Florence Griffith-Joyner (born Delorez Florence Griffith), also known as Flo-Jo (December 21, 1959 �?September 21, 1998) was an American track and field athlete. She is best known for her media flamboyance and World Records in the 100 m and 200 m, which still stand as of 2008. Her career was dogged by allegations of drug use, which was speculated to have caused her premature death. She was the wife of track star Al Joyner and the sister-in-law of Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

 

 Death

On September 21, 1998, Griffith-Joyner died in her sleep. On October 22, the sheriff-coroner's office (required to investigate unexpected deaths) announced the cause of death as: "1) positional asphyxia 2) epileptiform seizure 3) cavernous angioma, left orbital frontal cerebrum".^[1]

The cavernous angioma referred to a brain abnormality discovered during the autopsy that made Joyner subject to seizures. It was a congenital defect, having developed before birth.

In 1990 she had, according to a family attorney, suffered a grand mal seizure and had been treated for seizures in 1990, 1993 and 1994.

The direct cause of death was that she had suffocated in her pillow during a severe epileptic seizure.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Griffith_Joyner