Chris Cornell Suicide? Family Isn't Ready To Accept Tragic Cause Of Death

Chris Cornell’s family is reportedly “mystified” by the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office decision to announce the singer's May 18 death was a suicide before a full autopsy was completed. In a Thursday statement from the family and their attorney, Kirk Pasich, it was revealed that they have yet to see any police or toxicology reports and that an investigation into Cornell’s death is ongoing.

Pasich’s firm reportedly filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the reports with the city of Detroit — where Cornell was found dead in his hotel room earlier this month — but it was ultimately denied. According to the family’s statement, the City of Detroit Law Department provided the following response:

“Based on information provided by personnel from the City of Detroit Police Department (DPD) Homicide Section, it is our understanding that this matter is an open investigation. As such they believe that the release of any information at this time, including the records identified in your request, would compromise and/or interfere with their investigation.”

Read: Chris Cornell Police Report Reveals New Details About Musician's Suicide

Thursday's statement adds that “the family hopes there will be an end to speculation about the cause of Mr. Cornell’s death while the family awaits the definitive and complete reports.”

Cornell was found dead in his hotel room earlier this month in an apparent suicide. The 52-year-old Audioslave and Soundgarden frontman was discovered by his bodyguard Martin Kirsten after Cornell’s wife requested her husband be checked on in his hotel suite. Cornell called his wife after a Soundgarden show the same evening and reported that he’d taken “an extra Ativan or two.” According to the singer’s wife, Cornell was “slurring his words; he was different.”

Two doors reportedly had to be kicked in to reach Cornell, who was found hanged in his hotel suite bathroom at the MGM Grand. The singer reportedly hanged himself using an exercise band that was fastened to a carabiner and jammed into the frame of the bathroom door. Cornell was found lying on the floor “with blood running from his mouth and a red exercise band around [his] neck,” according to a police report obtained by Detroit News earlier this month.

Read: What Is Ativan? Chris Cornell's Family Thinks Suicide May Be Drug-Related

“We are grateful for the outpouring of support as we mourn Chris’ passing, but we still have several unanswered questions about what led to his death. We believe the toxicology report will answer these questions,” said Cornell’s wife, according to the statement.

The toxicology report would likely provide more insight as to whether the beloved musician consciously tried to kill himself, which the family is disputing. They instead suspect that Cornell suffered adverse effects from either Ativan or other substances. There is presently no information available as to when the DPD plans to release the report.