New details have emerged in the death of Presley Gerber, with Santa Monica Police officially confirming that investigators are treating the 27-year-old model’s death as a suspected overdose.

Gerber, the only son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died Sunday, September 20, at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica. Police said Monday that officers were dispatched at approximately 9:35 a.m. to a report of a possible overdose in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street.

When officers arrived, they found an adult male who was deceased. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner subsequently identified him as Presley Gerber.

“SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose,” the Santa Monica Police Department said in its official statement.

Police added that there is currently no indication of foul play.

That represents the clearest official account yet of the circumstances surrounding Gerber’s sudden death, but authorities have stopped short of declaring an overdose his cause of death.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will make that determination, and its investigation remains ongoing. (Santa Monica)

Cause of Death Has Not Been Determined

The distinction between a suspected overdose and an official cause of death is important.

Police are investigating the circumstances as a suspected overdose based on the information available to them. The Medical Examiner, however, has not yet determined what caused Gerber’s death or classified its manner.

A deputy medical examiner performed an examination Monday, one day after Gerber died.

Following that examination, both the cause and manner of death were listed as deferred.

The Medical Examiner explained that a deferred determination means additional testing or studies are required before officials can reach a final conclusion. Because the investigation remains active, the department has not disclosed what specific testing has been ordered.

The office said cases with deferred findings can take several months before a final cause of death is determined. (Good Morning America)

That means any report currently stating definitively that Gerber “died of an overdose” goes beyond what authorities have established.

For now, the accurate description is that his death is being investigated as a suspected overdose, while his official cause of death remains pending.

Police Responded to a Possible-Overdose Call

The Santa Monica Police Department’s statement also provides a more precise timeline of Sunday morning.

At approximately 9:35 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Berkeley Street following a report of a possible overdose.

Gerber was found unresponsive at the location.

Separate reporting indicates he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:45 a.m. (TMZ)

Emergency dispatch information obtained by PEOPLE reportedly referenced both an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest during the emergency response. Those details provide additional context about what first responders encountered but do not establish the medical cause of Gerber’s death. (People.com)

Police have not publicly identified a substance believed to have been involved.

They have also not announced evidence suggesting another person caused Gerber’s death.

“At this time, there is no indication of foul play,” the department said. (Santa Monica)

Gerber Was at a Rehabilitation Facility

Medical Examiner records identify Gerber’s place of death as a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica. (AP News)

Sources connected to the case told ABC News that Gerber had checked into the facility the day before he was found dead. According to that reporting, staff discovered him unresponsive Sunday morning. (Good Morning America)

Those details have not all been included in Santa Monica Police’s public statement, so they remain attributed to the outlets and sources reporting them rather than established findings from the department.

The police investigation remains active.

Gerber Had Spoken Publicly About Addiction and Mental Health

Gerber had previously been unusually open about his struggles with substance use and mental health.

Rather than hiding those experiences, he discussed them publicly and at times said he hoped his own difficulties could help other people dealing with similar problems.

During a 2023 appearance on the “Studio 22” podcast, Gerber spoke about depression and other mental-health struggles and said helping even one person escape the place he had once found himself in would make sharing his experiences worthwhile. (Us)

He later used social media to discuss his recovery and treatment experiences, including through a “Mental Health Mondays” series.

Those past disclosures provide context to his life but should not be treated as proof of what caused his death.

Only the Medical Examiner can make that determination.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber Ask for Privacy

Gerber was the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and the older brother of model and actress Kaia Gerber.

Following news of his death, a representative for the family asked the public to respect their privacy.

“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” the representative said. (Good Morning America)

Presley followed his mother into modeling at a young age, signing with IMG Models as a teenager and eventually appearing in campaigns and runway shows for major fashion houses.

His work included campaigns for Calvin Klein and appearances for brands including Dolce & Gabbana and Celine. He also appeared alongside Crawford in a Pepsi advertisement that aired during the 2018 Super Bowl. (AP News)

But in later years, Gerber increasingly spoke publicly about experiences away from the runway, particularly his efforts to address mental health and substance-use problems.

No Evidence of Foul Play

Monday’s statement from Santa Monica Police also addresses one of the major unanswered questions that followed the first reports of Gerber’s death.

Investigators currently have no indication of foul play.

That does not mean the investigation is closed. Police explicitly said it remains ongoing.

It does mean that, based on the evidence investigators have reviewed so far, authorities have not publicly identified signs suggesting Gerber’s death resulted from criminal violence or another person’s deliberate actions. (Santa Monica)

The department is instead investigating the case as a suspected overdose.

Toxicology and Additional Testing Could Provide the Answer

The next major development will likely come from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

In cases involving a suspected overdose, toxicology and other laboratory testing can be crucial in determining whether drugs or medications were present and whether they contributed to a person’s death.

The Medical Examiner has not disclosed which tests are being performed in Gerber’s case.

It has only confirmed that additional testing or studies are necessary before the cause and manner of death can be finalized. (Good Morning America)

That process could take months.

Until then, the official record remains unresolved.

Gerber’s death is being investigated by police as a suspected overdose. There is no current indication of foul play. His medical examination has been completed, but the official cause and manner of death remain deferred pending additional testing.

Those distinctions will remain important as additional information emerges.

What began Sunday as news of the sudden death of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s 27-year-old son has now become an active overdose investigation, but authorities have not yet reached the final medical conclusion that will determine exactly how Presley Gerber died.