The Clearwater Police Department closed its investigation into the death of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, confirming he died of natural causes at his Clearwater home on July 24, 2025. The department released its 72-page final report on June 13.

The report is drawing renewed attention as the one-year anniversary of Hogan's death passed Friday.

Detective Daniel Bieber, who authored the report, wrote that "following an exhaustive review of the statements, medical records, surveillance footage from within the residence, and a visual inspection of Mr. Bollea's body, there has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural."

The case was classified as "solved, non-criminal."

Hogan, whose legal name was Terry Bollea, was 71. In the weeks before his death, he had been battling a recent diagnosis of lymphocytic leukemia, failing kidneys, and recovery from surgery on his aortic heart valve and a cervical neck fusion. None of those conditions had been publicly disclosed during his lifetime, according to the Tampa Bay Beacons' review of the released files.

The Florida District Six Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was a heart attack. Hogan also had atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm.

What the investigation found

Clearwater detectives subpoenaed medical records from multiple health care facilities, audited Hogan's prescription drug history through the Drug Enforcement Administration, and interviewed more than a dozen people, according to the Tampa Bay Beacons.

The DEA found no overprescribing anomalies or signs of misuse. Physical pill counts showed Hogan was taking fewer pain medications than he had been prescribed.

Security footage from inside the home, viewed by detectives with permission from Hogan's wife, Melanie Bollea, showed him eating yogurt, taking his morning medications, and watching TV before dozing off in a recliner. The footage showed no signs of distress or outside physical trauma.

A home health aide arrived around 7 a.m. on July 24, 2025, and helped Hogan take an elevator downstairs to the living room. An occupational therapist arrived around 9:30 a.m. When the therapist returned from briefly checking on a device in a bathroom, he discovered Hogan was not breathing.

The therapist performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was initially recorded on police body-camera footage telling an officer that Hogan's phrenic nerve had been severed. Four months later, the therapist told detectives he had only "assumed" that and had been "blabbing 'cause I was nervous."

The local medical examiner declined to perform an autopsy. Detectives reviewed a private autopsy commissioned by the family, which concluded Hogan died from natural disease with no traumatic or toxicologic contributions.

First responders arrived at the home around 9:50 a.m. Hogan was pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital shortly after 11 a.m.

Civil litigation still possible

The closure of the police investigation rules out foul play or criminal negligence but does not end the possibility of civil action. In October 2025, Melanie Bollea petitioned the Pinellas County circuit court to extend the window for filing a potential malpractice lawsuit. The current status of that petition is unknown.