A lawyer for Prince’s doctor has denied reports suggesting the medic prescribed powerful painkillers for the tragic superstar under a false identity.
Prince died at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on April 21, 2016 from an overdose of the opioid Fentanyl, which he had reportedly used to treat a longtime hip problem.
Police searched the property in the aftermath of the singer’s death, and on Monday (April 17), newly-unsealed court documents revealed authorities found a huge stash of prescription drugs at his home.
“During the search warrant of Prince’s home, detectives located numerous narcotic controlled substance pills in various containers and areas of Prince’s bedroom, some of which were in a suitcase with the nametag of ‘Peter Bravestrong’,” read one document, explaining officers believe the name was used as an alias for Prince.
Inside the suitcase were several prescription containers in the name of Kirk Johnson, Prince’s bodyguard.
The unsealed search warrant applications also alleged the musician’s doctor, Michael Schulenberg, had told a Carver County Sheriff’s detective at the time that he had issued a prescription for high-risk drug oxycodone a week before Prince’s death, after he suffered a medical emergency onboard a private plane, but “put the prescription in Kirk Johnson’s name for Prince’s privacy”.
Dr. Schulenberg’s legal representative has now dismissed the claims, insisting he did no such thing, which would have broken both state and federal laws.
A statement issued by his lawyer Amy Conners, and obtained by People.com, reads: “Contrary to headlines and media reports published in the wake of (the) unsealing of search warrants relating to the investigation, Dr. Schulenberg never directly prescribed opioids to Prince, nor did he ever prescribe opioids to any other person with the intent that they would be given to Prince.”
In addition, Conners declares “there are no restrictions on Dr. Schulenberg’s medical license”, and pledges his continued commitment to provide “full transparency regarding his practice as it relates to the Prince investigation”.
Johnson’s lawyer also distanced the bodyguard from any allegations of improper behaviour after the papers were released on Monday.
His representative F. Clayton Tyler stated: “After reviewing the search warrants and affidavits released today, we believe that it is clear that Kirk Johnson did not secure nor supply the drugs which caused Prince’s death.”
Fans will mark the first anniversary of Prince’s passing on Friday (21Apr17).
