Garrett Reid died from accidental heroin overdose, coroner says

Reid's gym bag had 47 syringes and 64 needles in it, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said.

The eldest son of Philadelphia Eagles' coach Andy Reid died of an accidental heroin overdose Aug. 5 in a Lehigh University dorm room, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said this afternoon during a news conference at the Northampton County Courthouse.

Garrett Reid was found dead on his back on a dorm bedroom floor during the Eagles' training camp at the college in South Bethlehem. The 29-year-old, who was working with the team at the time, has a long history of drug abuse. Lysek said pathology reports showed Garrett Reid was a chronic heroin user.

Reid's family had previously alluded to drugs being involved in his death, releasing a statement that indicated Garrett Reid had "lost the battle that has been ongoing for the last eight years."

In an attempt to revive Garrett Reid, a team doctor used a defibrillator on Reid's chest before police arrived, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said.

Morganelli wouldn't say who found Garrett Reid that morning.

"We're confident today that Mr. Reid's death was the result of a self-injected lethal dose of heroin," Morganelli said. The investigation is ongoing, Morganelli said, adding that Andy Reid and the team have been very cooperative.

The district attorney said he wants to determine if anyone in Northampton County or Philadelphia facilitated the purchase or delivery of the drugs. Local officials are working with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on the investigation, Morganelli said.

Authorities found 47 syringes and 64 needles in Garrett Reid's gym bag, Morganelli said. Nineteen vials of an unknown substance were also recovered, but Morganelli said he did not believe they had anything to do with the death. Several prescription drugs also were found in his dorm room, but none was illegal or contributed to his death, officials determined.

Garrett Reid had roommates, but a private bedroom in the suite, which is where he was found, Lehigh police Chief Ed Shupp said.

Authorities interviewed two people who saw Garrett Reid late Aug. 4 and early Aug. 5 at Lehigh and they reported nothing out of the ordinary, Morganelli said. He would not provide details as to who they were or detail what if any connection they had to the team.

Lysek had previously said a determination on the cause and manner of death was pending the results of toxicology tests, which often take weeks to come in. The results came back in the past week to 10 days and Andy Reid was told of the outcome at some point before the news conference, Lysek said, refusing to specify when.