[Illustration by ALEX FINE]
PHAWKER: Just heard back from a trusted and informed source on the ground in Memphis who tells us the “Jay Reatard was murdered” meme is a dog that won’t hunt. It all started when the local Fox News affiliate blared the news that the homicide division of the Memphis police department was investigating Reatard’s death, failing to mention that that is standard procedure for all DOAs. Pitchfork picked it up and ran with it and it went semi-viral. The story has since been pulled from the Fox News affiliate’s web site, Pitchfork still has it up. Our source speculates that the cause of death if most likely natural causes, an accidental oversdose or heart failure brought on by the cumulative effect of years of hard living. Sad news to be sure, but we can’t help but think Jay Reatard would be pleased to learn he was still fucking shit up even in death. Rock on, duder. 
PREVIOUSLY: According to the Fox Memphis, “Memphis Police are searching for a possible suspect in Wednesday’s death of Memphis musician Jay Reatard at his Cooper-Young home. Officers were called to the 900-block of Meda around 3:30am and found 29-year old Jimmy Lindsey, Jr., also known as Jay Reatard, dead on arrival. The Homicide Bureau is handling this as an ongoing investigation.” MORE
NEW YORK TIMES: The Commercial Appeal of Memphis reported that a roommate had found him in bed, and the police have opened an investigation into his death. A spokeswoman for the Shelby County medical examiner in Tennessee said an autopsy had been performed but that a cause of death had not been determined. MORE
PREVIOUSLY: Jay Reatard RIP