When emergency crews arrived at a Santa Monica rehabilitation facility on the morning of September 20, Presley Gerber was unresponsive. Within minutes, the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber was pronounced dead.
But Presley had not been staying at the facility by himself.
New reporting says several other residents were at the rehabilitation property, and police have already interviewed people who were there as investigators try to determine what happened during Presley’s final hours — including whether drugs were involved and, if so, where they came from. (TMZ)
The investigation remains open. Police have said there is currently no indication of foul play, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet determined Presley’s official cause or manner of death. (Los Angeles Times)
He Had Checked Into the Facility Only Hours Earlier
The timeline emerging from law-enforcement sources is startlingly short.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Presley checked into Resolutions Living in Santa Monica at approximately 10 p.m. Saturday, September 19.
By the following morning, emergency responders were being called to the property.
Police received calls concerning both a cardiac arrest and an apparent overdose. Officers arrived at approximately 9:35 a.m., and paramedics pronounced Presley dead at 9:45 a.m. (Los Angeles Times)
That means less than 12 hours separated his reported arrival from his death.
Presley Was Living Around Other Residents
Initial reports said Presley had been living with several other people at the rehabilitation facility.
TMZ, citing sources with direct knowledge, reported that Presley was staying in a separate house on the grounds while receiving treatment. (TMZ)
The facility, Resolutions Living, operates programs for people dealing with addiction, trauma and mental-health conditions. Reporting describes its Santa Monica residence as a seven-bedroom property valued at approximately $7.7 million. (Los Angeles Times)
That detail has become increasingly important to the police investigation.
Because Presley was not isolated, detectives potentially have witnesses who can help reconstruct what happened between his arrival Saturday night and the emergency call Sunday morning.
Police Have Already Questioned People Who Were There
According to TMZ, investigators have interviewed people who were at the rehabilitation facility when Presley died.
Police are reportedly trying to determine first whether Presley consumed drugs and, if toxicology ultimately confirms that, where those substances originated. (TMZ)
Among the possibilities investigators are examining is whether any substances were legitimately prescribed or came from another source, such as a friend or dealer.
But there is an important distinction here.
Police questioning residents does not mean those residents are suspects.
TMZ reported that investigators currently have no suspects and that authorities do not believe foul play was involved. (TMZ)
For now, those interviews appear to be part of reconstructing Presley’s final hours.
What Happened Between 10 P.M. and 9:35 A.M.?
That roughly 11½-hour window is now at the center of unanswered questions.
Presley reportedly arrived at approximately 10 p.m.
At around 9:35 the next morning, authorities were responding to an emergency.
At 9:45, he was pronounced dead.
What happened in between has not been publicly established.
Reports citing unnamed sources have claimed Presley did not appear sober when he arrived at the facility. That allegation has not been independently established by the medical examiner, and it should not be treated as a confirmed fact about what was in his system. (Page Six)
Toxicology testing is expected to provide much more definitive information.
The Official Cause of Death Is Still Pending
The phrase “overdose” has appeared repeatedly in coverage of Presley’s death, but authorities have not yet officially determined that an overdose killed him.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on September 21.
The cause and manner of death were then listed as deferred, meaning additional testing or studies are required before a final determination can be made. (Los Angeles Times)
Those additional tests can take months.
So, at this stage, the most accurate description is that police are investigating a suspected or apparent overdose, while the medical examiner’s official conclusion remains pending.
Investigators Want to Know Where Any Drugs Came From
If toxicology confirms drugs played a role, the next question is obvious: how did Presley obtain them while entering treatment?
Police are reportedly attempting to establish exactly that.
According to sources cited by TMZ and the Los Angeles Times, investigators are trying to trace the potential source of whatever substances may have been involved. (TMZ)
That explains why speaking with other residents is potentially so important.
They may be able to tell detectives who interacted with Presley, what his condition was when he arrived, whether anyone visited him and what happened during the hours before the emergency call.
Authorities have not publicly accused the facility, its employees or another resident of supplying Presley with drugs.
Presley Reportedly Had a Sober Coach Before His Death
Another detail has emerged about the support surrounding Presley during the final months of his life.
TMZ reports that Presley frequently traveled with a sober coach who provided extensive support and was deeply involved in his day-to-day life.
The arrangement was described as around-the-clock.
