Anna Nicole Smith's son died from lethal dose of methadone, forensic expert says

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) - The dangerous amount of methadone taken by Anna Nicole Smith's 20-year-old son was the main factor behind his death last year, the Bahamian police's forensics chief testified Tuesday at an inquest into the death.

Superintendent Quinn McCartney's conclusion differs slightly from the findings of two pathologists who said Daniel Smith was killed by an interaction of methadone and two antidepressants.

"Even if there were no other drugs present in (Smith's) bloodstream, the methadone level would be enough to set off alarms," said McCartney, who added that the young man had bloody froth in his lungs that he interpreted as a "clear sign of overdose."

Daniel Smith collapsed and died Sept. 10, 2006, as he visited his celebrity mother at a Nassau hospital where she had given birth three days earlier.

Police believe he came to the Bahamas the night before and went directly to the hospital where he spent the night with his mother, her boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and his newborn half-sister. McCartney said the methadone could have been in his system when he arrived.

Anna Nicole Smith, a reality TV star and former Playboy playmate, died Feb. 8 in Florida from an overdose of prescription drugs, including a sleep aid that she reportedly took to cope with grief over her son's death. Smith, 39, was buried beside her son at a Nassau cemetery.

An attorney for Stern said Monday that Smith's son was taking medications including methadone, which is often prescribed as a pain reliever or to suppress drug withdrawal symptoms, to treat either depression or back pain.

Another witness on the fourth day of the inquest, police Inspector Frederick Taylor, testified that former Immigration Minister Shane Gibson was in the hospital room when he and other officers arrived at the facility.

Gibson, who fast-tracked Anna Nicole Smith's application for permanent residency in the Bahamas, later resigned after a newspaper published photographs of him embracing her on a bed.

Testimony in the inquest is scheduled to resume Wednesday.

who wants to bet Stern gave him the dose? He's a very shady character and I'm glad he wasn't Dannilynn's father

who wants to bet Stern gave him the dose? He's a very shady character and I'm glad he wasn't Dannilynn's father
At first I had the same thought - never did like Stern, but I really don't think he did.

This is the sort of thing that can happen when a parent abuses drugs and alcohol, especially around their kids. It becomes commonplace and a way of life. The kid sees the stuff lying around, decides to try it. And if he had ever seen the amounts his mother took, he may have taken the same amount, not thinking that her system had built up somewhat of a tolerance for meth. The amount she could handle could kill someone else - and it did. I think this is another reason she was beside herself and so depressed after his death - guilt played a huge role.
What a sad, sad family.

At first I had the same thought - never did like Stern, but I really don't think he did.

This is the sort of thing that can happen when a parent abuses drugs and alcohol, especially around their kids. It becomes commonplace and a way of life. The kid sees the stuff lying around, decides to try it. And if he had ever seen the amounts his mother took, he may have taken the same amount, not thinking that her system had built up somewhat of a tolerance for meth. The amount she could handle could kill someone else - and it did. I think this is another reason she was beside herself and so depressed after his death - guilt played a huge role.
What a sad, sad family.
I agree. I think they were doing some partying in the room, and he most likely was supplied by Stern and/or Anna. Her grief over his death, as well as her guilt, is what finally did her in. Terrible tragedy all around. I'm so glad that Stern wasn't the baby's father.

I see this news yesterday and it just brought back memories of a year ago (can't believe it is already a year Janice!!!!!) and how Anna was so affected. I sure never want to know the feeling of losing a child. My heart broke for Anna. We were in Las Vegas when we heard the news of his death and I just couldn't believe it.

I only hope that Anna and him are side by side in peace. God Bless them.

who wants to bet Stern gave him the dose? He's a very shady character and I'm glad he wasn't Dannilynn's father
Too bad you weren't around during the Anna drama days. We had some heavy, long, heated and interesting discussions.

