State: Heat, drugs killed woman, 32

SPRINGDALE — A Springdale woman found dead last month in her attic died from a combination of heat and drugs, according to a report from the state medical examiner.

Sara Burton, 32, was found dead in the attic of her duplex at 1101 Backus Lane on June 27 after a neighbor called police about a suspicious odor. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to remove her from the attic, where the temperature exceeded 120 degrees.

The report cites “environmental hyperthermia with methamphetamine use” as the official cause of death.

Burton hadn’t been seen in about five days before her body was found, said Sgt. Shane Pegram of the Springdale PoliceDepartment. It is unclear how long she had been dead before she was found or why she was in her attic.

The report concludes the investigation into her death, Pegram said. “We didn’t expect any foul play, but we had to rule it out before we closed our investigation.”