An autopsy report has revealed the cause of death of “Tiger King” star Erik Cowie almost a month after he was found unresponsive in a friend’s NYC apartment.
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The NYC Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement to TMZ that zookeeper Erik Cowie’s cause of death was acute and chronic alcohol use. However, they will list the manner of his passing as natural. As previously reported, Cowie was found dead at a friend’s apartment in Brooklyn. Investigators also said there was a large bottle of vodka found in the home at the time of Cowie’s death.
After receiving news of his death, Joe Exotic said in a statement that he was well aware of Cowie’s alcohol issues and added he wasn’t surprised about his death. “Erik Cowie got what he deserved, “So am I shocked he is gone? No, not a bit. I put him through rehab in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and still [gave] him a home and a job. The next time I saw him was at my trial when he was [sitting] up there lying his ass off because he needed to kiss Jeff’s ass to stay at my zoo and to be the big cat hero on Netflix,” he explained to the Daily Mail.
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Exotic made the stunning statement after Cowie testified against him in court.
“I can prove Erik perjured himself … The government, Carole Baskin, and a few others should be ashamed that they put this all in motion to fabricate this whole thing to steal my zoo and shut me up. The truth is coming. The world will hate the America[n] Department of Justice.”
SOURCE: New York Post