Too bad you weren't around during the Anna drama days. We had some heavy, long, heated and interesting discussions.
I have to admit that I don't think Birkhead is anywhere near a saint either. I thought it was incredibly classless the way he was trying to sue Anna and go on TV talking about how Dannilynn is his, etc.. Granted, Dannilynn was Birkhead's daughter but I felt he was a little selfish and not considering that Anna had just lost a child and that she really deserved some time to peacefully mourn her son, instead of being dragged into all of this. I sometimes wonder if Anna would still be alive if Birkhead would've just butted out for a few months while Anna was going through the pain of losing her son instead of pushing her to the edge and it led her to overdose. One of my older brothers died about ten years ago and it was something my mother never got over and she was a huge wreck for the first six months afterwards, I am sure Anna was likely the same way when Daniel died... Anna needed support and Larry should've had the class to wait until a reasonable amount of time had passed instead of starting on her a week after she buried her son.

I have to admit that I don't think Birkhead is anywhere near a saint either. I thought it was incredibly classless the way he was trying to sue Anna and go on TV talking about how Dannilynn is his, etc.. Granted, Dannilynn was Birkhead's daughter but I felt he was a little selfish and not considering that Anna had just lost a child and that she really deserved some time to peacefully mourn her son, instead of being dragged into all of this. I sometimes wonder if Anna would still be alive if Birkhead would've just butted out for a few months while Anna was going through the pain of losing her son instead of pushing her to the edge and it led her to overdose. One of my older brothers died about ten years ago and it was something my mother never got over and she was a huge wreck for the first six months afterwards, I am sure Anna was likely the same way when Daniel died... Anna needed support and Larry should've had the class to wait until a reasonable amount of time had passed instead of starting on her a week after she buried her son.
Larry was battling with Anna before Daniel's death, over the baby. Anna and Stern were tying to keep Larry away from his own flesh and blood. You can't blame Larry for Anna's death. From everything I had read, he tried to help her over the years with her drug problem, while Stern enabled her. Blame her doctors who gave her too many drugs, and the her so-called friends who got her everything she wanted.

If Anna simply done the right thing, and allowed Larry to be a part of his daughter's life, he wouldn't have had to fight for what was rightfully his. Why would that compound her grief? Just let your baby's father, be the father. I realize she had just lost her son, but Larry wanted to be part of his daughter's life, from the beginning. How much time is reasonable when it comes to your baby daughter? Anna and Stern were doing something wrong, in keeping him away. Larry wasn't doing anything wrong, just fighting for what was his. We're talking about a daughter here. If Anna had lived, she was going to fight him to the end.

That's why Anna and Stern went to the Bahamas in the first place, to make it more difficult for Larry to claim his daughter. Put Stern on the birth certificate....it was a deceitful plan. I felt very bad for Anna when she died, and I fought long and hard on this board defending her when she died; however, right is right, and wrong is wrong. They were wrong, and Larry was right. They were trying to steal his baby.

:(

Larry was battling with Anna before Daniel's death, over the baby. Anna and Stern were tying to keep Larry away from his own flesh and blood. You can't blame Larry for Anna's death. From everything I had read, he tried to help her over the years with her drug problem, while Stern enabled her. Blame her doctors who gave her too many drugs, and the her so-called friends who got her everything she wanted.

If Anna simply done the right thing, and allowed Larry to be a part of his daughter's life, he wouldn't have had to fight for what was rightfully his. Why would that compound her grief? Just let your baby's father, be the father. I realize she had just lost her son, but Larry wanted to be part of his daughter's life, from the beginning. How much time is reasonable when it comes to your baby daughter? Anna and Stern were doing something wrong, in keeping him away. Larry wasn't doing anything wrong, just fighting for what was his. We're talking about a daughter here. If Anna had lived, she was going to fight him to the end.

That's why Anna and Stern went to the Bahamas in the first place, to make it more difficult for Larry to claim his daughter. Put Stern on the birth certificate....it was a deceitful plan. I felt very bad for Anna when she died, and I fought long and hard on this board defending her when she died; however, right is right, and wrong is wrong. They were wrong, and Larry was right. They were trying to steal his baby.

well, you are right there. I just felt that Larry wasn't really considering what Anna was going through at the time, he acted like he didn't give a **** that she was going through perhaps the worst type of loss anyone could have (I'm not even justifying her "widow" status since that was totally something else, you knew she knew that guy was going to go at any minute) and was publically attacking her during one of the most vulnerable times in her life. I agree he deserved the right to his daughter, but the fact that she had just lost her son was a greater issue and he should have let enough time pass by for her to "deal" with losing Daniel (granted, it's not something you ever get over, but at least give her time to properly grieve) and then go public and demand paternity testing, etc...

