Police were dispatched to reality stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s compound in Arkansas at 8:30 am Sunday to conduct a follow-up investigation, two hours after the death of Tommy Duggar, according to a report obtained by TMZ.
Tommy, who is Jim Bob’s uncle, died of an apparent heart attack in his home, according to TMZ. A police officer said that Tommy’s husband, Lawrence Nestrud, informed authorities he reported feeling ill multiple times before he passed away, the outlet reported. Nestrud said Tommy refused to go to the hospital because he was afraid they would tell him to go live in a nursing home. Tommy was 75 years old at the time of his death.
Cops Visit Duggar Home After Jim Bob’s Uncle Dies Miles Away https://t.co/JLqgg1B8tK
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 28, 2023
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Nestrud said Tommy was in the bathroom on Sunday when he shouted out for help. He collapsed against the closed door before anyone made it to him and was unresponsive after falling, according to TMZ.
Tommy was pronounced dead in his home. The report indicates that he died of natural causes, TMZ reported.
The correlation between Tommy’s death and the investigation into Jim Bob and Michelle remains unclear at this time.
Nestrud later informed police that his husband hadn’t been himself leading up to his passing. He said he was not diagnosed with a specific medical condition but he was showing signs of memory loss and seemed to have been “falling more often,” according to The Sun. (RELATED: Actor Confirmed Dead 5 Months After His Disappearance)
It was reported that Tommy’s body was covered in bruises that were all at different levels of healing at the time of his death, according to The Sun.
The Duggar family rose to fame in the hit reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” and has been the center of a media frenzy when Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12 years in prison for possession of child pornography.