The 42-year-old fitness instructor recently filed for divorce from her husband.
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 11, 2003
VALRICO - Anne Koss, the 42-year-old mother of three found dead in the bathroom of her River Hills home Oct. 18, died of an overdose of alcohol, fentanyl and cocaine, according to associate medical examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz. Dr. Spitz ruled Koss' death accidental, but sheriff's officials said this week that the investigation of her death is "active."
Fentanyl, first synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s, is about 80 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Library of Medicine. It is typically injected as a surgical anesthetic and can be prescribed to cancer patients and other chronic pain sufferers.
It is also used illegally, according to Streetdrugs.org, a Web site that monitors illicit drug use. The illicit use of fentanyl analogues started when the drug first became available in the mid 1970s, and continues to be a problem, according to the Web site.
Koss, a 42-year-old fitness instructor, had recently filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Robert Koss, an anesthesiologist. At the time of her death, the couple were still living together in their 6,748-square-foot home in the country club community.
Friends said Koss was a giving woman who organized holiday parties for poor children and led fitness camps for teenage girls. After surviving breast cancer, she was particularly devoted to the American Cancer Society and annual events to raise awareness of the disease.
Koss taught body sculpting classes at the CAMPO Family YMCA in Valrico and coordinated fitness classes at Gold's Gym in Brandon. She had a master's degree in biochemistry, completed triathlons and volunteered with local groups including the PTA at Lithia Springs Elementary, where her two oldest sons were enrolled.
