Mac Miller's Home Was Cleaned Before Investigation Into His Apparent Overdose: Report
Before police had an opportunity to survey Mac Miller‘s Los Angeles home, where the 26-year-old musician was found dead on Friday of an apparent overdose, the property was reportedly “swept clean” so that there would be no evidence of drug use.
In a TMZ report published on Saturday, law enforcement sources said that they had engaged in conversations with witnesses and viewed other evidence to come to that conclusion. The sources told the outlet that they believed Miller suffered a fatal drug overdose but that only a small amount of white powder was found in Miller’s home when police searched for clues as to how the “Self Care” rapper died.
“It makes no sense to them that someone who consumed a fatal dose would have the foresight to scrub the house of pill bottles, illegal drugs as well as drug paraphernalia on the off chance they might die,” TMZ wrote, summing up their sources’ findings.
Miller wasn’t alone in his house on Thursday and Friday, when 911 was called, TMZ also reported. Police sources say that people were at the property with him, but that no one saw Miller alive after Thursday evening, according to the outlet.
Police on Saturday were unable to confirm TMZ’s report to PEOPLE.
RELATED: Mac Miller Candidly Discussed His Drug Use and Getting Sober: ‘Overdosing Is Just Not Cool’
Miller, whose real name was Malcolm McCormick, was pronounced dead at 11:51 a.m. at his Studio City, California, home on Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.
A cause of death is yet to be determined, but a source told PEOPLE that Miller had gone into cardiac arrest after appearing to suffer a drug overdose.
Another source told PEOPLE that Miller spent his Thursday evening watching football with friends. “He loved the Steelers and was just out with friends watching the game,” a music industry source said. (The Steelers were not playing during Thursday night’s 2018 regular-season opener; instead, the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against the Atlanta Falcons.)
His casual night with friends seemed so benign, “that’s why this is such a shock,” the source added. “Everyone who he worked with was aware that he was delicate, but thought it was because of the new album, nerves, nothing like this.” (Miller just dropped his fifth and final studio album Swimming on Aug. 3.)
Throughout his life, Miller was very open about his struggles with sobriety. Following his Macadelic tour in 2012 and the release of his first studio album Blue Slide Park, Miller admitted he turned to drugs to cope with stress.
“I love lean; it’s great… I was not happy and I was on lean very heavy,” Miller told Complex in 2013. “I was so f—ed up all the time it was bad. My friends couldn’t even look at me the same. I was lost.”
Miller also battled depression. “I had a drug problem for a long time. It wasn’t just in music, but I definitely was going through a drug problem and I think it was more my state of mind. I was just pretty depressed,” Miller said to Larry King in 2015.
One year later, Miller admitted during a documentary for FADER that “he hates being sober” but he’d “rather be the corny white rapper than the drugged out mess who can’t even get out of his house. Overdosing is just not cool.”
RELATED: Mac Miller’s Most Memorable Songs: From Ariana Grande Features to ‘Donald Trump’
While Miller attempted to turn his life around within the past couple of years, he was arrested for DUI in May less than a week after his split with Ariana Grande.
However, last month he told Rolling Stone he doesn’t classify himself as a drug addict. “If a bunch of people think I am a huge drug addict, OK. Cool. What can I really do? Go talk to all those people and be like ‘Naw man, it’s really not that simple?’”
“Have I done drugs? Yeah. But am I a drug addict? No.”
If you or someone you know is in need of help, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
