London police reveal drag queen Heklina's cause of death
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The London Metropolitan Police have given a cause of death for drag artist Heklina on September 15, three years after her tragic and sudden death.
The San Francisco-based queen was found deceased in London on April 3, 2023, by her friend and housemate Peaches Christ. The two were in London for a run of Mommie Queerest, a musical parody of the classic 1981 film Mommie Dearest.
Authorities have reported that Heklina died from acute mixed drug toxicity. The autopsy found that Heklina consumed fatal amounts of cocaine, meth, MDMA, GHB, and ketamine in the span of 48 hours.
In 2023, London police said they believed no foul play was involved. Two years later, they revealed they had surveillance footage of three men leaving Heklina’s residence early that morning.
The men have neither been named nor charged with Heklina’s death.
Since the start of the three-year investigation, friends and fellow drag artists of Heklina have pushed for answers and more action from authorities.
More than 100 demonstrators rallied together in protest of the handling of the case in 2025, including friend Peaches Christ, who found Heklina and Canadian-British queen Crystal. The group marched outside Scotland Yard, criticizing their “homophobia bias” in its inquiry.
In a police press conference, investigators said they “found no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or that the death was suspicious” and that the investigation is officially considered “closed.”
Police also acknowledged failings in its investigation. An internal review done by the force’s Directorate of Professional Standards found that two officers had mishandled the case. According to police, the]e investigation was also passed between four different detectives.
“The initial investigation into Steven’s death was not good enough,” Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said in the statement, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“While the shortcomings identified ultimately had no bearing on the outcome of this tragedy, the investigation did not meet the high standards we expect of ourselves.”
Fellow drag queen and friend of Heklina, who found her body, writes in a Facebook post: “I’m experiencing very mixed emotions following the inquest into Heklina’s death and the news that the Metropolitan Police has reprimanded detectives over failings in the handling of her case.”
“The failings that let down Heklina and all of us who loved her.”