According to reports, close to 50 envelopes of heroin were found in Philip Seymour Hoffman's apartment, as were several used and unused syringes and prescription drugs, the NYPD told THR on Monday.
Though actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s struggles with addiction were well known, his untimely death still shocked many.
Though actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s struggles with addiction were well known, his untimely death still shocked many.
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Hoffman had a syringe in his arm when he was found dead in his apartment on Sunday. A law enforcement source told CBS News that more than 70 glassine envelopes were found at the scene, some empty, some full, and some with traces of a substance inside. Tests are being done to determine their contents and the cause of death. The stamps on the bags included the ace of spades and ace of hearts.
According to CNN, police also found prescription drugs in the apartment including the blood-pressure medication clonidine hydrochloride; the addiction-treatment drug buprenorphine; Vynase, a drug used to treat hyperactivity disorder; hydroxyzine, which can be used to treat anxiety; and methocarbamol, a muscle relaxer. It is unclear whether the drugs were prescribed for Hoffman. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won the best actor Oscar for playing Truman Capote, has died at age 46, a law enforcement officer confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
At the scene of the actor's West Village apartment in New York, crowds of people and camera crews formed a semicircle outside the building until police instructed them to go across the street. Police later closed off the entire block, only letting residents through.
Police found Hoffman dead on the floor of the bathroom in the apartment with a needle sticking out of his left arm and envelopes allegedly containing heroin nearby.
A friend of Hoffman's called 911 at 11:30 a.m. after the actor didn't show up to pick up his kids.
Hoffman had undergone treatment for drug addiction in the past and said last year that he had been clean for 23 years before "falling off the wagon" in 2012. In May, Hoffman entered a detox facility and completed a 10-day program for his use of prescription drugs and heroin.
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone," read a statement from Hoffman's family. "This is a tragic and sudden loss, and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers."
PHOTOS: Philip Seymour Hoffman's Career in Pictures
Survivors include his young children, Tallulah, Cooper and Willa, whom he had with his longtime partner, costume designer Mimi O'Donnell. He also had two sisters, Jill and Emily, and a brother,Gordy Hoffman, who scripted the 2002 film Love Liza, in which Philip starred.
Considered one of the finest actors of his generation, Hoffman also was Oscar nominated for his supporting work in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Doubt (2008) and The Master (2012). He received Tony Award noms for True West (2000), Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003) and, as Willy Loman, in Death of a Salesman (2012).
Hoffman portrayed real-life CIA man Gust Avrakotos in Charlie Wilson's War opposite Tom Hanks. And in The Master, he played Lancaster Dodd, the mesmerizing leader of a religious movement known as "The Cause" who messes with Joaquin Phoenix's mind.
"There are no words. It's just terrible," stated George Clooney, who starred with Hoffman in Ides of March (2011), via the actor's rep. He was one of many in Hollywood mourning Hoffman's death on Sunday.
Outside Hoffman's West Village apartment building, many neighbors were mourning the actor's death as well. Several said they often saw him in the area, but it seemed like few knew the private man. One local resident, Patrice, who at one point seemed to be on the verge of tears, said she would see Hoffman walking around the neighborhood and that he seemed like a nice guy. Her neighbor said he died, so she came over. She noted that the news ruined her day, a sentiment likely shared by many.