Keith Flint, the late lead singer of the British electronic group Prodigy, had unspecified amounts of cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his system when he died in March
Though the new report confirms Flint died by hanging — as reported in an earlier inquest released one week after his death — the Senior Coroner for Essex, Caroline Beasley-Murray, officially recorded an open conclusion, saying that there was not enough evidence to rule that Flint killed himself, the BBC reports.
“We will never quite know what was going on in his mind on that date,” she said. “I’ve considered suicide. To record that, I would have to have found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr. Flint formed the idea and took a deliberate action knowing it would result in his death.”
Beasley-Murray also reiterated an earlier police statement that Flint’s death is not being considered suspicious and that there was no evidence of third party involvement. She also said there was not enough evidence to conclude that Flint’s death was accidental and he may have been “larking around and it all went horribly wrong.”
On Tuesday, the Prodigy posted a photo of Flint on Twitter alongside a message encouraging people to seek help if they are struggling with mental health issues. “It has been a tough time for everyone over the last few weeks since Keef’s passing,” the band wrote. “If you are struggling with depression, addiction or the impact of suicide, please do not suffer in silence. The Prodigy fully support the campaign to improve mental health for all.”
It has been a tough time for everyone over the last few weeks since Keef’s passing. If you are struggling with depression, addiction or the impact of suicide, please do not suffer in silence. The Prodigy fully support the campaign to improve mental health for all… (1/2) pic.twitter.com/HjDX6Z0EGa
— The Prodigy (@the_prodigy) May 7, 2019
Flint joined the Prodigy as a dancer but became the lead singer as the group prepped their 1997 album, The Fat of the Land. The LP produced several hits — “Breathe,” “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up” — and was a smash in the UK and the United States. Flint became the unmistakable face of the Prodigy, even appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in August 1997.
Though guest vocalists largely replaced Flint on the Prodigy’s next album, 2004’s Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, he fronted five tracks on the band’s 2009 release, Invaders Must Die. He took on additional songwriting duties for the Prodigy’s 2015 release, The Day Is My Enemy, and he sang three songs on the group’s most recent album, 2018’s No Tourists.