The family of Darius Campbell Danesh has revealed details of his final hours after police concluded their investigation into his death.

The Pop Idol star was found dead at his flat in Rochester, Minnesota last August after taking chloroethane. 

Local cops were looking into the 41-year-old's death which was later ruled to be an accident as a result of “toxic effects of chloroethane” as well as “suffocation”.

Now that they have finalised their report, the family of the late singer has since issued a statement detailing what happened to him in the hours before his tragic death, The Scotsman reports.

Glasgow Times:

They said: “The Rochester Police Department have finalised their report following Darius’ death.

"It gives us great sadness to share further information on the passing of our loving son and brother.

"In the days leading up to his death, Darius had been suffering from severe nerve pain in his neck following car accidents in 2010 and 2021, which was progressively ‘getting worse’.

"He had taken pain medication, marijuana and chloroethane to manage the intensity of the pain prior to his death.

“The night before Darius passed, he had dinner with close friends, who reported that ‘Darius was in a lot of pain, but he was in good spirits when he was with us’.

"They stayed together until the early hours of the morning and made plans to meet the following day. When Darius did not show up and could not be reached, the hotel staff were asked to check on him.

"Around 11.50am on 11th August, Darius was found unresponsive in bed by the hotel staff in the apartment where he was staying, having inhaled chloroethane using a bag, which led to respiratory arrest.

"The Rochester Fire and Police Department pronounced Darius deceased shortly after at 12.01pm. The autopsy report also concluded that Darius’ heart was twice the expected size.

"This may have contributed to his respiratory arrest.

"Friends who were with him in the days before he passed reported that while he ‘appeared to be struggling with the neck pain’ and taking medication to deal with his pain, he ‘appeared happy’ and was looking forward to the future with his usual zest for life.

"We will always remember Darius for his open-hearted warmth, generosity of spirit and the way he touched so many people’s hearts and minds. He was an incredibly loving, caring and supportive son, brother and friend. His spirit of love and light is still with us all.

"We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and kindness in what has been a very difficult year.

"We kindly ask that the family’s privacy is maintained as we continue with the healing process."

Fellow Pop Idol contestants Will Young and Gareth Gates paid tribute to the singer after his death was announced, describing him as “driven, courageous and gentle”.