That's crazy. Methadone is some pretty heavy crap. :( My friend and roommate in the ministry says that methadone was harder for him to kick than was heroin.

That's crazy. Methadone is some pretty heavy crap. :( My friend and roommate in the ministry says that methadone was harder for him to kick than was heroin.
I've heard that too, which is ironic because it's used to get off heroin. :crazy:

Its stupid, because the addicts get addicted to that! so its no help.

I only wonder what was going on in Anna's head having one of the happiest and saddest things that can happen to a mother in the exact same week. Giving birth to one child and losing another a few days later makes me wonder how Anna even made it five months afterwards because her emotions must've been extremely complex feeling two polar opposites at the same time

well, you are right there. I just felt that Larry wasn't really considering what Anna was going through at the time, he acted like he didn't give a **** that she was going through perhaps the worst type of loss anyone could have (I'm not even justifying her "widow" status since that was totally something else, you knew she knew that guy was going to go at any minute) and was publically attacking her during one of the most vulnerable times in her life. I agree he deserved the right to his daughter, but the fact that she had just lost her son was a greater issue and he should have let enough time pass by for her to "deal" with losing Daniel (granted, it's not something you ever get over, but at least give her time to properly grieve) and then go public and demand paternity testing, etc...
I watched his interviews during that time, and Larry was very respectful. I never heard any trashing going on. The point I'm making is that it shouldn't have been an issue, even with her son dying. What Anna and Stern were doing was wrong, all along. If a person is screwing someone out of their own child, and they suffer a terrible loss, they don't get a pass to continue screwing that person. Remember, before Daniel's death and the baby's birth, Larry was already getting screwed. She wouldn't take his calls, his lawyer's calls, for months that sort of thing.

Again, he wanted to bond with his daughter. His daughter. Daniel's loss was the greatest issue for Anna. Dannielynn was the greatest issue for Larry. Anna and Stern's plan was in motion before Daniel's death, and Larry had no reason to think that if he waited, he'd get a better result. I don't understand how letting her daughter see her father would have compounded her grief. Larry told Larry King that he still loved Anna, but had accepted that their relationship was over. He just wanted his parental rights. Why have Stern bond with his baby? Even after everything, I read that Larry allows or will allow Stern to see the baby. I think that says nice things about him, considering that Stern tried to steal his baby. Had the ruling gone in Stern's favor, he would have been just okay to just take another guy's kids and run.

This thread brings it all back, R.I.P :(

I only wonder what was going on in Anna's head having one of the happiest and saddest things that can happen to a mother in the exact same week. Giving birth to one child and losing another a few days later makes me wonder how Anna even made it five months afterwards because her emotions must've been extremely complex feeling two polar opposites at the same time
It's beyond bizarre to have your son die in your hospital room, days after giving birth. Just sad beyond words.

Both Anna and Daniel were murdered.

Both Anna and Daniel were murdered.
Who do you think murdered them, and what would the motive be?

^Stern. Monetary gain.

^Stern. Monetary gain.
Stern had nothing to gain with Anna's death, far as I could tell anyway. Looked to me like she was his meal ticket. With Anna's death, he lost the baby too. I don't see a gain here, with Daniel's death either.

Stern had nothing to gain with Anna's death, far as I could tell anyway. Looked to me like she was his meal ticket. With Anna's death, he lost the baby too. I don't see a gain here, with Daniel's death either.

I agree - at first I thought Stern had something to do with Daniel's death, but he would have known exactly what was in her will so that doesn't make sense (she willed everything to Daniel, leaving all subsequent children out of the money) so it doesn't make sense to knock Daniel off - especially with Anna still living. And it doesn't make sense that he would knock her off either. No, this was just another really strange incident in her strange life.

And I also agree that Larry was always really respectful. You could tell he still loved Anna. Remember, she dumped him pretty badly (you could see how mean and nasty she could get on her show). He would have been hurting from that still, and knew that it was his daughter. I don't blame him a bit for fighting for his rights and was so happy when he got them.
From the pictures and clips I've seen of him with her, he's a wonderful father and she's a very happy, healthy child, which she might not have been had Anna lived and had sole custody. Funny how fate works, but I think she's in the best place she could be right now.