Patton Oswalt Opens Up on Wife Michelle McNamara's Cause of Death

Almost a year after the unexpected death of his 46-year-old wife Michelle McNamara in her sleep, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt has released a statement confirming how she died.

In a statement to the AP, reported on by THR, Oswalt said that the coroner told him McNamara, a true crime writer, had died as the result of a combination of prescription drugs and an undiagnosed heart condition.

Oswalt said, "We learned today the combination of drugs in Michelle's system, along with a condition we were unaware of, proved lethal."

It was determined that McNamara's heart had previously undetected blockages that made her vulnerable to the combination of Xanax, Adderall and Fentanyl she was taking for pain relief and to promote sleep.

In 2016, Oswalt told The New York Times he had suggested to his stressed-out wife that she take one night to "sleep until you wake up." The next day, he left her favorite coffee on her bedside table as she snored, and after going about his morning routine, he checked on her at 12:42 p.m. when he realized she still had not woken up. McNamara was not breathing, and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

In the same Times interview, he said, "I'll never be at 100 percent again," but he said he wouldn't let the tragedy stop him from living his life.

Last week, Oswalt — who is a renowned and outspoken wit on Twitter — recounted how he battled a troll who joked about his wife's death during a political exchange. Read Patton's post: