Cocaine killed TV pitchman Billy Mays, autopsy video

An autopsy shows that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed boisterous TV pitchman Billy Mays in June, officials announced Friday. (Aug. 7).
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Hyperactive pitchman Billy Mays used cocaine days before his heart attack - and it killed him, officials said Friday.
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Mays, 50, suffered from heart disease but his drug use contributed to his June 28 death, the Hillsborough County medical examiner said.

The TV salesman - who hawked OxiClean, Orange Glo, Mighty Putty and dozens of other products - was found dead by his wife in their Tampa, Fla., condo.

Initial autopsy results did not turn up evidence of drug abuse, but toxicology tests uncovered the coke in his system.

Mays got his start peddling products on the Atlantic City Boardwalk hustled his way into becoming a household name, recognizable by his blue shirt and thick beard.
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