Two days after it was announced that singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle died at age 38, the likely cause has been revealed.
According to The Tennessean, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron said that local police responded Sunday to Earle’s apartment for a welfare check after the singer-songwriter hadn’t been heard from since Thursday. Aaron said there is no foul play suspected and an autopsy is pending; he told Nashville’s WKRN that, following a preliminary investigation, the death was from a “probable drug overdose.”
SPIN has reached out to the MNPD for more information.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin. So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we hope that his music will continue to guide you on your journeys,” reads a statement announcing Earle’s death on his official Facebook page.
Earle, the son of singer-songwriter Steve Earle, had been open about his struggles with substance abuse, beginning when he was 12. On Monday, Earle posted a tribute to his son on Twitter.
