Ex-Wilco Member Jay Bennett's Cause Of Death: Accidental Overdose Of Painkiller

Former Wilco member Jay Bennett's cause of death was of an accidental overdose from a prescription painkiller last month, a medical examiner ruled.

The 45-year-old multi-instrumentalist died in his sleep on May 24 in his house in Urbana, Illinois. He was wearing a Duragesic patch on his back when he was found.

Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup said that he died as a result of ingesting a toxic amount of Fentanyl, a painkiller found in Duragesic patches.

Northrup told newsgazette.com, "Reportedly, he had a bad hip from an old injury and was pursuing surgery for that."

"We haven't completely ruled it an accident but that's what we're treating it as so far."

Bennett, who was a member of the alt-rock band from 1994 to 2001 before embarking on a solo career, sued the group's frontman Jeff Tweedy for breach of contract from his work for the band. The suit came just weeks after he revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery, which he could not afford because his health insurance considered it a "pre-existing condition."

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