Andrew Getty, oil fortune heir found dead, was probably not murdered, police say

Andrew Getty was found dead in his L.A. villa on Tuesday
(Image credit: Associated Press/YouTube)

Andrew Getty, a 47-year-old heir to the Getty oil fortune, was found dead at his Hollywood Hills villa on Tuesday, his family confirmed late Tuesday. The Los Angeles County coroner's office says preliminary information suggests that Getty died of natural causes or an accident, and that no foul play is suspected at this point. Police were called to the house by a woman on Tuesday afternoon, after Getty was found unresponsive in a bathroom. The woman is being treated as a "cooperative witness," according to LAPD spokesman Cmdr. Andrew Smith.

The Los Angeles Times has some more details, gleaned from court records and an unidentified law enforcement source: Getty was found naked from the waist down "and appeared to have suffered from some type of blunt-force trauma," possibly from a fall; he had been feeling unwell in recent weeks; and two weeks ago he had "sought a restraining order against a woman." Getty's parents, Gordon and Ann Getty, asked for privacy. Smith has more information in the Associated Press video below. —Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.