Anna Nicole Smith, right, leaves the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington with her son Daniel Smith in this Feb. 28, 2006 file photo.(Photo: Chinadaily.com/Agencies)
Late Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel died of an accidental drug overdose, just like his mother, a jury in the Bahamas ruled on Monday.
The seven-member jury took 73 minutes to reach its unanimous verdict that Daniel Smith's death was caused by the "nondependent use of drugs," according to media reports.
This suggests that he was not addicted to the substances found in his body and unaware at the time of this death that the mixture would kill him.
Daniel's grandmother, Virgie Arthur, was unhappy with the outcome because she suspected foul play was involved. Arthur has claimed previously that Anna Nicole's boyfriend and attorney Howard K. Stern played a role in both deaths, but she did not provide evidence.
The court, which said it was unlikely that criminal charges would be filed, said Monday's findings probably represented the end of the marathon case in Bahamas' court system.
The son of the former Playboy playmate died after coming to the Bahamas to meet his new baby sister on Sept. 10, 2006.
His mother, 39, died in February 2007 in a Florida hotel room, just months after the death of her son. Her death also was later ruled an accidental drug overdose.
The investigation into the death of Daniel began in November and heard from more than two dozen witnesses. Two autopsies concluded that he died from a "cocktail" of prescription drugs, including methadone.
(Xinhua News Agency/Agencies April 1,2008)