Autopsy: Overdose killed councilman
County forensics classifies Green’s death as accident
City Councilman Larry Green died of an overdose of methamphetamine and chloroethane, medical examiners have determined.
The 52-year-old’s March 6 death is classified as an accident, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences reported on its website Friday morning. The Houston Police Department’s case remains open, but police do not suspect foul play.
Methamphetamine is a common and powerful illegal stimulant. Chloroethane, also known as ethyl chloride, is used as a solvent, refrigerant and local anesthetic, the IFS said in a statement. The chemical also is sold under names such as “Black Max” or “Maximum Impact” and used as a recreational inhalant to create a “sense of drunkenness
and relaxation,” IFS said.
Green, who represented southwest Houston for more than six years, remains the only person elected to lead District K, one of two seats added after the 2010 census led the council to grow from nine to 11 districts, plus five at-large seats.
The councilman was remembered as a fierce advocate for the communities he represented, bringing street repairs, a new police station and an economic development zone to his district.
‘He left a legacy’
Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed others at City Hall on Friday in saying he was unaware of any substance abuse issues Green may have confronted away from the office. He added that the councilman served his district honorably and effectively.
“That is how I will choose to remember him. More than anything, I ask people to continue to pray for his family, who must deal with his death every single day,” Turner said in a statement. “The autopsy results do not diminish the great work he did for the people of District K. However, it does remind us that our actions have consequences.
“I hope everyone will continue to celebrate his life instead of focusing on his death.”
Green’s family, meanwhile, asked for privacy.
“While learning the information we have about the circumstances of his passing is painful, it does not change the fact that Larry was a wonderful, caring person and a dedicated public servant for the people of Houston,” it said in a statement. “Our family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Donald Perkins, the District K chief of staff who worked for Green throughout his tenure, said Friday morning that he did not know nor want to know the county’s determination, preferring instead to address residents’ calls about missed trash pickups and broken water lines.
“I love the fact that he’s at peace, and I focus on the fact that he left a legacy in the district,” Perkins said. “I just want everybody to know that the District K office is going to continue to be very professional, very responsive, and we’re going to continue to move the spirit and the legacy of what Councilman Green wanted for us moving forward.”
District B Councilman Jerry Davis, who often shared a chuckle with Green during long meetings from their adjacent chairs at the council horseshoe, said it would be inappropriate to discuss the county’s findings in Green’s absence.
“His work speaks for itself,” Davis said. “The work that he’s been doing, it’s been proven the last two weeks in the outpouring of support from people in the community, colleagues, even the media displaying everything he’s done, the wonderful things he’s done in the city for the last six years and two months.” District C Councilwoman Ellen Cohen felt similarly.
“I’m sorry to learn of the results of the autopsy, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a good man and did great things for his district. And a good friend,” she said. “Our offices are next to each other, and so I had a chance to see the relationship he had with his constituents, and it doesn’t change what he did for his district.”
Praise from civic leaders
Councilman Mike Laster joined the council at the same time as Green, representing newly created District J, which shares a border with District K in the southwest.
“I continue to grieve the loss of my brother Larry Green,” Laster said. “I choose to remember the man he was, the good he did, and the legacy he leaves. I trust in the sure and certain hope that he rests in the eternal arms of a loving and gracious God.”
Civic leaders praised Green’s work ethic, marveled at the number of events and community meetings he attended, and said the councilman was known to answer texts after midnight. Green took builders on tours around his district, pitching its numerous vacant tracts for development. He organized an aggressive tree-planting program and was a champion for a program that hires artists to beautify electrical boxes at intersections.
“He gave himself to this district,” Turner said at Green’s funeral service two weeks ago. “The district loved him. He loved them back. And Larry was hands-on, and he wanted better because if you’ve lived in districts and neighborhoods that have been underserved, what brings you satisfaction is to make it better.”
Green practiced law for two decades, served as district director for U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, and ran the job training nonprofit HoustonWorks USA for four years, leaving that post a few months after winning his council seat. As a councilman, he chaired the transportation, technology and infrastructure committee and also held leadership posts with the National League of Cities.
Nine candidates have filed for a May 5 special election to fill his seat.
Green is survived by a brother, two nieces, two nephews and numerous family members in Texas and Louisiana.