Bobbie Jean Carter's Cause of Death Revealed After Her Death at Age 41

Bobbie Jean died of intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department

Bobbie Jean Carter
Bobbie Jean Carter in September 2006. Photo:

Kristy Leibowitz/Getty

A cause of death for Bobbie Jean Carter, the sister of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and the late Aaron Carter, has been revealed.

Carter, 41, died on Dec. 23 of “intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” according to an initial case summary report released by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department and obtained by PEOPLE. Her manner of death was listed as accidental.

The report said Carter’s roommate last saw her at 6:30 a.m., and found her unresponsive on the bathroom floor half an hour later. She was rushed to Tampa’s St. Joseph's Hospital in cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead at 8:02 a.m.

In the "medical history" section of the report, officials said Carter had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, citing her mother Jane, who is listed as her next of kin.

The report also listed propranolol (an anti-anxiety medication), omeprazole (which treats indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux), clindamycin (an antibiotic) and quetiapine (used to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia) as "preliminary meds."

Her death came just over a year after brother Aaron Carter died in November 2022 at age 34, and 11 years after sister Leslie died in 2012 at age 25.

The Hillsborough Sheriff’s department previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Carter was found unresponsive in the bathroom of her Florida home. At the time, deputies also learned that she was on probation for cocaine possession at the time of her death.

Carter’s roommates, however, told the deputies she had not used any narcotics since her release from prison — where PEOPLE confirmed she was held from late September to early November — and the sheriff’s office added that no narcotics or paraphernalia were found in Carter’s bedroom or bathroom. 

There were also no signs of foul play, said the authorities, who stayed with Carter’s daughter, Bella, 8, until her next of kin arrived from Orlando. 

Although a family source initially said Bella was in the care of her grandmother, another Carter family source told PEOPLE exclusively that she is staying with an aunt, her late father's sister, at this time.

In early January, Nick broke his silence on his sister's death, writing that he was "completely heartbroken" as he shared a photo of the two together as children.

"It may take a lifetime to fully process the loss my family has endured over the years — most recently, with the sudden passing of our sister Bobbie Jean," Carter wrote. "I am completely heartbroken."

He went on to share his gratitude to fans for the support he's received. "Thank you for all your love and kind words," he said. "We are reminded again that life is precious, fleeting and to cherish the time we have with the ones we love. I know she is finally at peace with God."

"I love you BJ," the message ended.

Carter’s mother, Jane, paid tribute to her daughter in a statement to TMZ.

"I am in shock from learning of the sudden death of my daughter, Bobbie Jean, and I will need time to process the terrible reality of this happening for the third time," she said, referring to the deaths of her son Aaron, who died at 34 in November 2022, and daughter Leslie, who died at 25 in 2012.

"However deeply a parent feels the loss of a child, the suffering of a young child at the loss of a parent must be much greater," Jane continued. "So, I would ask the sympathetic to say a prayer for my precious 8-year-old granddaughter Bella, who previously lost her father and is now also left without her mother."

Before the cause of death was revealed, sources close to the Carters told PEOPLE the family believed she died after going into cardiac arrest. Carter will be laid to rest in her home state of Florida, a Carter family source confirmed to PEOPLE.

Back in June, Carter was arrested in Florida after she allegedly stole stickers and markers from a Hobby Lobby and was allegedly found to have drugs on her person. She was charged with one count of retail theft and possession of fentanyl.

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