More information surfaces in Philip Seymour Hoffman death

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman had apparently separated from his long term partner Mimi O’Donnell in the months leading up to his death on Sunday (February 2), at the age of 46.

According to reports (much of it gathered together at the Daily Mail), Hoffman was found dead in the Manhattan apartment he rented as recently as six weeks ago. His body was discovered, needle still in his arm, by his friend, playwright David Bar Katz, and his assistant Isabella Wing-Dave.

They were asked to check on the actor by Ms. O’Donnell when Hoffman failed to pick up the couple’s three kids from a nearby park.  

Police later found 49 bags of heroin and over 20 used needles in the apartment, along with an array of prescription medications.

Neighbours and witnesses have described seeing the actor in a strung out condition in the days before his apparent overdose.

O’Donnell reportedly told police that her ex-partner was “high” when she saw him the previous day, while Fox News spoke to a man who said he witnessed Hoffman taking money from an ATM on Saturday which he subsequently gave to two men “wearing messenger bags.”

The man said Hoffman “looked like shit,” although other witnesses place Hoffman in a favourite West Village burger joint with friends on the same night.  

It’s suspected that Hoffman’s death is one of hundreds attributable in recent weeks to a batch of heroin cut with fentanyl, known as "Bud Ice", "Income Tax", "Theraflu", and "24K".

Fentanyl is a cancer pain treatment said to be “100 times more powerful than morphine.”

Eight of the bags found in Hoffman’s apartment were stamped with the names "Ace of Spades" and "Ace of Hearts", both of which have also been associated with the lethal heroin batch.

Hoffman reportedly told TMZ last year that he’d relapsed into addiction after 23 years of sobriety. He entered rehab last May.