Mandisa Hadn’t Been Heard from for 3 Weeks Before She Was Found Dead, American Idol Alum’s Autopsy Reveals
The Grammy winner was declared dead on April 18 at age 47
Mandisa’s autopsy report has revealed new details surrounding her sudden death earlier this year.
According to the report, which was obtained by PEOPLE, the Grammy winner was found dead in her home by her friends after having been “last known alive approximately three weeks” earlier.
The American Idol alum died of complications of class III obesity at age 47, per the report. She was declared dead on April 18. Her manner of death is listed as natural.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, Class III obesity is a disease in which a person “has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions.”
On April 19, a rep for Mandisa confirmed her death to PEOPLE in a statement.
“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” they wrote. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
Mandisa appeared on season 5 of American Idol and finished the competition in the top 9 alongside favorites like Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin and eventual winner Taylor Hicks. (On April 30, the singing competition show honored her life with a tribute performance).
Following her time on the show, she went on to release a debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. The album earned Mandisa her first Grammy nomination for best pop/contemporary gospel album and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
She went on to release five more albums throughout her career and earned a Grammy Award for 2013’s Overcomer.
In 2014, her best friend and backup singer Kisha Mitchell died of breast cancer while pregnant, which led to a low period for Mandisa. “When she passed away, it shook the foundations underneath me,” she told PEOPLE in 2017. “I sank into a deep pit of depression.”
The mental health struggles led Mandisa to seek comfort in food and she isolated herself.
