A formal inquest conducted by authorities in the United Kingdom has determined that beloved San Francisco drag legend Heklina died as a result of acute mixed drug toxicity. The official finding brings a formal conclusion to a three-and-a-half-year inquiry conducted by the London Metropolitan Police into the April 2023 death of the celebrated performer.
Toxicology analysis reviewed during the inquest revealed that Heklina had ingested a potent combination of illicit narcotics prior to her passing. Investigators identified cocaine, MDMA—commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly—methamphetamines, GHB, and ketamine in her system. Police concluded that these controlled substances had been consumed consensually over the course of a 48-hour period.
The findings were formally delivered during a hearing held in London, which was monitored remotely by members of the media. The ruling provides definitive medical answers surrounding the sudden loss of the 55-year-old performer, born Steven Grygelko, whose artistic contributions helped shape the San Francisco entertainment and nightlife landscape as a cofounder of the Oasis nightclub.
Heklina had traveled to the United Kingdom alongside longtime friend, creative collaborator, and fellow drag icon Peaches Christ. The duo was in London for a scheduled run of their parody production, "Mommie Queerest," staged at the Soho Theatre, when the tragic incident occurred.
According to police accounts, the two performers had been sharing a rented flat during their stay in the city. Peaches Christ had temporarily relocated to a local hotel over the weekend to allow Heklina privacy to host personal encounters arranged through gay hookup applications. When Peaches Christ returned to the residence on Monday morning, she discovered Heklina unresponsive in the living room, surrounded by evidence of drug use.
Although Peaches Christ was immediately cleared of any suspicion, the subsequent police inquiry faced severe scrutiny regarding its pace and thoroughness. Officials confirmed that three unidentified men had been present at the residence during the weekend. However, investigators reiterated during the inquest that they uncovered no evidence indicating foul play, third-party involvement, or suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Despite the confirmation of other individuals at the scene, law enforcement faced intense backlash for extensive delays in their investigative steps. Crucially, the Metropolitan Police did not make security footage public showing the three men exiting the flat until January 2025, nearly two years after Heklina was discovered dead.
Later in 2025, both Peaches Christ and Heklina’s legal next-of-kin, Nancy French, disclosed that detectives had informed them that a lethal concentration of narcotics was present in the performer's body. Nonetheless, formal confirmation and closure remained withheld until the conclusion of the inquest proceedings.
Throughout the protracted investigation, Heklina’s case experienced significant administrative instability, being reassigned across four distinct sets of detectives over several years. The repeated handoffs and apparent lack of urgency fueled mounting distress among the artist's family and extensive network of peers.
The delays and handling of the case catalyzed significant community mobilization. On March 31, 2025, Peaches Christ led a major demonstration along London's Embankment, where members of the international drag and LGBTQ+ community marched from Big Ben directly to New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. Demonstrators delivered passionate speeches demanding justice, accountability, and answers regarding the perceived neglect of the case.
Advocates and close friends consistently voiced suspicions that the investigation suffered from systemic negligence and homophobic bias. These criticisms occurred against a backdrop of broader structural issues within the London police force. Public trust had already been severely tested following an independent review led by Baroness Louise Casey in 2023, which documented institutional homophobia, misogyny, and racism within the Metropolitan Police Service.
In response to sustained pressure, the department's internal watchdog, the Directorate of Professional Standards, launched an internal review into the handling of the inquiry. That review ultimately substantiated complaints of mishandling, concluding that two individual officers had improperly managed the investigation into Heklina’s death.
Following Tuesday's inquest, Metropolitan Police leadership acknowledged the departmental failures and issued apologies to Nancy French and Heklina's chosen family for failing to maintain adequate communication. Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah admitted on behalf of the department that the initial police response to Grygelko's death was substandard and fell short of expected policing standards.
While the official verdict of acute mixed drug toxicity formally closes the multi-year inquiry, the case has highlighted enduring concerns regarding the treatment of LGBTQ+ victims by metropolitan authorities, even as admirers across San Francisco and the global drag community continue to honor Heklina’s cultural legacy.
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