Prosecutors: Smith was on 44 medications

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Prosecutors alleged in a Los Angeles hearing that model Anna Nicole Smith was taking 44 different medications prior to her death in 2007.

The hearing followed a two-year investigation into the Playboy model's death. It was held to determine whether Howard K. Stern, Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor should face felony charges in connection with Smith's death, People.com reported Friday.

Stern, 40, has pleaded innocent to charges ranging from deceit or misrepresentation to conspiracy to commit a crime. Stern was Smith's attorney and former partner.

Eroshevich, 61, and Kapoor, 41, are physicians facing charges of unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance, prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict, and conspiracy to commit a crime for allegedly providing Smith with the medications.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose alleges all three defendants gave Smith -- who died of an acute combination of toxic drugs at age 39 -- the medications despite knowing she was an addict.

"It's like putting a gun in the hand of someone who is suicidal and saying don't pull the trigger," Rose said in court this week.