Anne Burrell Police Find Suicide Note, Toxicology Shows Mixed Drug Overdose
Chef Anne Burrell was found dead in her home on June 17, 2025, and investigators say they discovered a suicidal note and journal entries at the scene as they probed the circumstances surrounding her death.
Anne Burrell: Notes, pills and an initial ruling of suicide
Police investigators searched the shared home and found what they described as a "suicidal note" left by Anne Burrell. They also recovered journal entries with suicidal content in the residence. The chef was discovered surrounded by more than 100 pills after her husband found her in the home. In July, investigators determined the cause of death to be suicide.
Toxicology details from the medical examiner
The New York City medical examiner’s office concluded that the death resulted from an acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine. Those substances were listed together in the toxicology findings, framing the official medical determination of the manner and cause of death.
Family reaction and investigation status
After the discovery, Anne Burrell’s family issued a statement that reflected on her impact, saying her light "radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world, " and that her warmth and spirit remain. Investigators have not released the contents of the note or the journal entries publicly, and officials have limited details about what was written.
The husband, Stuart Claxton, told investigators that Burrell had not voiced suicidal thoughts and that there were no outward signs suggesting she would take such action. Authorities nonetheless treated the scene as a death investigation, documenting the pills, the note, and the medical examiner’s findings as they closed the case with a determination of suicide.
This development adds new, concrete information to the previously known circumstances: the presence of a written suicidal note at the residence and the medical examiner’s detailed toxicology listing multiple substances that, in combination, led to acute intoxication. The disclosure that more than 100 pills were present and the identification of specific substances in the toxicology report provide the principal factual basis for the official ruling.
Those struggling with suicidal thoughts are urged to seek immediate help from available crisis resources. The release of these investigative details follows the formal medical determination and the family’s public expression of grief.
