Whitney's body flown home on private jet
Whitney Houston's body arrived in a golden hearse in New Jersey after being flown by private jet from Los Angeles.
It came as it emerged her doctors will be quizzed to see if she illegally obtained a collection of prescription pills that may have killed her.
The star could have been dead before she became submerged in the LA hotel bath where her body was discovered, it was reported last night.
It is feared the tragic singer may have been killed by a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol rather than drowning.
The Bodyguard star was found in the bath of her Beverly Hilton hotel room on Saturday with her face underwater.
Mystery still surrounded the cause of her death last night.
But according to reports, her family were told the 48-year-old may have died before she became fully submerged — after consuming a combination of drugs and booze.
The star's body arrived at Whigham Funeral Home in her home state today as plans were under way for the singer's funeral.
The star's family is considering holding her funeral in an 18,000-seat arena on Friday.
And it emerged last night that pill bottles found in her room were from the same pharmacy that supplied Michael Jackson. Cops were reported to have said they were from the Mickey Fine chemists. It was where Jacko got Demerol and other drugs.
One theory also being considered was that singer Whitney had a heart attack caused by a reaction to the binge cocktail.
It is believed only a small amount of water was found in her lungs. Los Angeles cops obtained a search warrant and are said to have found SIX prescription pill bottles — Xanax, Lorazepam, Ibuprofen, Midol, Amoxicillin and Valium.
Meanwhile, pictures emerged yesterday showing a meal Whitney had moments before her death. The star ordered a hamburger, fries, a turkey sandwich and jalapenos, according to reports.
She ate her burger and chips, but took the rest into the bathroom.
One chilling image showed her food tray discarded on the bathroom floor soaked in water after the desperate struggle to revive her. Other lunch remains were pictured strewn on a table with an empty Champagne glass and can of beer.
Another picture has since emerged of the star's bath tub showing a gravy boat that had sunk to the bottom.
The singer would fill it with olive oil to keep her skin soft, gossip site TMZ reported. Also in the bath were two hair ties and a towel Whitney may have been using to keep her locks dry.
County coroners will request copies of Whitney's medical records to cross-reference with the prescription bottles, a source told The Sun.
Police could charge anyone who gave Whitney drugs illegally before her shocking death — just as in the case of Jacko's doctor.
The source said: "Investigators will speak to her doctors. Even though it appears to be prescription pills that may have killed her as opposed to illegal street drugs, the authorities need to be satisfied she had these drugs in her possession legally.
"They need to determine that no one is criminally negligent. There could still be charges in this case."
Airlifted ... the private jet thought to have carried the singer's body from LA to New Jersey
The Sun told yesterday how Whitney went on a 48-hour booze binge before she died. She was shown looking wasted on one of the nights out.
LA's Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter yesterday confirmed the mum of one was found in the bath — but insisted that it was too soon to determine the cause of death before the results of toxicology tests.
He said: "We are awaiting the results of toxicology tests. We do not know yet (the cause of death)." Asked about reports the singer was dead before her head went under the water, Mr Winter said it was too early to be sure — and he had NOT told Whitney's family this.
He said an autopsy on the divorced diva had already been done.
And yesterday her body was taken from an LA funeral home to a local airport. It is then thought it was loaded aboard a private jet owned by actor Tyler Perry and flown home to Whitney's native New Jersey.
LA officials are cracking down on a prescription drug epidemic.
Such drugs were blamed in recent years for killing a string of celebrities — including Jacko, former teen idol Corey Haim, Clueless actress Brittany Murphy and glamour girl Anna Nicole Smith.
Last year Jackson's personal doctor Conrad Murray, 58, got four years' jail for involuntary manslaughter after a court heard he killed the 50-year-old Thriller superstar with a cocktail of prescription drugs in 2009.
Tests on Whitney's body confirmed there was water in her lungs.
But medical examiners will need to determine exactly how much before they can officially rule whether she died from drowning.
Mr Winter also said Beverly Hills police had requested a security hold be put on the case so no additional information would be released.
No visible signs of foul play or trauma were found, but he would not officially rule out illegal drugs or suicide. He said: "We're looking at all aspects of the case. There are reports she maybe drowned or overdosed — but we won't make a final determination until all the tests are in." One little-known US hip-hop website reported that Whitney had taken an entire bottle of painkillers.
Reports yesterday also claimed Whitney's body was discovered by her aunt Mary Jones at the hotel, where fans lay flowers yesterday.
She had laid out the gown her niece was to wear to her mentor Clive Davis' Grammy's party that night.
But she went into the bathroom after the singer had been in there for 30 minutes with no sound.
Police Chief David Snowden said Whitney was removed from the bath by a "member of her personal staff" at around 3.30pm. She was under-water and apparently unconscious," he added. "Fire Department personnel, accompanied by hotel security, responded to her hotel suite. They initiated CPR, but were unable to revive her." - www.thesun.co.uk
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