Alcohol, Drugs Killed Thomas Kinkade: Autopsy

Another life lost to alcoholism.

The Santa Clara County Coroner released details of famed-artist Thomas Kinkade's autopsy and found that he died of "acute ethanol and Diazepam intoxication."

In layman's terms, he died of an overdose of alcohol and valium.

"Mr. Kinkade died of respiratory depression as a result of a high concentration of ethanol combined with benzodiazepine use," the report stated.

The manner of death was listed as an accident.

His brother Patrick Kinkade told the Mercury News that his brother battled alcoholism for the past four or five years. He told the paper Thomas had sobered up the last few months prior to his death, but relapsed just prior to his death. 

Kinkade died April 6 at his home in Monte Sereno.

He was known as "the painter of light" and sold millions of paintings to the masses.

One estimate said that there was a Kinkade creation in one of every 20 homes in America.

Below is the final conclusion of the autopsy:

Contact Us