Heath Ledger, Dead at 28

This surprised me. And I really enjoyed Brokeback Mountain like all good gays are supposed to do. What a shame. Jake G. you better take care of yourself!!

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Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28

By JOHN SULLIVAN and SEWELL CHAN of the New York Times

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment on Tuesday afternoon, the New York City police said.

The police said Mr. Ledger, 28, was discovered facedown in bed in an apartment at 421Broome Street in SoHo. Police officials said that a bottle of prescription sleeping pills were found on a nearby night table, but that they did not know whether they played a role in Mr. Ledger’s death.

Mr. Ledger, the star of “Brokeback Mountain” and other films, was discovered by a housekeeper and a masseuse, the police said. The housekeeper had been in the apartment for some time before Mr. Ledger’s body was discovered, and she let the masseuse in when she at the apartment for a 3:31 p.m. appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. They said they did not know when Mr. Ledger scheduled the appointment.

When Mr. Ledger did not respond to a knock on the bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities and moved Mr. Ledger to the floor, the police said.

“There was no indication of a disturbance,” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul J. Browne said. He said officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications it in the bathroom. He said that there was no sign that Mr. Ledger had been drinking and that no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city’s chief medical examiner, said that investigators were on the scene on Tuesday afternoon and that an autopsy would be performed on Wednesday to determine the cause of death. His body was removed from the apartment at 6:30 p.m.

Julie McIntosh, a stylist in a neighboring salon, said she saw Mr. Ledger once or twice a week and thought had been living in the apartment for about six months.

“I think it’s really sad,” she said. “He’s a really nice guy. He seemed happy.”