Possible connection between ECW/WCW star Mike 'Johnny Grunge' Durham and Dr Astin

FOX 5 in Atlanta, Georgia reported this evening that the Drug Enforcement Agency is looking into the death of former ECW and WCW World Tag Team champion Mike "Johnny Grunge" Durham as part of their investigation into Dr. Phil Astin, who was indicted last week on charges of illegally dispensing medication. The Astin indictment came as a direct result of the investigation into the Chris Benoit family tragedy, which led to numerous DEA raids on Astin's office and home.

Durham passed away in February 2006 at the age of 40. According to the FOX 5 report, Astin had written a prescription for 120 tablets of the muscle relaxer Soma to Durham the day before his death. When Durham was found deceased, the prescription bottle was empty.

When Astin's name surfaced surfaced, Tyrone, GA police turned over Durham the case file over to the Fayette County Sheriff's Drug Task Force. Fayette County authorities confirmed to Fox in Atlanta that they have launched an investigation into Durham's 2006 passing. The investigation would be into whether Astin was improperly dispending medication to Durham prior to his passing, not whether Astin was responsible for Durham's death. Fox reported that Durham had been turned away by several pharmacies just prior to his death while attempting to fill prescriptions.

An autopsy report obtained by FOX listed Durham's passing as due to a coronary artery blockage and morbid obesity. However, the medical examiner found Soma and Hydrocodone (another painkiller) in Durham's system. The medical examiner report said (per the Fox report), "The combined effect of these drugs would have likely resulted in toxicity and probably contributed to the death, although the drug toxicity would not be expected to have been fatal by itself in the absence of heart disease."

PWInsider.com