Josh Mauro had been on a four-day cocaine binge before his accidental overdose, according to a Phoenix Police Department case report that adds new detail to the former NFL defensive end’s death at 35.
The report, first obtained by the California Post, says Mauro was with several women, including a dancer, in the hours before he died in April. The woman told police she had met Mauro a week earlier and later accepted an invitation to his Arizona home in the early hours of April 23, along with a friend and two other women.
Once there, she said Mauro and a friend started snorting cocaine while “all of them” drank tequila and listened to music. After a few hours, the dancer and the other women went upstairs to sleep, while Mauro and his friend stayed downstairs.
When she woke up, she said she found Mauro alone and apparently dead on the floor. She then tried to revive him and called emergency services.
The woman also told police that Mauro said he had been on a “bender for four days” before she arrived. She said she noticed he had frequent nosebleeds and would sweat after snorting cocaine.
According to the report, investigators found a bottle cap containing a white substance near Mauro’s body, along with a white powdery substance near a rolled-up dollar bill, tissues with what appeared to be blood on them, and a syringe in a trash can.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner previously listed Mauro’s cause of death as an accidental overdose. That report found “traces of fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol” in his body, along with “cannabinoids and caffeine”.
Mauro’s death was first announced by his father Greg, who wrote: “With many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh Mauro is now healed and made new - living in the presence of the Lord - we humbly covet your prayers as our family walks through the devastating loss.
It added that Mauro “breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven.”
Born in St Albans near London, England, Mauro moved to the United States when he was three and grew up in Texas. He became a standout in high school, then played college football at Stanford University.
Mauro went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent, but he was released during final roster cuts.
He later joined the Arizona Cardinals, where his career took hold. Mauro spent four seasons with Arizona from 2014 to 2017, then returned for a second stint from 2020 to 2021. He also played for the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Over his NFL career, Mauro became a rotational defensive lineman and occasional starter. In 2016, he started 13 games and finished with a career-high 42 tackles.
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