Bob Bryar, former drummer for My Chemical Romance, had tanks of nitrous oxide next to him when he was found dead, according to reports.
TMZ reported that Bryar’s autopsy report — obtained from the Bedford County Medical Examiner in Tennessee — included unsettling details about the drummer’s death at 44 in November.
Bryar’s body was found with three large nitrous oxide containers and attached tubing, according to TMZ. While the autopsy report did not specifically cite the “laughing gas” as a cause of death, it noted the canisters appeared ready to be inhaled, and raised concerns of a possible overdose. The exact cause of death was “best classified as undetermined.”
One obstacle to determining a cause of death was the body’s state of decomposition, which the autopsy described as significant. Bryar was last seen alive Nov. 4 and discovered in his Tennessee home Nov. 26. Additionally, the report noted, the body showed signs of “animal scavenging activity,” and noted that two dogs were found in Bryar’s home.
Bryar performed with the group for six years, including on its landmark 2006 LP “The Black Parade,” before leaving in 2010. He co-wrote five songs on the band’s most recent LP, 2010’s “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.”
After Bryar’s death, My Chemical Romance said in a statement that “It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Bob Bryar, our former bandmate and an important part of the history of My Chemical Romance. We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family at this time. May he rest in peace.”
