Coroner Releases 'Home Alone' Actor John Heard's Cause Of Death

PALO ALTO, CA -- An autopsy has revealed that actor John Heard, found dead last month in a Palo Alto hotel, had heart disease and died of "sudden cardiac" arrest, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office said in a statement Tuesday.

Heard, 71, known mostly for his roles as the dad in the "Home Alone" movies and a detective in the "Sopranos" TV series, was recovering from back surgery he'd undergone in the Bay Area, but coroner's officials said Tuesday that their investigation and autopsy examination showed the surgery did not play a role in his death.

"Mr. Heard died a sudden cardiac death due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease ... The manner of death was natural," officials said of the actor's July 21 death.

• John Heard, Dad In 'Home Alone' Movies, Dies At 71
  

Photo: Matt Styles/Associated Press