Coroner: Kidd Kraddick Had 'Cardiac Disease'

Kidd Kraddick, unidentified male

Kidd Kraddick had an enlarged heart and “cardiac disease” according to preliminary autopsy results released Monday by the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office. Investigator Tommy Evans said the cause of death is still under investigation, according to nola.com.

Pathologists are awaiting the results of toxicology tests. Evans said the autopsy, performed Monday morning, did not turn up any other abnormalities. “Heart disease was evident,” he said.

The 53-year-old Kraddick was a chain smoker. He died Saturday while in Gretna attending a golf tournament fundraiser of his charity, Kidd’s Kids. Kraddick fell ill while at Timberlane Country Club in Gretna and was taken to Ochsner Medical Center-West Bank in unincorporated Gretna.

Kraddick lost consciousness in the vehicle on the way, Evans said. He was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital.

Doctors at the nearby Ochsner Medical Center -- a five-minute drive from Timberlane -- "did really just a heroic effort to resuscitate him," according to deputy coroner Granville Morse. "They really pulled out the stops. Unfortunately, they couldn't get him back."

He said the autopsy is not final because toxicology tests are not back, but Kraddick's heart was enlarged by cardiac disease, and three coronary arteries ranged from 40 to 80 percent blocked. Those conditions can lead to an irregular heartbeat and collapse, Morse said.

Kraddick was the host of “Kidd Kraddick in the Morning,” a Texas-based radio show heard on dozens of radio stations across the United States, including B-97 in New Orleans. Kraddick's charity, Kidd's Kids, annually provides trips to Disney World for chronically and terminally ill children.

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