Was Murphy murdered?

Probe: Toxicology report states rat poisoning was cause of death

A new toxicology report suggests Clueless and Happy Feet star Brittany Murphy and her husband may have been murdered.

The report - ordered by her father, Angelo Bertolotti - indicates rat poisoning may have been the cause.

The Los Angeles coroner said Murphy, 32, died Dec. 20, 2009 of pneumonia and anemia. Five months later her husband, Simon Monjack, died the same way.

Bertolotti legally secured the release of Murphy's hair, blood and tissue samples for testing after years in court. Examiner.com reports that the Carlson Company found 10 different heavy metals in very high levels in the actress's body.

The report says: "If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent."

Heavy metals are usually found in pest-control products and when she died, Murphy was showing signs of heavy metal poisoning.

These include: Headaches, dizziness, abdominal cramps, coughing, sweating, disorientation, wheezing, congestion and pneumonia.

"Vicious rumours, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany's reputation," Bertolotti told the Examiner.

"My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junky, as they repeatedly implied," he said. "Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany."