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Brynn Hartman's Alcohol and Cocaine Cocktail

Some of the "whys" in the murder-suicide of Phil and Brynn Hartman are coming into focus. On Monday, toxicology reports released by the Los Angeles County coroner's office revealed that Brynn Hartman, 40, who shot her famous husband to death on May 28 before turning the gun on herself, had a volatile mixture of cocaine, alcohol, and an anti-depressant in her system.

Brynn had a blood alcohol level of .12 percent, far exceeding the .08 percent legal limit in California. There were also traces of cocaine in her system, and Chief Investigator Craig Harvey estimates that she ingested the drug within five hours of her death.

Therapeutic levels of the prescription drug Zoloft were also found, said Harvey, adding that he didn't know whether Brynn had received the drug which is similar to Prozac and is used to treat depression, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorders through a doctor.

Phil Hartman's image of a hard-working family man will remain in death. No traces of illegal drugs were found in his system, with only an over-the-counter cold medicine showing up in the tests.

Brynn reportedly shot the 49-year-old "NewsRadio" star sometime before 3 a.m., then drove to the house of her longtime friend, stuntman Ron Douglas, where she confessed to the crime. He returned with Brynn to the couple's million-dollar Encino home, where he discovered Phil Hartman's body, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Douglas called 911 around 6:20 a.m.

Brynn Hartman committed suicide with a single gunshot wound to the head as police were removing her children from the house. Earlier in the evening, she had been out drinking with a girlfriend. According to friends of the couple, Brynn Hartman had been battling addictions to drugs and alcohol, and had checked into rehab as recently as a year ago.

Investigators found no illegal substances or prescription medication, save for an antibiotic, in the Hartman household.

Source: Mr. Showbiz

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