Heklina’s cause of death revealed after three-and-a-half-year investigation

More than three years after Heklina was found dead at a flat in Soho, London, on 3 April 2023, the cause of death of the San Francisco drag performer has been confirmed.

The Metropolitan Police has concluded that she died from acute mixed drug toxicity – months after friends and fans of Heklina criticised the Met for what they described as a “homophobia” bias.

Heklina’s death prompted years of questions and calls for answers after her body was discovered by her close friend and collaborator of 27 years, Peaches Christ.

Per the Guardian, Peaches found Heklina, 55, “on the floor, in drag, in a very unusual position”, with drugs later discovered in her system.

Heklina died aged 55 in Soho, London

At the time of her death, Heklina was in London to perform her show Mommie Queerest with Peaches at the Soho Theatre. The pair were staying in a flat in nearby Soho Square.

It later emerged that Heklina had arranged to meet men for hook-ups back in her hotel room. Toxicology reports found potentially fatal levels of GHB and methamphetamine in her body, substances often associated with chemsex. However, her official cause of death remained unconfirmed for more than three years.

Further questions were raised when CCTV footage released nearly two years after her death showed three men leaving the flat on the night Heklina died. The men have not been identified and no charges have been brought.

Drag performers call for answers

With the investigation still ongoing, friends and fellow drag performers publicly called for answers, including Canadian-British drag artist Crystal.

Speaking exclusively to Attitude, she previously said, “The whole thing is frustrating. From the failures in investigating, to the lack of transparency with next of kin, to the necessity of going to the media to get progress.”

She added: “The whole affair has been handled about as badly as you can imagine.”

The Casey Review concluded that the Met is riddled with “institutional racism, sexism, and homophobia”

In 2025, friends and fans gathered outside Scotland Yard’s headquarters to protest against the force’s handling of the case. Crystal was among those in attendance.

More than 100 people joined the demonstration, including Peaches, Scissor Sisters star Ana Matronic, and former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants, calling on the Met to take action.

“I’d say it confirmed a lot of my suspicions about how bias shapes our institutions,” Crystal said. “The Casey Review found the Met to be institutionally homophobic, and these are the kinds of outcomes that such bias creates.”

The Casey Review, published in March 2023 by Baroness Casey, concluded that the Met is riddled with “institutional racism, sexism, and homophobia.”

The Metropolitan Police has acknowledged failings in its investigation into Heklina’s death

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, an inquest found cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, GHB and ketamine in her body.

They reported that police determined the substances were “consumed voluntarily over 48 hours”. The investigation is now officially closed, ending a three-and-a-half-year period of unanswered questions.

The Metropolitan Police has also acknowledged failings in its investigation into Heklina’s death. An internal review by the force’s Directorate of Professional Standards found that two officers had mishandled the case, while the investigation was also passed between four different sets of detectives.

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