The official cause of death for Adam Harrison, son of “Pawn Stars” creator and star Rick Harrison, has been disclosed a month after his demise in a Las Vegas residence.
The 39-year-old succumbed to a combination of fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity, as confirmed by a public information officer from Clark County, Nevada, in an email to USA TODAY on Thursday. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death as accidental. A comprehensive coroner’s report is anticipated for release at a later date.
According to a police report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, obtained by USA TODAY on January 26, Adam Harrison was declared dead in the guest house he inhabited on the afternoon of January 19. Concerns arose when another resident noted his absence since January 17. Law enforcement was alerted after the landlord found him unresponsive.
In a statement to USA TODAY on January 22, Laura Herlovich, a family representative, disclosed that Harrison purportedly passed away due to a fentanyl overdose. Rick Harrison, in a statement to TMZ published on January 22, emphasized the gravity of the fentanyl crisis, stating, “The fentanyl crisis in this country must be taken more seriously.”
In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. Opioids, particularly synthetic opioids like fentanyl, were identified as the primary contributors to these deaths, with nearly 88% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, according to the CDC. A recent report by Millennium Health revealed the increasing use of illicit fentanyl in conjunction with other substances, including methamphetamine.
Rick Harrison announced his son’s passing on January 19 through an Instagram post featuring a photo of Adam and himself at a restaurant. Corey Harrison, Adam’s older brother, paid tribute with a childhood photo on his Instagram page, expressing everlasting love. While Adam Harrison was not featured on “Pawn Stars,” a show starring Rick Harrison and his family since 2009, he reportedly worked at Gold & Silver Pawn, the family’s business on Las Vegas Boulevard. The family patriarch, Richard Harrison, known as “The Old Man” on the show, passed away in June 2018 at the age of 77.