However, one crucial question remains unanswered: whether the sober coach was actually with Presley at the rehabilitation facility when he died.
That has not been established publicly. (TMZ)
So while the coach was reportedly an important presence during Presley’s final months, it would be inaccurate to suggest that person witnessed his death or was at the facility that morning.
His Parents Had Continued Supporting His Recovery
Presley’s struggles weren’t something Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber had ignored.
A source close to the family told PEOPLE that Cindy and Rande had remained highly involved in their son’s life and consistently supported him. The family is reportedly in “total shock” following his death. (People.com)
Presley himself had also become remarkably candid about what he was going through.
In interviews and social-media posts, he discussed depression, addiction, treatment and his desire to use his experiences to help other people.
He launched a recurring social-media series called “Mental Health Mondays,” where he talked openly about his experiences.
Earlier This Year, Presley Tried Another Treatment
One of Presley’s final major public disclosures involved another attempt to address his addiction and mental-health struggles.
Earlier in 2026, he revealed that he had undergone ibogaine treatment in Cancún.
Presley described the experience as part of a deeply personal attempt to confront his addiction and fears, expressing hope that it would be the last time he needed rehabilitation. (InStyle)
His mother publicly supported him.
Cindy referred to her son as a “warrior” as he continued trying to recover.
Only months later, Presley was again entering treatment.
His Last Public Appearance Had a Powerful Connection to His Struggles
In June, Presley appeared publicly alongside Cindy and Rande at a mental-health awareness event in Malibu.
It would become his final documented public appearance with his parents.
He spoke about his own experiences and his desire to make conversations surrounding mental health more open.
That appearance looks painfully different in retrospect, but it is important not to turn it into evidence that Presley or his family knew what would happen months later.
Nothing publicly available establishes that.
Kaia Had Spoken About Her Brother’s Long Battle
Presley’s younger sister, Kaia Gerber, had also acknowledged how deeply addiction affected their family.
She spoke publicly about watching her brother struggle and expressed pride in his willingness to discuss his experiences openly rather than hide them. Presley’s own comments similarly emphasized his hope that telling the truth about what he’d experienced might help someone else. (EW.com)
That openness became a defining part of the final years of his public life.
Presley wasn’t pretending recovery had been straightforward.
He repeatedly acknowledged setbacks.
And he repeatedly tried again.
Now Police Are Reconstructing His Final Night
For investigators, however, the immediate focus is much narrower.
Who saw Presley after he checked in?
What was his condition?
What happened overnight?
What substances, if any, were in his system?
Were they prescribed?
And if they were obtained elsewhere, where did they come from?
Those are questions investigators are reportedly attempting to answer through witness interviews, records and toxicology testing. (TMZ)
The people who were staying at the facility could therefore become important witnesses.
But at this stage, there is no public evidence that any of them committed a crime.
No Foul Play Is Currently Suspected
That point matters because a headline saying police have “questions” can easily imply something more sinister than authorities have actually said.
Police are investigating.
They are interviewing people.
They are attempting to trace possible drugs.
But sources close to the investigation say no foul play is currently suspected and there are no suspects. (TMZ)
The unanswered questions are significant, but they remain unanswered.
The Answers May Ultimately Come From Toxicology
The most consequential evidence may not come from a witness at all.
It may come from Presley’s toxicology results.
Those tests could establish what substances were present in his body and help the medical examiner determine whether they contributed to his death.
Until those results are complete, reports describing Presley’s death as an overdose remain preliminary.
What authorities can establish so far is a devastatingly short timeline.
Presley Gerber entered a Santa Monica rehabilitation facility at around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Other people were staying at the property.
By 9:35 the following morning, emergency services had been summoned.
Ten minutes later, Presley was pronounced dead at only 27. (Los Angeles Times)
Police have now spoken with people who were there and are attempting to determine exactly what happened during those final hours. (TMZ)
For Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber and Kaia Gerber, those answers cannot change what happened. But they may eventually explain how a young man who entered a facility seeking help was dead before the next morning.
For more on Presley’s life, check out Inside Presley Gerber’s Most Recent Public Romance – Rare Photos Show His Relationship With Model Isabella Jones. You can also read about Jennifer Eckhart’s Final Public Message Resurfaces After Her Death at 36 – She Said She ‘Can’t Wait to Share’.
