Ed Winter, the Deputy L.A. County Coroner, died on Sunday at his residence in Los Angeles of natural causes as per TMZ.
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Who was Ed Winter?
Born in 1950, Ed Winter was the Deputy L.A. County Coroner. He was in charge of death cases and inquiries involving some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
A coroner is a government or judicial official with the authority to perform or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death, as well as to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown individual discovered dead within the coroner’s jurisdiction.
In cases involving Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Brittany Murphy, Paul Walker, Tom Petty, and Corey Haim, Winter was present directly in front of the cameras. Jackson reportedly had enough propofol in him, according to Winter, “to put down a rhinoceros or an elephant.”
However, Winter was aware that there was more to the tale and he also turned his attention to Dr. Arnold Klein, the dermatologist who provided Jackson with massive doses of Demerol almost every day. After attempting to obtain Klein’s medical documents, he learned that Klein had been a key enabler in Jackson’s use of 19 aliases to obtain drugs.
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Whitney Houston’s death, just days before Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party in 2012, was also a watershed point in his career. Winter had become such a TV fixture that he was instantly recognized. Whitney’s relatives gathered near her hotel room after her body was found. Someone introduced Winter to a member of the family, and the lady said, “I know who Ed Winter is.” Dionne Warwick was the lady in question.
On his first day on the job, Winter was given to a notorious celebrity case: Lana Clarkson’s death at the hands of music legend Phil Spector, who was convicted of murdering her.
Paul Walker’s horrific death was another high-profile instance Winter managed. He went on television to explain what occurred in the car accident. Despite reports that the actor was screaming for assistance, Winter said he died immediately.
