Cops: Robin Williams Hanged Himself by Belt

Robin Williams' personal assistant is the person who found his body inside the actor's home yesterday morning, the Marin County Sheriff's Office said today. The assistant became concerned when Williams didn't answer the door and entered the home to investigate, discovering Williams in a seated position, slightly suspended off the ground, with a belt looped around his neck and attached to a closet door, said a sheriff's spokesman at an afternoon press conference. The preliminary cause of death is asphyxia caused by hanging, reports AP. One more disturbing detail: Authorities say that Williams apparently tried to cut one of his wrists, too. They found "acute, superficial" wounds to his left wrist, and a nearby pocketknife had what appeared to be blood on it.

The spokesman said Williams was last seen by his wife about 10:30pm Sunday night when she retired to her bedroom. It's not clear when Williams retired to a different room, but his wife left the home at 10:30 the following morning and assumed he was still sleeping. His personal assistant arrived a little more than an hour later and found the body. TMZ reports that Williams left no note, but police wouldn't discuss that. Toxicology tests are pending. (Click to read about Williams' long battle with addiction.)