Coroner: Death of Andrew Getty appears natural or accident

Alan Wang Image
ByAlan Wang KGO logo
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Man dead at Hollywood Hills home is Andrew Getty
A statement from the Getty family says a man found dead in a Hollywood Hills home is Getty oil fortune heir Andrew Getty.

LOS ANGELES (KGO) -- The son of a Bay Area billionaire and of one of the wealthiest families in America, Andrew Getty, was found dead Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He is the son of Ann and Gordon Getty

A family employee, who was at the San Francisco residence of Andrew Getty's parents, acknowledged the death of Getty and said the family declined to talk. Andrew Getty grew up in that home.

From their Pacific Heights home, multi-billionaires Ann and Gordon Getty released a statement asking the media and the public to respect their privacy.

Police were called to Getty's Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles around 2:15 p.m. where Getty was found in the bathroom.

The Los Angeles County coroner says it appears he died of natural causes, or an accident, because of medication found at the scene.

A woman, who was present at the time of death, was taken in for questioning and she's cooperating with investigators.

"I don't know her name, but she is the individual that reported the death and is a friend of the deceased," said Los Angeles police Capt. William Hayes.

Court records show Getty sought a restraining order against a woman two weeks ago.

Andrew Getty was the 47-year old grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and he was part of the Getty Trust.

He was raised in San Francisco and was close friends with former San Francisco mayor and current Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom.

His father Gordon Getty has a net worth of $2.1 billion dollars.