DALLAS (CN) – The Dallas County medical examiner concluded Thursday that the death of prominent personal injury attorney Brian Loncar in the days after his teenage daughter’s suicide was due to an accidental cocaine overdose.
Loncar, 56, was found unresponsive in his Rolls-Royce outside his law office on Dec. 6. He was pronounced dead at nearby Baylor University Medical Center.
Two days earlier, Loncar had buried his 16-year-old daughter Grace, who shot herself on Nov. 26 after a years-long battle with depression.
Loncar died from the cocaine and secondary causes of heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure, according to the medical examiner.
Loncar was known throughout Texas for his television commercials that ran for decades. Billing himself as the “Strong Arm,” Loncar spoke about how he would get money for his clients. In his last commercial, he said his staff was willing to drive anywhere in Texas to speak with prospective clients.
Loncar’s family said they accept the medical examiner’s findings, but already knew the cause of his death was “a broken heart” from Grace’s death.
“These are unimaginable losses for our family. Hopefully, these events will serve as heartbreaking reminders that we all need to reach out and care for our loved ones - every day,” the Loncars said in a statement Thursday. “Our family appreciates the outpouring of support as well as the efforts to give us the privacy and space we need to mourn Brian and Grace. We are prayerful that the community will help us examine ways to prevent these types of tragedies from shattering another home and family.”
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.
