to terms with the death of a dear friend and colleague, the most amazing artist and talent," her management company, Metropolis Music, said Sunday. "We will always remember Amy as a vibrant, funny, caring young woman who made everyone around her feel welcome. We have lost a very special person, part of our family."

The press was quick to note that Winehouse died at the same age as four other music legends. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison each died of drug overdoses when they were 27. Kurt Cobain was 27 when he committed suicide, soon after his release from rehab.

The singer's official website www.amywinehouse.com/ simply shows a black and white photo of the soulful singer.

A statement on the site Saturday said Winehouse was "withdrawing from all scheduled performances."

Winehouse made a surprise return to London audiences on July 20, just one month after the singer cancelled her entire European tour after her performance at Kalemegdan Park in Belgrade.

During that show in Belgrade, she was booed repeatedly for delivering disjointed versions of "Valerie," "Back To Black" and "Love Is A Losing Game."?The singer also spent much of the gig mumbling the words to her songs and stumbling around the stage, which she often left altogether.

To everyone's surprise, she appeared on July 20 at the iTunes Festival 2011 in London just days before her death.

Winehouse shot to fame after her 2007 album "Back to Black." She dominated the 2008 Grammys, winning five awards that night and performing her biggest hit, "Rehab," the lyrics of which would come to embody the rest of her life.

The organization that awards the Grammys issued a statement Saturday calling Winehouse "a dynamic performer and musician who seamlessly blended rock, jazz, pop, and soul and created a sound all her own."