Full Breakdown
Clearwater Police Conclude Hulk Hogan’s Death Was Natural, No Criminal Involvement
6/9/2026, 4:46:55 AM
Fatal Incident Overview
On July 24, 2025, professional wrestler Terry Bollea, known as Hulk Hogan, was found unresponsive at his Clearwater, Florida home. His wife, Sky Daily Hogan, called 911 at 9:51 a.m., reporting he “didn’t seem like he’s breathing.” Firefighters and Sunstar paramedics performed CPR and transported him to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m. He was 71.
Health Issues Prior to Death
Investigators confirmed that Bollei had been receiving full-time home health care for several serious conditions. In the weeks before his death he underwent spinal-fusion surgery on his neck and a heart-valve repair. He also had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, atrial fibrillation, and kidney failure requiring dialysis, along with a history of pneumonia and numerous orthopedic surgeries.
Police Investigation Summary
The Clearwater Police Department released a 72-page report after reviewing statements, medical records, home-surveillance video, and a visual inspection of the body. Detectives interviewed the wife, home health aide Dana Swinton, occupational therapist Justin McCamey, the primary-care physician, and emergency responders. The report found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, drug abuse, or suspicious prescribing patterns. Surveillance footage corroborated witness accounts, and the body showed only minor abrasions consistent with chest-compression. A private autopsy ordered by the family concluded the death resulted “exclusively from compelling natural disease,” with no traumatic or toxicologic contributions.
Official Statements
Clearwater Police officials emphasized that the investigation addressed public concerns and confirmed the lack of foul play. The department thanked the Hogan family for cooperating and granting access to personal information during a period of grief. The Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner had previously ruled the cause of death an acute myocardial infarction, consistent with the private autopsy’s natural-disease finding.
Speculation and Clarifications
Early remarks by occupational therapist McCamey suggested a possible phrenic-nerve injury from the recent neck surgery, prompting media speculation about surgical complications. McCamey later clarified he was not a medical doctor and that his comment was based on limited information. No evidence of such an injury appeared in the police or autopsy reports.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural,” — Clearwater Police Department, investigation report
- “My husband — it doesn’t seem like he’s breathing.” — Sky Daily Hogan, 911 call
- “Under the circumstances, it fell to the Clearwater Police Department to address, challenge, or validate some of the concerns in the case,” — Clearwater Police Department, report
- “exclusively from compelling natural disease, with no reasonable traumatic or terminal toxicologic contributions,” — Dr. Daniel Schultz, private autopsy summary
Future Legal Action
Court filings show the Hogan family submitted a petition on September 30, 2025, to extend the statute of limitations for a potential medical-malpractice investigation. No criminal or civil charges have been filed as of the report’s release.
