Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — Singer Whitney Houston, who was found deadin her hotel room on the eve of the Grammy Awards last month, accidentally drowned in a bathtub, the Los Angeles County coroner said Thursday. Cocaine and heart disease also played a role in her death, the coroner said. Houston, 48, was found submerged in a bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel Feb. 11 and was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner’s announcement ends a month of speculation over the cause of Houston’s sudden death. She had battled drug and alcohol abuse for years, leading many people to suspect that drug use had led to her death. The autopsy revealed that a host of prescription and illegal drugs were in her system when she died: cocaine and marijuana; Xanax, which is usually prescribed for anxiety; Flexeril, a muscle relaxant; and Benadryl, an over-thecounter antihistamine. The cocaine contributed to her death, according to the coroner’s announcement, whichdid not provide further details. Atherosclerotic heart disease was also listed as a contributing factor. No trauma or foul play is suspected, and the full coroner’s report is expected to be released in the next few weeks.

A Florida man has agreed to plead guilty to hacking intothe e-mail accounts of celebrities such as Christina Ag uilera, Mila Kunis and Scarlett Johansson, whose nude photos eventually landed on the Internet, according to court documents filed Thursday. Christopher Chaney, 35, of Jacksonville, Fla., will plead guilty Monday in Los Angeles federal court to nine felony counts, including unauthorized access to a computer and wiretapping, the documents say. He faces up to 60 years in prison. Defense attorney Christopher Chestnut said Thursday night that he was still working with prosecutors and wouldn’t confirm the number of felony counts Chaney will plead guilty to.