The Adair County Coroner has confirmed cause of death for Truman State student William Batterson who died on campus Sept. 14.
Adair County Coroner Brian Noe says the autopsy indicates Batterson died of an overdose of methadone. He says methadone is sometimes used to treat heroin addictions.
Batterson was found unresponsive in his room and was transferred to Northeast Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy was conducted the following Wednesday.
Noe says friends of Batterson reported Batterson obtained the methadone from a friend in St. Louis.
Methadone is a medication used to relieve severe pain and to prevent withdrawal symptoms in people who are addicted to opiate drugs, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. At this time, it is unclear why Batterson was taking methadone.