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Cause of deathis undetermined

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 10, 2007

DANIA BEACH - Prescription drugs were found in Anna Nicole Smith's hotel room, but there were no pills in her stomach, and investigators said Friday they are awaiting tests that could tell whether the former Playboy model died of an overdose, as some close to her suspect.

At the same time, a judge in Los Angeles ordered that her body be preserved for at least 10 days for a possible DNA test related to a paternity dispute.

Dr. Joshua Perper, the Broward County medical examiner who did the autopsy, said no illegal drugs were discovered in Smith's room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood after the 39-year-old pinup collapsed there on Thursday. He would not identify the prescription drugs.

Perper said that although toxicology tests are pending, the autopsy found no immediate evidence that she had taken large amounts of prescription medication.

He said it would take three to five weeks to conclude the investigation.

Seminole police Chief Charlie Tiger said there was no indication Smith was the victim of a crime.

Smith's mother, Vergie Arthur, said Friday she believes her daughter died of an overdose. Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in September of what was believed to be an accidental drug overdose, around the time Smith gave birth to her daughter, Dannielynn.

In a strange twist, a third man - the husband of actor Zsa Zsa Gabor, Prince Frederic von Anhalt - said Friday that he may be the baby's father.

Two men have claimed to be the father: attorney Howard K. Stern, Smith's most recent companion, and Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend.

In Los Angeles, a judge ordered that Smith's body be preserved until a Feb. 20 hearing in the paternity case. He refused to order an immediate DNA test on Smith to help identify the baby's father.

[Last modified February 10, 2007, 01:50:56]