Autopsy Reveals Cause of Death of Toni Braxton's Niece, Lauren Braxton

Lauren Braxton, Toni Braxton's niece, died of a heroin and fentanyl overdose, according to autopsy results.

Published: 6/29/2019, 2:24:36 PM EDT

Autopsy Reveals Cause of Death of Toni Braxton's Niece, Lauren Braxton — Toni Braxton attends the 2017 Soul Train Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 5, 2017. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Lauren Braxton, Toni Braxton's niece, died of a heroin and fentanyl overdose, according to autopsy results.

On June 26, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland told People magazine that Lauren Braxton died of an overdose from heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

Lauren Braxton died in Maryland on April 29, according to TMZ, which broke the story. She was 24.

Lauren was found lying on the kitchen floor by a friend who had just been talking with her about 10 minutes earlier, according to an incident report obtained by E! News at the time.

At first, the witness thought it was a prank, but upon realizing Lauren Braxton was not responding, she called the police.

Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Lauren Braxton was pronounced dead around noon on April 29.

Following her death, the Braxton family asked for privacy.

"We ask that you please respect the family's privacy in this time of sadness and loss," the family said in a statement at the time.

A few days later, Toni Braxton broke her silence on her niece's passing.

"R.I.P to my amazing niece Lauren 'Lo Lo' Braxton..." she wrote on Instagram. "I'm still in disbelief and so very heartbroken. Love you...always auntie 'Te Te.'"

Tracy Braxton told TMZ at the time, "LoLo was more than my niece, she was my daughter, and I, my son and husband, are truly heartbroken over her passing."

Trina Braxton also honored her niece's memory on social media.

"God sent me another angel! Rest in Heaven Lauren 'LoLo' Braxton," she wrote on Instagram.

Fentanyl Intoxication

More than 71,500 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2017, according to data released the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority—or least 68 percent—of those deaths could be attributed to opioids such as fentanyl.

"[Chinese drug makers] have been using the internet to sell fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to drug traffickers and individual customers in the United States," said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a statement on Oct. 17, 2017.

In August, President Donald Trump urged the Senate to pass a measure to stop synthetic opioid drugs such as fentanyl from being transported into the United States via the U.S. Postal Service system.

"It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China," he wrote on Aug. 20.

The shipment of fentanyl from China to the U.S. is "almost a form of warfare," Trump said in August. "In China, you have some pretty big companies sending that garbage and killing our people," Trump added.

For Help

If you or someone you know needs help with opioid addiction, call the national helpline:

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Or find resources online at SAMHSA.gov