**** killed TV pitchman Billy Mays, autopsy finds



Oxy Clean pitchman Billy Mays visited New York shortly before his death.



Hyperactive pitchman Billy Mays used **** days before his heart attack - and it killed him, officials said Friday.

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.

Pitchman Billy Mays\' wife lashes out at autopsy report that said he used coke


Deceased pitchman Billy Mays\' wife took strong exception to the reports of alleged drug use that may have contributed to his death.

Infomercial king Billy Mays\' wife lashed out on Friday after Florida authorities released autopsy results showing **** helped kill him.

The medical examiner said Mays last used **** a few days before his June 28 death but wasn\'t high when he died in his sleep at his Tampa condo.

However, an autopsy found "**** use caused or contributed to the development of heart disease," the official cause of death.

Mays also had powerful prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in his system, along with a few drinks, officials said.

Mays\' angry family called the announcement "speculative ... and frankly unnecessary."

His widow, Deborah, who found her husband dead in bed, said she may hire an independent expert to review the findings.

She said she was unaware of any drug use by her husband, beyond prescription pills for a hip problem.

"Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension," she said in a statement.

"Given the hectic nature and pace of Billy\'s life, especially during the past 10 months of his exhaustive travel across the country, it was not surprising to hear that hypertension was the cause of his death."

Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of the "As Seen on TV" product company Telebrands, said he never saw any sign Mays was on drugs.

"I\'m just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen."

Mays was famous for hawking OxiClean, Orange Glo and dozens of other products, instantly recognizable by his blue shirt, thick beard and booming voice.

[email]lstandora@nydailynews.com[/email]

i thought this would be about slimpickens.

So now they\'re saying **** is bad for you?  What about all the B Vitamins?

i thought this would be about slimpickens.