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Subscribe to RSSFORT WORTH, Texas -- Police are investigating the death of Thomas "Ty" Boone Pickens IV, the 21-year-old grandson of billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, as a possible drug overdose, two sources familiar with the investigation told NBC 5.
At least one witness told investigators that Pickens, a student at Texas Christian University, took the prescription drug Xanax and later injected heroin in the hours before he died, the sources said.
Pickens was pronounced dead Tuesday morning at Baylor All Saints Medical Center, where a friend brought him after saying he wouldn't wake up. He already may have been dead for several hours, the sources added.
Read original story, watch video on NBCDFW.com
Pickens had been staying at an off-campus condo, Fort Worth police Cpl. Tracey Knight said. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine his cause of death, she added.
A young man who answered the door at the condo did not want to give his name, but said that he and his cousin -- also TCU students -- were with Pickens on Monday night.
The man, who was visibly shaking, said Pickens told them he had taken Xanax earlier Monday and later used heroin inside their condo when the two had gone to the store and left Pickens alone.
When they returned from the store, Pickens appeared to be sleeping, he said.
Tuesday morning, when Pickens did not wake up, he and his cousin carried his body to a car, he said. His cousin drove Pickens to the hospital while he went to class, he said.
The man said police searched the condo for drugs later Tuesday morning, but he could not say what officers found.
Police had not yet decided late Tuesday whether or not to arrest anyone who may have been involved in the alleged drug use.
Knight said homicide detectives were notified of the death but it wasn't known if they would lead the investigation.
News of the death and the possible drug connection was certain to spread fast across the TCU campus following a well-publicized drug raid just last year.
A spokesman for Pickens' grandfather issued a written statement:
"Ty’s loss at such a young age is an unspeakable family tragedy for the entire Pickens family and his many friends. We mourn his passing and respectfully request that the family be allowed to grieve in private in this time of sorrow," said Jay Rosser, spokesperson for T. Boone Pickens.
The university also emailed a statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of this member of our community and our hearts and thoughts are with Ty’s family at this time,” said Cavins Tull, TCU vice chancellor for student affairs. “Staff members are available if students need to speak with someone about this sad news.”
TCU360.com reports Pickens was a junior majoring in strategic communication.
A spokeswoman for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner did not immediately return a call for comment.
NBC 5's Amanda Guerra and Meredith Land contributed to this report.
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What are people thinking?!
Hey, I heard if you stick this in your arm and inject Heroin, you could die! Or, maybe not!
"REALLY?!" Lemme try it and see what happens!
Cough.........Dead.That's a real bummer considering that he most definitely would have been an heir of a Billionaire after his Grandfathers passing.
I agree. Sad for the family, but if you're so stupid in this day and age to be toying with heroin, you're too stupid to stay in the gene pool. Dying saved another family from dealing with his hit-and-run, his bath-salt murder spree, whatever dumbass mayhem was in his future. Buh bye.
This is sad my condolences to the family. Drug use has been going on forever. Sad to say its not going to stop. If this kids granddaddy wasn't rich this story would be a short obituary. Lets not belittle the kid for his choices. We all have made stupid choices.
We have people with real problems committing suicide because they see no hope for their future. Here is a guy who has the world as his oyster messing around with drugs because he is bored, no coping skills, no imagination, blah, blah. It's so hard being a rich kid with domineering elders! Come on rich kids, man up ! Do somethin worthwhile !
You seem to make a lot of assumptions here. Perhaps he did have real problems. If he died from heroin/ and Xanax it would seem that drugs were a very real problem. Perhaps the world was not his oyster just because his grandfather was wealthy. So you know that he was messing around with drugs because he was bored, had no coping skills etc...So how well did you know this young man? Domineering elders, again you know this how?
In 2009 3,358 people died from heroin over dose. It is astounding to see the numbers for this drug. Of course we don't hear of the middle class abusers or of the poor users who become addicted or die. It is only the high profile people who bring this tragic path of addiction to light.
He may well have been all of the things you suggest but, he is still dead and if the coroner finds it was do to drug overdose I would hope that his family will do everything they can to help their community deal with this aweful epidemic of Heroin abuse.
I see, you are assuming he was intelligent and involved in important personal endeavors. As an intelligent guy he couldn't possibly have known all about how dangerous the drugs were he was messing with, and so as an intelligent guy he went ahead and used it in a manner to kill himself. He was so good at coping, was so intelligent and had himself squared away. Because he was poor, nothing to live for, and had no opportunities to do anything truly worthwhile, not even opportunity to learn to say "no to drugs". Surrounded by friends who were upstanding and engaged in scholarly and personally fulfilling behaviors like eevryone would like to teach the kids to do. I see what you mean by impyling (but not assuming) he came from poverty, and there couldn't possibly have been any Pickens family resources to assist in helping him develop a useful purpose. Yes. I see what you mean. You are not making any assumptions at all. Thanks for pointing that out.
I don't believe I assumed anything about the young man. Perhaps, you should focus on general reading comprehension. I do think we can infer, although I did not say it before, that he had a reasonable level of intelligence to be a student at TCU. Basic intelligence, however, does not always dictate prudence. It doesn't always go hand in hand with common sense.
