Prince death investigation documents unsealed April 17

CHASKA, Minn. (KMSP) - The search warrants related to the Prince death investigation will be unsealed and become public data on Monday, April 17, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday. Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud said “the matter remains an open and active investigation.”

The unsealing of the documents comes almost exactly one year from the date of Prince’s death. Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, was found dead at his Paisley Park estate on April, 21, 2016. The Midwest Medical Examiner confirmed his death was caused by an accidental overdose of fentanyl. Deputies attempted CPR but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Last October, a court order extended the seal on the search warrants and accompanying documents involved in the Prince death investigation until April 17, 2017. Friday’s news confirms that seal won’t be extended a second time.

A search warrant filed May 6, 2016 in Hennepin County identified a Minnesota doctor who treated Prince. The doctor allegedly wrote Prince prescriptions, and was at Paisley Park the day he died. The search warrant for Prince’s medical records was served at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

According to the document, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg saw Prince on April 7 and April 20 – the day before he died. Investigators learned Dr. Schulenberg performed some tests on Prince and was dropping the results off at Paisley Park “when he appeared on the death scene.”
According to the warrant, Dr. Schulenberg told investigators he prescribed medications to Prince, and the prescriptions were to be filled at Walgreens. TMZ has previously reported that Prince had gone to Walgreens 4 times in the week before his death.

Carver County Deputy Sheriff Jason Kamerud told the Associated Press the search warrant was supposed to have been sealed. The warrant asks for all medical records, documents, reports, charts, photographs, prescriptions, doctor's notes and medical images for Prince Rogers Nelson.

The matter of heirship to Prince’s estate is an ongoing matter in Carver County probate court. Prince did not leave a will, was twice divorced, and both of his parents preceded him in death. He didn't have any known children, but does have a sister (Tyka) and at least 5 half-siblings.

This week, the 6 likely heirs to the estate of Prince are asking a Carver County judge to make a final determination and officially name them the late musician’s heirs. On March 21, Judge Kevin Eide wrote the court “is reasonably certain that Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, John R. Nelson, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson (the “Non-Excluded Heirs”) will be found to be the heirs of the Decedent.”

Those 6 have each satisfied the court with proof that they are the sibling of half-sibling of Prince, while handfuls of other claims were dismissed through DNA testing or other means. The 6 siblings say their request does not ask for any immediate payments from the estate, and that their “sole intent with this motion is to clarify what is already widely known -- that they are the siblings” of Prince.

Prince’s estate is estimated to be worth about $200 million, according to court documents. Once the court determines the legal heirs, the law requires at least one full year to pass before any distributions are made.