KEY POINTS

  • The Daughtry family revealed Hannah's cause of death amid the various speculations surrounding it
  • Hannah died from suicide by hanging while under the influence at her home on Nov. 12 after telling her family she was in fear for her life
  • Hannah's family said she struggled with mental illness from a young age and had been in and out of therapy and treatment centers

The cause of death of Chris Daughtry's stepdaughter, Hannah Marie Price, was revealed two months after she passed away.

Hannah was found dead in her home in Fentress County, Tennessee, on Nov. 12. She was 25. The cause of her death remained uncertain until today.

The Daughtry family confirmed in a statement to People that she died from suicide by hanging while under the influence of narcotics. The family decided to address the issue due to various speculations surrounding Hannah's death. They released a statement after law enforcement completed the investigation.

The family admitted that Hannah had struggled with mental illness "from a young age." She had been "in and out of therapy and treatment centers" over the years. However, things got worse.

"As Hannah got older, she struggled to find her footing and began using drugs and often found herself in abusive relationships," the statement read. "Just months after losing her biological father to suicide, Hannah was the victim of a crime and was shot in the face. We did everything we could to support her and get her the help she needed to recover from these tragedies and get her life back on track. We had just recently made plans with Hannah for her to seek further treatment and move closer to the family."

On the day Hannah died, she contacted her family and told them she "was in fear for her life" after her boyfriend allegedly physically abused her. The family immediately called the Fentress County Police Department to check on her, and they were able to talk to Hannah. They said she was "ok" before 1 p.m. However, her boyfriend later found her hanging. He called the police and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The family remembered Hanah as a "generous and loving person who wanted more for herself than others." They also asked for privacy as they grieved and encouraged others with loved ones experiencing a mental health or addiction problem to seek help.

There were rumors that Hannah's death was a homicide. Her mom, Deanna Daughtry, immediately denied it in a post on Instagram in November.

"The news floating around that we said our daughter's death is being investigated as a homicide is false! We were not told that and never said that to anyone!" she wrote. "The day Hannah was found I shared some concerns I had with some people I know and said we won’t know anything for sure till after they complete the investigation. Someone took that and went running with it or they talked to someone else who then made assumptions and went running to the press with it. None of us can go jumping to conclusions."

Chris Daughtry
Chris Daughtry, a former finalist of "American Idol," is being sued by his ex-band members of Absent Element, claiming they are owed royalties for four of his hit songs. REUTERS