As I read down through your post 2.2, you are off on some really disconnected tangents. Perhaps you should take a moment to collect and organize your thoughts.
I see. You can infer but no one else can. But that is not an assumption. Thank you.
IReadyou...so are you feeling a bit more feet to the ground today?
This is sad,but, after seeing his GPA on TV today it does NOT surprise me. I doubt his family gave him the time of day they are so money hungry...
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW MA & PA PICKENS wheres ur gbaby????
GPA & others were just too busy like buying up land in Nth Tx to steal the water & sell it to notice the boy was on drugs...
The rich, like anyone else, have inner demons that they can't handle. Hopefully, someone close can see the signs and offer help.
Speaking of being "rich", I'm pondering a question. I don't know if it's appropriate to ask or not, but here goes.
If a TCU student without a billionaire grandfather dies doing drugs, does Cavins Tull, TCU vice chancellor for student affairs, release a press statement expressing the university's condolences to the family?
Or is that "courtesy" reserved for kids who overdose but come from BIG money?
Harold, I would suppose that TCU offers condolences to the families of any student who has died while attending the University. I honestly believe that they do what they can to provide and promote a drug free environment but their reach doesn't go too far beyond the boundaries of the campus. When there were issues with students selling drugs last year the School cooperated fully to see many students caught in a sting. Unfortunately, drugs complicate the college experience and not everyone walks away whole.
What a sad waste of possibility, if he truly dies of Heroine and Xanax. Prayers to the family for your loss.
There is never a good ending to drug abuse.......
Texas Christian University? A paradox? Get the guy some booze and broads like any other college student, and maybe this doesn't happen.
TCU grad here. The school is not a religious institution like a Baylor or a BYU. TCU has an extremely active Greek system--and all that entails. There's no restrictions on clothing or prohibitions on alcohol--except on school property. There's co-ed dorms. etc.
So the name doesn't really reflect the values of the campus.
I guess those Texas cops should have given this guy a cavity search.
exactly why they should make Heroin illegal along with Cocaine. oops..already done..then why are kids and adults still getting a hold of it, shooting their arms up,Overdosing, commiting crimes for the drug money, stealing guns for the drug money..because it doesnt matter. just as with gun bans, ammo clip bans..anyone can and will still get a hold of it..Politicians are not stupid, they know this, they just assume people are that stupid and will blindly go along with whatever they decide.
Ya, laws are useless.. might as well make everything legal
Exactly, Bill! Murder is illegal yet everyday someone in America murders someone else. It just proves that laws don't work!
Kids, don't decide to "like" heroin. It's nothing but bad.
Karma for grand dad being such reich wing scum bag
I don't share too many political beliefs with "grand dad", but this comment shows a lack of class on your part. Now is not the time to make cheap political jabs.
We all have our demons, and sadly this young man lost his fight with his.
Dexter, you need to be medicated, slapped with a backhand follow-through and then locked up.
How shady is the roommate? Unnamed, with the ubiqitous "cousin," and they had conveniently left to go to the store together when he booted up. Not to blame them, but I think they may be a little more involved than he'd lead you to believe. Come on boys, cough up the yam-yam supply.
Wow. To have incredible wealth in your present and future and still need the comfort of the needle! I'm so sorry he wasn't able to see where he was headed. Having done stupid things in my youth (sliding vertically down a 50 ft. high dam in college into 2 feet-deep water below to impress a girl, etc.) I realize that young people often don't take things as seriously as they should, but everyone with common sense knows no good comes of heroin and other "pleasure" drugs.
Poor dumb kid ...wish he would have just gone to the emergency room and had another chance...only 21 - breaks my heart...for any kid who make the ultimate mistake ...we all made stupid mistakes when we were young - just some of us are luckier then others.
Young Mr. Pickens - this old fart usually has other types of comments to make - but -
The loss of a good life is one of the worst possible happenings – especially one so young.
I truly wish yours could have followed a different path.
I also apologize on behalf of the posters here for any of the negative posts about you or your family.
You will be missed by your friends, family and people who knew you.
Best wishes to your family to get through the loss and to remember the void left behind is not empty but filled with memories…and those can never be lost…
Obviously, the roommates are leaving something out.....When exactly did he tell them about his Xanax and then herion choice? They said HE told them he used Xanax and later did some smack while they were gone at the store....but then they said upon their return from the store he was sleeping. So when did he tell you? Come on boys....get your story straight. Everyone has demons....and when something like this happens....makes my heart ache no matter who it is. So sad.
Obviously the other two are involved. They said that He told them he had used Xanax and then smacker later in the day while they were gone to the store.....when exactly did he tell them....when according to them upon arrival home from the store they thought he was just sleeping....when really dead?
The whole thing is so sad. So sad it makes my heart ache. No matter who it is, to lose a life to something so horrible and to have it such a young life..... SENSELESS and heartbreaking.
Sometimes having too much is as bad as having too little.
Heroin? That might be so, but since he's family is wealthy and he's white...bet he gets the "Died of natural causes" written on his death certificate...
Ahhh...another rich loser.