Officials with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office have revealed the cause of death of Crazy Town vocalist Shifty Shellshock (real name Seth Binzer), who died unexpectedly this past June. According to a statement, the late singer's death was due to the effects of a lethal combination of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. His death, at the age of 49, was ruled accidental.
The cause of death was officially certified on September 24, exactly three months after his passing on June 24. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner had initially announced his passing on their website on June 25, though the cause of death was under investigation at the time.
Throughout his career, Binzer battled substance abuse, often in the public eye. He appeared on several seasons of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and its spin-off Sober House in the late 2000s, where his addiction to cocaine and his efforts at recovery were documented. Despite multiple commitments and honorable, true attempts at sobriety over the course of his career on and off camera, he experienced several relapses, which is the unfortunate reality for anyone dealing with the steep climb to sobriety from addiction.
"Seth Binzer, after struggling with addiction and Crazy Town's rapid success with 'Butterfly,' never was able to reach out on a more successful level to deal with his addictions," the band's manager, Howie Hubberman, told People Magazine on June 27. "We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here." Hubberman further explained, "The cause of death was a combination of prescription drugs and street purchased drugs. Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed — unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included."
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
