On August 20, 2022, country singer Luke Bell was in Tuscon, Arizona, with his friend and fellow country singer Matt Kinman. While they were there, Kinman left to get something to eat, and when he came back, Bell was nowhere to be found.

Bell was missing for six days before his body was finally discovered. He was found in a shady area of a parking lot, and he was not responsive. Drug paraphernalia was nearby. He was just 32 years old at the time of death.

It has been about a month since Bell disappeared, and we finally know his cause of death. According to an autopsy report released by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s office, Bell died from fentanyl intoxication. According to the U.S. Sun, the autopsy report also revealed that Bell had arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In addition, he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.076.

According to the Mayo Clinic, arteriosclerosis is when blood vessels are thick and stiff instead of flexible and elastic like arteries are when they’re healthy.

After the announcement of his death but prior to the release of the autopsy report, Bell’s family explained that he suffered from mental illness. In a statement to TMZ, they explained, “Luke had a gentle heart, a wanderer’s spirit and a musical gift that he was fortunate to share with us and the world.” The statement continued, “Unfortunately Luke suffered from the disease of mental illness, which progressed after his father’s death in 2015. Luke was supported through his disease by a community of loving family and friends. Despite this, he was unable to receive the help he needed to ease his pain. Our hearts go out to the millions of people affected by mental illness who, like us, understand the devastating disappointment of a system that consistently fails to provide caring solutions to those who suffer.”

Bell released his first country album in 2014, but due to suffering from bipolar disorder, he never went on tour. Instead, he retreated from the spotlight.

In 2016, Bell told The Boot, “Life’s not that bad. The downside, in some ways, is I don’t have a wife and kids, but at the same time, it’s pretty ideal right now. I just travel around to other cities and hang out with other people… The goal is to have high hopes and low expectations and have a good time.”

Listen to Bell perform “Jealous Guy” in the music video below.