Paul Horner Cause Of Death: Fake News Writer Found Dead In Arizona

Popular fake news writer Paul Horner died at the age of 38 at his Laveen home in Arizona on Sept. 18, officials confirmed Tuesday. The cause of his death has not yet been ascertained but he may have died due to an accidental overdose of drugs, according to police.

"Interviews with Mr. Horner’s family indicate the deceased was known to use and abuse prescription drugs. Evidence at the scene suggested this could be an accidental overdose," a statement by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office read.

Often dubbed as the "fake news pioneer," Horner claimed the responsibility for President Donald Trump’s win. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mark Casey said Tuesday he was discovered dead in his bed. An autopsy performed by the county’s medical examiner showed there were no signs of foul play, Casey said.

Toxicology reports from the medical examiner's office were still pending and the case will remain open until the reports are released and a cause of death is finalized, Casey told the Chicago Tribune.

According to USA Today, Horner was arrested after he was found to be in possession of more than $15,000 worth of drugs in 2011 in Chandler, a city in Arizona, including 247 grams of ketamine, heroin, and hundreds of syringes. He was under the influence of ketamine at the time of his arrest, police said.

The deceased's brother, J.J. Horner, in a Facebook post, said he died peacefully in his sleep. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the sad news of the passing of Paul Horner... He left us peacefully in his sleep Monday morning, September 18th, at our mother's house in Laveen,” he wrote.

J.J. told USA Today he did not know if his brother was still using drugs or if they contributed to his death. "At this point, it's irrelevant," he said. "He has definitely had health complications in the past, so it could be anything."

Horner was infamous for circulating internet hoaxes that often went viral on Facebook and deceived thousands of people. In one of his infamous stories, Horner falsely claimed former President Barack Obama was gay and a radical Muslim. In another story, he claimed that protesters were being paid thousands of dollars to demonstrate at Trump's campaign rallies.

In an interview with Washington Post in November, he claimed that Trump was elected to the White House because of him. “My sites were picked up by Trump supporters all the time. I think Trump is in the White House because of me. His followers don’t fact-check anything — they’ll post everything, believe anything. His campaign manager posted my story about a protester getting paid $3,500 as fact. Like, I made that up. I posted a fake ad on Craigslist,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was possible for him to get elected president. I thought I was messing with the campaign, maybe I wasn’t messing them up as much as I wanted — but I never thought he’d actually get elected,” he added.

Horner also was a stand-up comedian and often hosted a downtown Phoenix comedy event called "Mystery Show.” The show attracted a few dozen attendees each session, reported USA Today.