WEST MICHIGAN (March 12, 2014) — The final autopsy results in the December death of Kalamazoo businessman Bill Wright reveal that he died of hypertensive heart disease caused by high blood pressure.
Wright’s body was found Dec. 28, 2013 in Florida.
According to the Lee County Medical Examiner, contributing factors to his death included chronic alcoholism. Drugs were also found in his system, including the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and Hydrocodone, an opiate.
Wright, a well-known car dealer, established a non-profit fund called “Wright For Kids” which benefited various charities and agencies around Kalamazoo that work with kids who are abused or in need of help.
He told FOX 17’s Janice Allen in an August 2013 Pay It Forward segment that he suffered abuse as a child.
“I started ‘Wright For Kids’ because I want our whole community to be aware that these are our kids,” explained Wright. “One of three kids is either sexually or physically abused…I want to try and stop the cycles. The most important thing I want to do is bring awareness.”
