Chris Cornell's Family Questioning Coroner's Suicide Report

Shortly after yesterday's terrible news that Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel room at age 52, authorities ruled it a suicide by hanging. A statement from Cornell's family is questioning that story, with Vicky Cornell, Chris' wife of 13 years and the mother of two of his three kids, saying, "I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life."

Cornell says her husband flew home from tour for Mother's Day on Sunday and went back to Detroit on the afternoon of his Wednesday concert. They talked on the phone before the gig about plans for Memorial Day and beyond. "When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different," she says. "When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him." 

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, says:

"Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris—or if any substances contributed to his demise. Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages. The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions."