Prince was cycling around his $6.7million estate before his death
While some sources say Prince looked 'frail and nervous' outside a Walgreens before he died on Thursday, one woman paints an untroubled picture of the musical icon's last days.
Prince appeared carefree as he cruised around on his bike for more than an hour on Monday in photos taken by neighbor Heather Hofmiester, who lives a mile away from his estate, TMZ reported.
As adoring fans flock to Paisley Park to pay tribute to the 57-year-old, the future remains unclear for the vast, 50,000-square-foot compound as his sister Tyka Nelson stands to inherit the studios valued at $6.7million, according toFox9.
Helen Hofmeister, who took photos of Prince just three days before his death, said: 'He looked so happy and carefree, whizzing around the compound on his bike. The wind was kind of blowing through his hair and he was smiling'
Adoring fans flock to Paisley Park to pay tribute to the 57-year-old, leaving behind hand written notes, purple balloons and bouquets of flowers
The future remains unclear for the vast, 50,000-square-foot compound as his sister Tyka Nelson stands to inherit the $6.7million compound
Images of the Purple Rain star soaking in the sun on his bike may provide a comforting image of Prince's last days as reports of his drug use circulate after the star was found unconscious in an elevator.
Hofmeister, who took the photos just three days before Prince's death, said: 'He looked so happy and carefree, whizzing around the compound on his bike. The wind was kind of blowing through his hair and he was smiling.
COUNTDOWN TO PRINCE'S DEATH
Thursday, April 14: Prince performs in Atlanta and appears to be fine.
Friday, April 15: Prince's private plane makes an emergency landing at Moline, Illinois, and he is taken to hospital for 'flu symptoms'. He is released after three hours of treatment.
Saturday, April 16: Prince goes to a party in Minnesota to give 'proof' he is still alive. 'Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,' he tells fans.
Sunday, April 18: Prince is seen riding a bicycle outside his apartment.
Wednesday, April 20: Prince is taken to a Twin Cities hospital seen by a doctor. He is later seen looking 'frail and nervous' at a Walgreen's store near his estate at around 7pm. It is his fourth visit to the pharmacy this week. He is last seen entering his home at about 8pm and speaks to Will Smith that night.
Thursday, April 21: Prince is found unresponsive in an elevator inside his compound at 9.43am. He is pronounced dead at 10.07am.
'At least the fans can see this picture and see he was happy right up until the end. He really looked like he was enjoying himself.'
She added Prince was enjoying the light exercise for about an hour and showed no signs of fatigue.
Not everyone was convinced all was well with Prince, however.
His former drug dealer claims the superstar would spend $40,000 at a time on opioid pain killers such as Dilaudid pills and Fentanyl patches to help him battle his crippling stage fright.
Prince also suffered from a hip condition, thought to have been caused by his live shows, often performed in sky high heels.
Other sources said the 57-year-old overdosed on Percocet painkillers after a performance in Atlanta about a week ago.
A police source told the Mirror: 'We understand Prince suffered chronic pain after developing a hip problem. Naturally he took painkillers to ease his troubles but police are looking into if he was prescribed too many.'
Percocet is a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone and is used to treat acute pain, often for those with joint problems.
The drug is extremely addictive and users can easily overdose if they take more than just two pills at once, according to Prescription Drugs.org.
An autopsy was done Friday but a cause of death hasn't been released, and authorities declined to comment on reports that Prince had been treated for a painkiller overdose less than a week earlier.
Prince was seen walking out of a Walgreens pharmacy near his Minnesota estate just 15 hours before he was pronounced dead on Thursday. It is claimed that he overdosed on Percocet painkillers just six days before his death
A few people were seen embracing emotionally (left) as they met at Paisley Park in Minnesota, on Saturday, and his driver was seen outside the property dressed in smart clothes (right)
WHAT IS PERCOCET? HIGHLY-ADDICTIVE OPIATE DRUG THAT PRINCE MAY HAVE OVERDOSED ON BEFORE HIS DEATH
Percocet is a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone and is used to treat acute pain, often for those with joint problems.
The opiate drug is highly addictive and is usually not prescribed to people who have a history of drug addiction.
Side effects of Percocet include seizures. Prince had epilepsy as a child and suffered seizures, although he later claimed he no longer had the condition after being healed by an angel.
Overdose can cause vomiting, stomach pain, confusion, and yellowing of the skin.
As the overdose progresses, users start to feel faint, their heart rate slows and they can eventually stop breathing and fall into a coma.
Actor Heath Ledger, who died following a prescription drug overdose in 2008, had oxycodone in his system and had also taken a lethal cocktail of other substances.
Soul singer Gerald Levert also had Percocet in his blood stream when he died of an overdose in 2006. He also had Vicodin in his system.
Prince's autopsy took place today, but the results will not likely be known for weeks.
'The Chief Medical Examiner for Midwest Medical Examiners Office, on behalf of Carver County Sheriff's Office, has performed the autopsy on Prince Rogers Nelson,' a spokesman for the examiner said.
'The autopsy began at 9am CDT and was completed by Dr A Quinn Strobl at 1pm local time. The body will be released to family later today.
'As part of a complete exam, relevant information regarding Mr Nelson's medical and family history will be taken into consideration.
'Midwest Medical Examiners Office will not release information until the exam is complete and all results are obtained. Gathering results will take several days and the results of a full toxicology scan could likely take weeks.'
While fans gathered outside Paisley Park, leaving handwritten notes, purple balloons, and bouquets of flowers to commemorate the singer songwriter and his extensive legacy, others have already begun to question the future of Prince's estate.
If he failed to leave behind a will, his younger sister Tyka Nelson, 55, may inherit much of his fortune.
Minnesota law states that if an unmarried individual with no children dies without a will, the parents, grandparents, and siblings of that person stand to inherit their wealth, though that can be contested in court under certain circumstances.
Prince's parents, John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw, are both dead and Tyka is his only sibling.
She and her brother were close in recent years after a difficult stretch in their relationship when Tyka was struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine and prostituting herself to support her two young sons, Sir Montece Laeil Nelson and President LenNard Laeil Nelson.
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SharePrince has an approximate net worth of $300million, not including the estate, valued at $6.7million according to Fox9.
It is also believed the complex, which included a huge recording studio, massive 10-man closet, and rehearsal rooms, houses a vault packed with unreleased material and two completed albums.
Fans have been speculating for years about a huge maximum-security room containing up to 2,000 hidden tracks, and his sound engineer Susan Rogers has confirmed the rumors are true.
Prince's music catalog is worth another cool $500million, due in large part to the fact that unlike other artists he owned both his master recordings as well as his own music publishing.
Haunting photographs showing the inside of the 50,000-square-foot complex where Prince was found dead have revealed how the singer was obsessed with music and loved purple. Above, one of the many rooms in the mansion
The property, valued at $6.7million, also features an extravagant lobby area with large balconies looking out upper floors. Prince's sister stands to inherit his fortune if it turns out he failed to put together a will
A huge recording studio, which was designed by architect Bret Theony, holds many of the star's musical instruments, while a rumored vault contains a treasure trove of unreleased tracks
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