Former New York Giants defensive end Josh Mauro consumed cocaine and spent time with several women in the days before his death earlier this year, according to a Phoenix Police Department case report. Mauro, 35, was found deceased in his Arizona home.
The police report states that Mauro invited a dancer he met approximately one week prior, her friend, and two other women to his residence on April 23. Upon their arrival, Mauro and a friend began to ingest cocaine while the group consumed tequila and listened to music.
The dancer told investigators that she and the other women went to an upstairs bedroom to sleep, while Mauro and his friend remained downstairs. She discovered Mauro alone and apparently deceased on the floor when she awoke and subsequently called emergency services. She reported attempting to revive him.
According to the report, the dancer described Mauro as being happy and a “sweetheart” prior to the incident. She also stated that Mauro had been on a “bender for 4 days” and that she observed him experiencing frequent nosebleeds and sweating after snorting cocaine.
Investigators found a bottle cap with a white substance, a rolled-up dollar bill with a white powdery substance nearby, a significant number of tissues with apparent blood, and a syringe in a trash can near Mauro's body.
An autopsy by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined that Mauro had traces of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol, cannabinoids, caffeine, and their metabolites in his system. His death was officially ruled an accidental overdose. Mauro played one season for the Giants during his eight-year NFL career.