Robin Williams Dead in Apparent Suicide

This post has been updated throughout.

Comedian and Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams has died, according to a release issued Monday afternoon by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division. Authorities responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious male adult at the residence Williams shared with his wife in Tiburon, California. The actor was

pronounced deceased at 12:02 p.m. Pacific Time. The suspected cause of death was axphyxia, pending a full investigation. The police are currently treating Williams’s death as a suicide. The Oscar-winning actor and comedian was 63. This afternoon, Williams’s publicist Mara Buxbaum issued the following statement to the press: “Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.”

Here’s the full text of the Marin County sheriff’s office release:

Investigation into Death of Actor Robin Williams

On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 am, Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA. The Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Tiburon Fire Department and Southern Marin Fire Protection District were dispatched to the incident with emergency personnel arriving on scene at 12:00 pm. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams, a 63 year old resident of unincorporated Tiburon, CA. An investigation into the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death is currently underway by the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates Mr. Williams was last seen alive at his residence, where he resides with his wife, at approximately 10:00 pm on August 10, 2014. Mr. Williams was located this morning shortly before the 9-1-1 call was placed to Marin County Communications. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made. A forensic examination is currently scheduled for August 12, 2014 with subsequent toxicology testing to be conducted.

Williams was open about his long struggle with drugs and alcohol, and last month he entered a rehabilitation program at a Minnesota facility, though Buxbaum said he just wanted to reinforce his sobriety. “After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud,” Buxbaumsaid at the time.

His wife, Susan Schneider, issued a brief statement on Monday. “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken,” she said.