Coroner: Billy Mays Died of Heart, Not Head, Trouble

Preliminary autopsy indicates TV pitchman suffered from heart disease, and death had nothing to do with rough landing

Much was made of Billy Mays' rough landing the day before he died. But according to a Florida medical examiner, the TV pitchman's death was unrelated to the airplane mishap.

"The autopsy found no external or internal head trauma," says Hillsborough County Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Leszek Chrostowski, who conducted the exam Monday. Chrostowski also ruled out a blood clot as the cause of death.

Instead, the coroner's preliminary report suggests that the 50-year-old OxiClean hawker died Sunday of heart disease.

Initial speculation had centered on the head trauma/blood clot theory because Mays was on a U.S. Airways plane that blew a tire upon landing in Tampa. He joked to a local TV station about suitcases falling on his head.

Although Mays had no history of drug abuse (he had prescription painkillers for a hip problem), Chrostowski will still perform toxicology tests per standard procedure. The results won't be know for eight to 10 weeks.

A funeral for Mays is set for Friday in suburban Pittsburgh, where he grew up.