Death of Mark Ruffalo's brother: Key witness may have overdosed

A key figure in the Beverly Hills police investigation into the 2008 shooting death of actor Mark Ruffalo’s brother Scott may have suffered a fatal drug overdose, authorities said Wednesday.

Shaha Mishaal Adham died Jan. 6 after being admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. She was arrested in 2008 and subsequently released in connection with the Ruffalo homicide investigation.

Although the exact cause of Adham's death has been deferred pending toxicology results, sources said drugs are believed to have played a role in her death. The sources would not discuss what type of drugs were involved.

Adham, 29, was the daughter of a wealthy Saudi businessman. She was at the North Palm Avenue residence of Scott Ruffalo when he was shot once in the head on Dec. 1, 2008. Ruffalo, a 29-year-old hairdresser, died of his wounds a week after the shooting.

Police quickly identified Adham and her boyfriend, Brian Scofield, as persons of interest in the case. The couple turned themselves in to police a week after the shooting and were booked on suspicion of attempted murder before being released.

Since then, Beverly Hills police have said little about Ruffalo's death. Through a department spokesman, they declined to discuss what role, if any, Adham or Scofield played in the death or how Adham's death could affect the murder investigation.

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-- Andrew Blankstein