Lawsuit in Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray’s Death Settled

Nearly eight years after the death of founding Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, his survivors' wrongful death lawsuit against his doctor and his hospital was settled before the trial was scheduled to begin on Monday (Jan. 22). Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Gray died on May 24, 2010 in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa from an overdose of prescription drugs, including morphine and fentanyl. According to the Des Moines Register, his death led to Polk County filing 10 counts of involuntary manslaughter against Dr. Daniel Baldi on the grounds that he had prescribed addictive pills to patients with a known history of drug abuse, including Gray. Baldi was acquitted of all charges in 2014, but Gray's widow, Brianna, filed a civil suit against him and UnityPoint-Des Moines.

Baldi's pain management clinic was closed and he was stripped of his license. After his acquittal, his license was restored and he is currently working as an anesthesiologist in Des Moines.

During the criminal suit, Brianna testified that Baldi, who had been treating her husband for his addiction, had prescribed Xanax to him. However, on cross-examination, Baldi's lawyer, Guy Cook, noted that he had recently cut back on the Xanax dosage and didn't prescribe the medication that led to his death. Only one bottle of pills, among the many found at the site of Gray's death, was prescribed by Baldi, causing the defense to speculate that Gray had purchased them illegally.

“Dan Baldi did not deserve what he went through. I’m glad it’s behind us,” Baldi's lawyer, Connie Diekema, told the paper in the only statement issued by either party.