New York/Los Angels - Actor Brad Renfro, who was found dead last month in his Los Angeles home, died of an overdose of heroin, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times Friday. Court spokesman Craig Harvey said the one-time child star had needle marks on his hands and the cause of death was acute poisoning by heroin, the story said.
Harvey said Renfro's friends believed he had been "clean" in the weeks before his death. It was possible he had shot up a large dose of heroin which his body had been accustomed to from prior use, Harvey said.
Renfro had a history of addiction and criminal troubles.
Born in Tennessee, Renfro was a child star whose landed his first big part in the movie The Client at the age of 10. His later films included Deuces Wild, American Girl, Ghost World and the Adrien Brody military flick The Jacket.
But he was most often in the headlines for other reasons.
In 1998 he was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana but avoided jail time. He was later charged with trying to steal a yacht in Florida and was arrested again in December 2005 when he attempted to buy heroin from an undercover officer. After his arrest, he entered rehab. In May 2006, Renfro served 10 days in jail in connection with the 2005 charges.
