No criminal charges will be filed in Prince's death, and evidence shows that the musician thought he was taking a commonly used painkiller instead of a counterfeit pill containing the fentanyl that killed him, a Minnesota prosecutor said Thursday. Carver County Attorney Mark Metz said investigators found no evidence of "any sinister motive" but that some associates had sought to protect Prince's privacy. The lack of criminal charges does not mean that associates did not enable the singer's habits, Metz said, but there's no evidence any of them knew about the fentanyl. "We do not have evidence that a specific person provided fentanyl to Prince," he said. Metz's announcement came just hours after documents revealed that a doctor who was accused of illegally prescribing an opioid for Prince agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a civil violation of a federal drug law. Dr. Michael Schulenberg allegedly wrote a prescription for oxycodone in the name of Prince's bodyguard, intending for the potent painkiller to go to Prince. That prescription was not linked to Prince's death. Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio compound on April 21, 2016. His death sparked a national outpouring of grief and prompted a joint investigation by Carver County and federal authorities. An autopsy found he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin. State and federal authorities have been investigating the source of the fentanyl for nearly two years. Metz's announcement effectively closed the case. And, after the announcement, the U.S. attorney's office said that federal prosecutors had no credible evidence that would lead to federal criminal charges.
• Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's official portrait will cost $85,000, which is more than taxpayers shelled out for paintings of his three predecessors combined. The Record reports that Australian artist Paul Newton will paint the portrait of the Republican who left office in January after serving eight years as governor. The cost detail was obtained through an open records request. The state's preceding governors -- Democrats Jon Corzine, Richard Codey and Jim McGreevey -- spent a combined $74,500 for theirs. None served for two terms. The Christie painting will likely be more formal than one of the best known images of him after he was photographed sitting on a beach closed to the public due to a budget stalemate last year. As governor, Christie appreciated luxury, such as being able to watch the Dallas Cowboys from owner Jerry Jones' box and traveling to Jordan at the expense of King Abdullah II.
A Section on 04/20/2018