NEWS .
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
TONIGHT WE HAVE LEARNED OF A
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT INTO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRINCE.
A SOURCE TELLS US 21 MONTHS
AFTER HIS DEATH FROM AN
OVERDOSE, IT IS UNLIKELY ANYONE
WILL BE CHARGED FOR MURDER FOR
PROVIDING THE DRUG THAT KILLED
HIM.
CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE POSSIBLE,
THEY WILL LIKELY BE RELATIVELY
MINOR.
PRINCE'S COUSIN IS NOW GOING
PUBLIC WITH HIS EFFORT TO FIND
MORE INFORMATION.
Reporter: WCCO NEWS HAS
LEARNED THAT WHILE
INVESTIGATIONS INTO PRINCE'S
DEATH ARE MOVING FORWARD, A
MAJOR OBSTACLE REMAINS WHEN IT
COMES TO CHARGING ANYONE WITH
MURDER OR MANSLAUGHTER IN HIS
DEATH.
SOURCES TELL WCCO THAT WHILE
INVESTIGATORS DON'T KNOW WHO
OBTAINED THE FENTANYL, THEY
BELIEVE THE DRUG WAS OBTAINED
VIA THE BLACK MARKET IN CHINA.
IT IS COMMONLY DESCRIBED AS 50
TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN HEROIN.
THE AUTOPSY SAYS THE OVERDOSE
WAS ACCIDENTAL.
MY GOAL IS TO FIND OUT
EXACTLY WHO PROVIDED THE
FENTANYL. I STARTED GETTING
INFORMATION FROM FORMER
BANDMEMBERS THAT WERE REACHING
OUT TO MEET THAT WERE AFRAID.
Reporter: SMITH SHOWN HERE
WRESTLING WITH THE YOUNGER
PRINTS -- PRINCE , WANTS
ANSWERS.
FOR THE PAST YEAR, SMITH HAS
BEEN FORWARDING TIPS HE HAS
RECEIVED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SMITH SAYS HE IS GRATEFUL TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
HIS FRUSTRATION IS DIRECTED
WITH THOSE WHO ARE WITH PRINCE
DURING THE FINAL WEEK OF HIS
LIFE.
YOU ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF
BUSINESS.
NOT AT ALL.
THERE WAS NEGLIGENCE INVOLVED
COMPLETELY.
Reporter: SEARCH WARRANTS
RELEASED LAST YEAR, FOCUSED ON
THE ROLE OF PRINCE'S HEAD OF
SECURITY.
A SEARCH WARRANT FOR JOHNSON'S
CELL PHONE SAYS THAT SIX DAYS
BEFORE HIS DEATH, JOHNSON WAS
WITH PRINCE ON A PLANE COMING
BACK FROM A CONCERT WHEN THE
PLANE WAS DIVERTED TO ILLINOIS
AFTER THE SINGER OVERDOSED ON
OPIOIDS.
PRINCE WAS TREATED AT A
HOSPITAL AND FLEW BACK TO THE
TWIN CITIES.
AFTER HIS DEATH, INVESTIGATORS
FOUND OPIOIDS THROUGHOUT
PAISLEY PARK BUT NONE IN
PRINCE'S OLD NAME.
TWO OF THE BOTTLES HAD
JOHNSON'S NAME ON IT.
JOHNSON WOULD NOT ANSWER JAMIE
YOU CAN IS QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING WISH --
YOU WISH YOU HAD DONE TO STOP
HIS DRUG USE?
[ LAUGHTER ] NEXT.
YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE PEOPLE
ENABLED HIM?
NEXT.
ADDICTION IS SUCH A BIG --
NEXT.
THE BOTTLES DID CONTAIN
OPIOIDS, NEITHER CONTAINED
FENTANYL. THIS PAST WEEK,
JOHNSON'S ATTORNEY TOLD US MY
CLIENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE FENTANYL HAVING TO DO WITH
PRINCE'S DEATH.
A DR. ADMITTED IN A STATEMENT
TO A DETECTIVE THAT HE HAD
PRESCRIBED AN OPIOID FOR PRINCE
BUT PUT IT IN JOHNSON'S NAME
FOR PRINCE'S PRIVACY.
AN ATTORNEY FOR THE PHYSICIAN
SAYS THAT IS NOT TRUE.
HE NEVER PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS
INTENDED FOR PRINCE IN ANYONE
ELSE'S NAME.
ONE OF THE SEARCH WARRANT SAID
IT WAS REASONABLE TO BELIEVE
THAT JOHNSON WOULD HAVE HAD
KNOWLEDGE OF HIS ABUSE OF
PRESCRIPTION NARCOTIC
MEDICATION.
[ MUSIC ] IN ADDITION TO
JOHNSON AND THE DOCTOR, DOCTORS
-- DOCUMENTS SAY INVESTIGATORS
ARE LOOKING INTO THE ROLE OF A
CELEBRITY ADDICTION PHYSICIAN
AND HIS SON ANDREW WHO IS NOT A
PHYSICIAN.
AN ATTORNEY SAID IN 2016, HIS
CLIENT WAS PROTECTED BY
MINNESOTA'S SHIELD LAW WHICH
PROTECTS THOSE WHO CALLED 911
WHEN SOMEONE HAS OVERDOSE.
CHAD SMITH HAS A MESSAGE FOR
ANYONE WHO KNOWS SOMEONE WHO IS
STRUGGLING.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE IN A
SITUATION LIKE THAT, SAY
SOMETHING.
Reporter: JOE TIM MARINO IS
NOT CONNECTED WITH THE CASE.
HE REVIEWED THE DOCUMENTS.
HE SAYS THOSE WHO WERE PART OF
THE ORIGINAL SEARCH WORD COULD
FACE CHARGES BUT MINOR.
PRINCE DID NOT DIE FROM
THOSE DRUGS.
Reporter: THE SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENT AND THE U.S.
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DECLINED TO
COMMENT BOTH SAYING THE
INVESTIGATION INTO HIS DEATH
REMAINS ONGOING.
AS MAE MURPHY, WCCO 4 NEWS . --