Despite reports to the contrary, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has no plans to reopen the investigation into actress Brittany Murphy's death.

Rumors swirled Friday after E! News reported that authorities could still reopen the 7-year-old case. However, LA County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said very specific conditions would have to be met.

"We would have to have direct evidence," Winter told E! News. "In all honesty, it would take something like a confession. Something connecting somebody with it."

Some gossip sites took the news as proof the coroner was considering reopening the case.

However, in a statement to ET, Winter said there are currently no plans to reinvestigate Murphy's death.

"At this point we have nothing that points us to reopening the investigation," he told the entertainment site. "If there was additional evidence or someone came forward then we would direct them to law enforcement."

Murphy died in December 2009 after she collapsed in a bathroom. Attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. In a report later released by the coroner, authorities said Murphy died primarily of pneumonia, although anemia and the addition of multiple over-the-counter and prescription played roles in her death as well.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Collect candy, play carnival games for prizes and do more not-so-scary stuff at Boo at the Zoo at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday. (Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Zoo Atlanta

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com