New Details Emerge in Cause of Death for Soap Star Billy Miller
Billy Miller
Three months after the tragic passing of soap opera star Billy Miller, grim new details have emerged in the case.
Per the Travis County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, which was obtained by RadarOnline.com, first responders found the actor deceased inside the bathtub of his Austin, Texas home on Saturday, Sept. 16.
"According to reports, this 43-year-old man with a history of bipolar disorder and depression was found deceased in the bathtub of his residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the head," the report stated.
"Multiple letters indicating suicidal intent and instructions for others were found at the scene. A revolver chambered for .410 shotgun shells was found in the decedent's right hand."
The official autopsy report continued, explaining Miller's blood alcohol level was listed at 0.08 and "Postmortem toxicology demonstrated the presence of ethanol, cocaine, and its metabolites, diphenhydramine, and amphetamine."
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The soap opera veteran, who earned three Daytime Emmys for his role as Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless, passed away on Friday, Sept. 15, just two days before what would have been his 44th birthday.
His death was first announced in a report from journalist Michael Fairman and was later confirmed by his grief-stricken mother, Patricia Miller.
"He fought a long, hard, valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease,” Patricia said in a statement. "He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life."
Over the course of his successful 16-year-long career on TV, Miller became a well-known soap star.
In 2006, he secured his first TV screen role playing Will Graham in CSI: NY. He later went on to portray Richie Novak in All My Children (2007-2008) before securing his breakout role on The Young and the Restless (2008-2014), for which he earned three Daytime Emmys: two for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also portrayed John Delario on The CW's short-lived series Ringer.
He followed up his 719-episode run on The Young and the Restless by joining the cast of General Hospital–where he portrayed three characters (Drew Cain, Jason Morgan and Jake Doe) across 519 episodes. He also guest starred on NCIS, Suits, CSI, Ray Donovan and Truth Be Told and appeared in the movies American Sniper (2014), Fatal Honeymoon (2012) and Bad Blood (2015).
Since his passing, many of his colleagues and fans in Hollywood have taken to social media to pay tribute to his life and legacy.
