Restauranteur Harry Morton‘s cause of death has been officially released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, three months after he was found by his younger brother in his Beverly Hills home.
The 38-year-old died naturally from a probable cardiac arrhythmia and myocardial bridging with coronary artery atherosclerosis, the coroner’s office said.
Harry, who had been training for a marathon, was reportedly meant to meet his younger brother Matthew at the gym the morning of his death, according to a copy of the autopsy report obtained by PEOPLE.
But when Harry didn’t arrive at the gym, his brother went to his house, discovering him dead on the bathroom floor, the autopsy report said. The report also noted that no “drugs of abuse” were found in his system.
Harry’s family spokesperson previously said that the Pink Taco founder, who died suddenly on November 23, suffered from coronary artery disease and a “mildly enlarged heart.” At the time, the coroner’s office deferred releasing his official cause of death after an autopsy was completed pending investigation.
The family added in their statement last November that family friend and heart surgeon Dr. Kathy Magliato found that Harry “had calcification in three main arteries and suffered sudden cardiac death — an unexpected death caused by loss of heart function.”
There was no evidence of foul play in Harry’s death, authorities said, PEOPLE previously reported.
Matthew — also in the food industry as one of the founders of Cha Cha Matcha — opened up about his brother’s death in an emotional Instagram post a few days after the tragedy.
“On Saturday I lost my big brother. Harry is that rare person who means so much to so many people in so many different ways, but to no one, could he be more meaningful than he has been to his little brother. I lost my best friend in the entire world, my second father, I lost the person that taught me everything growing up, the person that looked out for me, guided me, showed me the way,” Matthew wrote alongside a photo of Harry holding him as a baby and several other pictures of the brothers.
“Pretty much everything that’s good inside me comes from a lesson I learned along the way from Harry,” Matthew continued. “He paved the way for me to become the person I am today. I could never have asked for a better teacher or a better friend.”
View this post on Instagram On Saturday I lost my big brother. Harry is that rare person who means so much to so many people in so many different ways, but to no one, could he be more meaningful than he has been to his little brother. I lost my best friend in the entire world, my second father, I lost the person that taught me everything growing up, the person that looked out for me, guided me, showed me the way. Pretty much everything that’s good inside me comes from a lesson I learned along the way from Harry. He paved the way for me to become the person I am today. I could never have asked for a better teacher or a better friend. It’s really weird, I had dinner with him on Friday night, and spoke to him on the phone Saturday morning, the last thing I said to him was “love you frere” and I am eternally grateful that I got to spend so much time with him. If you’re lucky enough to have a brother or a sister, please give them a big squeeze, and tell them how much you love them. My brother passed away from sudden cardiac death, if you’re a young man, I urge you to go and get a heart scan. SCD is the single largest cause of natural death in the United States, it takes the lives of 325,000 people a year, and it is twice as common in men as it is in women. We’re setting up a foundation in the coming days to help combat heart disease, and hopefully help others catch it early. I love you more than anything in the world frere.A post shared by Matthew Morton (@matthewmorton) on Nov 27, 2019 at 10:22am PST
“It’s really weird, I had dinner with him on Friday night, and spoke to him on the phone Saturday morning, the last thing I said to him was ‘love you frere’ and I am eternally grateful that I got to spend so much time with him. If you’re lucky enough to have a brother or a sister, please give them a big squeeze, and tell them how much you love them.”
Matthew concluded by urging you men to get their hearts checked to avoid a sudden, fatal cardiac event like Harry.
“My brother passed away from sudden cardiac death, if you’re a young man, I urge you to go and get a heart scan,” he wrote. “SCD is the single largest cause of natural death in the United States, it takes the lives of 325,000 people a year, and it is twice as common in men as it is in women. We’re setting up a foundation in the coming days to help combat heart disease, and hopefully help others catch it early. I love you more than anything in the world frere.”
Harry’s popular Pink Taco chain began in Las Vegas and now has locations across the United States, including Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles, and even has a food truck.
“We are saddened by the passing of Harry Morton, the founder and former owner of Pink Taco. Harry was a visionary and restaurateur ahead of his time, and his contributions, both professionally to our brand and personally to those he worked with, were numerous,” the chain said in a statement after Harry’s death. “Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
RELATED: Restaurateur Harry Morton’s Cause of Death Remains Mystery After Coroner Completes Autopsy
Harry and Matthew aren’t the first of their family to break into the restaurant business — father Peter Morton is the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe and Hotels, while grandfather Arnie Morton founded Morton’s The Steakhouse.
Harry, who also formerly owned the Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood, was also known for being romantically linked with several A-list celebrities, including Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston.
Lohan, who dated Harry in 2006, shared a tribute to him on Instagram after his death.
Alongside a photo of them together, the 33-year-old actress wrote, “Best friends. Best life.”
An invitation-only memorial for Harry was held a week after his death in Beverly Hills, and was attended by Moore, Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli, actor Stephen Dorff and oil heir Brandon Davis.
from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2wJ9hqa
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