EL PASO, Texas -- Former Texas-El Paso basketball star Hernell 'Jeep' Jackson died of a heart attack caused by a congenital heart ailment and not because of cocaine use, a medical examiner's assistant said Friday.
A cocaine residue was found in Jackson's bloodstream after his death May 2, but Manuel Diaz, chief investigator for the El Paso County medical examiner's office, said at an afternoon news conference that a heart ailment caused Jackson's death.
Jackson suffered a heart attack because a birth defect resulted in decreased blood flow through an artery leading from the heart, Diaz said.
He would not elaborate on the coroner's findings, saying a complete report on Jackson's death would be released Monday by Dr. Juan Condin, El Paso County's medical examiner.
Jackson, 23, collapsed and died May 2 during a basketball exhibition at Fort Bliss with the Houston Oilers professional football team.
The point guard helped lead the Miners to four consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships during five years at Texas-El Paso. He was scheduled to graduate in the spring and had planned to enter law school.
Two young women who allegedly provided cocaine to Jackson the night before he died have been indicted for drug delivery and are free on bail awaiting trial.
