Reports Continue to Come in on the Death of Heath Ledger

Last week the entertainment world was stunned at the news that the body of 28 year old film star Heath Ledger had been found dead.

The nude body of the star of such acclaimed films as "Brokeback Mountain" and "I'm Not There" was found at the foot of his bed late Tuesday night by a housekeeper and a massage therapist in Ledger's New York apartment.

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," said Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain."

Police have not ruled out or concluded that drugs were related. It's been reported that a rolled up 20 dollar bill, possibly used to snort cocaine, was found near the body. Residual tests on the bill showed no drug residue, and preliminary autopsy tests have come back inconclusive. It will take approximately 10 days for a full autopsy to be completed and determine whether the death was the result of an overdose or drug related.

Ledger's father called the death "tragic, untimely and accidental."

Kim Ledger called his son "down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish" and "extremely inspirational to many."

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life," he said. "Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."

It is known that Ledger had been dealing with a number of issues. Ledger was dealing with anxiety over the upcoming release of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight", in which Ledger plays Bat-nemesis, The Joker. He'd also been prescribed sleeping pills for insomnia and was ill with pneumonia.

It's been said that Ledger's recent roles, including the Joker, had been tremendously grueling both mentally and physically. It has been rumored that his role in "The Dark Knight" is a much darker interpretation than previous ones of the character and that it may have in someway affected the actor in an equally emotional way.

Ledger is survived by his two year old daughter Matilda, conceived with his ex, actress Michelle Williams.

Batman: The Dark Knight is expected to hit theatres this June, and there have been no schedule changes announced at this time.