Whitney Houston death probe shifts to prescription drugs

The focus of the Whitney Houston investigation is shifting to an examination of the prescription medicines found in her room and whether she had taken any drugs that might have contributed to her death.

Police said detectives have ended their investigation at the hotel room where she died, but investigators continue to interview people while awaiting the results of toxicology tests.

"No matter what medication they may be taking, until we do a toxicology test and see the levels, we are not going to speculate," said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston | 1963-2012

Authorities have collected several bottles of drugs from Houston's suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, law enforcement sources told The Times. But the sources said the amounts of drugs did not seem unusually large, leaving it unclear whether the medications had anything to do with the singer's death.

Investigators are expected to speak to Houston's medical team to learn of any underlying medical conditions she might have had. In previous high-profile death investigations, officials have interviewed those who prescribed drugs for the deceased. When Michael Jackson died, authorities spent weeks sorting out his large cache of prescription drugs.

That probe ended with criminal charges being filed against Jackson's physician, Conrad Murray. But Beverly Hills police said Monday that they don't consider the Houston case a homicide and have no plans to launch a criminal investigation.

Houston struggled with drug and alcohol problems for years, and last May her spokeswoman said the singer was going back into rehab.

The singer was in Beverly Hills for music industry titan Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammys party Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton. During the preceding days, she was seen acting strangely, skipping around a ballroom and doing handstands near the hotel pool. She reportedly greeted people with a warm smile but at times appeared disheveled in mismatched clothes and with her hair dripping wet.

On Thursday, she dropped by the rehearsals for the pre-Grammys party. A Grammy staffer said that as reporters interviewed Davis and singers Brandy and Monica, Houston was dancing just off camera to make them laugh.

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-- Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton

Photo: About 150 people attended a vigil Monday for Whitney Houston in L.A.'s Leimert Park neighborhood. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

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Whitney Houston death probe shifts to prescription drugs