‘I Like to Move It’ DJ Erick Morillo’s cause of death announced
DJ Erick Morillo was found dead in September at his home by the Miami Beach Police Department under unknown circumstances.
A cause of death has been revealed in the recent passing of DJ and music producer Erick Morillo.
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theGrio reported Morillo was found dead in September in his Miami Beach home. The 49-year-old’s death was initially under investigation according to MBPD public information officer Ernesto Rodriguez. Now, an update on the findings is released, linking drug use to his sudden death.
According to E!, The Miami-Dade medical examiner said acute ketamine toxicity was the cause of death and the manner of death was accidental. Benjamin Svetkey, a journalist and author hired to assist with Morillo’s memoir in 2017 shared with Los Angeles Magazine at the height of his fame, the late DJ earned up to $100,000 per show in Europe, Asia, and Australia. During Svetkey’s time spent with Morillo documenting his life story, the author learned of his childhood, rise to fame, and drug use.
Morillo shared that when the pair began their working relationship he had been clean for years, however his experience included hard drugs, even spending $20,000 a month on Ketamine.
“I’ve done a lot of hard drugs,” Morillo said to Svetkey according to LA Mag. He continued, “and have mostly been disappointed. Cocaine made me nervous and paranoid. GHB made me want to throw up or go to sleep. But Ketamine was different. K was love at first snort.”
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Shortly before his death, the Colombian-bred DJ made headlines for a sexual assault scandal. theGrio reported, Morillo turned himself in on charges of sexual battery. A fellow DJ had accused him of rape after a night at his home in December 2019. The unidentified woman claimed she and another woman were invited to his house after she worked at a Star Island party.
According to her story, he offered her a drink and after she changed into a bathing suit to join him in the pool, he began to make unwanted sexual advances. She then claimed she changed into her clothes and accepted an apology from the Morillo. Her complaint detailed that as she slept on the second floor of his residents she had woke up with him standing over her naked and has alleged “flashes” of a rape.
He denied the accusation. However, he turned himself into authorities in August after DNA from a rape kit linked him to the victim. He was due for a court hearing on the Friday following his death.
Morillo notably created the energetic song I Like To Move It in 1993 which was given new life in the animated franchise Madagascar. Throughout his career, he was awarded the DJ Awards’ best house DJ twice, last receiving the honor in 2009, and best international DJ three times in 2002, 2005, and 2006.
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