The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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July 13, 2011

Box didn’t have prescriptions

By Cass Rains, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Austin Box did not have prescriptions for the six medications found in his system and listed in a toxicology report released Tuesday, the El Reno Police Department said.

Chief Ken Brown said the chemical compounds found in the toxicology report had not been prescribed to Box.

“It’s been verified Mr. Box has not been prescribed those chemical compounds,” Brown said. “At this point, we are trying to determine where he might have gotten those pills from.”

Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office said Box had five painkillers and an anti-anxiety drug in his system at the time of his death two months ago.

A report from the office lists Box’s death as accidental and cites the probable cause of his death as pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, and aspiration pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling foreign substances. The report also lists “chronic pain history” and “cardiomegaly,” or enlargement of the heart, as “other significant medical conditions.”

The report states the pulmonary edema and aspiration pneumonia could be due to central nervous system depression and probable mixed-drug toxicity. It also states the five pain medication drugs — oxymorphone, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxycodone — could have contributed to the star linebacker’s death. He also had Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication known as Xanax, in his system.

Box was found unresponsive May 19 at the El Reno home of J.T. Cobble, one of Box’s former Enid High School assistant coaches. Box was taken to the El Reno hospital by ambulance and later flown to Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, where he died at 1:03 p.m.

Austin’s parents, Craig and Gail Box, told the Oklahoman they did not believe their son was taking any painkillers at the time of his death.

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