Death Summary: Sid's death and the events leading up to it are a bit complicated. He overdosed on heroin, but he was revived and then went to sleep the same evening and never woke up again.

At the time, the coroner said that he died because after a heroin overdose if the victim goes to sleep, their heart slows with each REM phase, and the heroin that he used was much stronger than what was normal for that time. He had also not used any in a long time and his tolerance had dropped.

Sid's mother allegedly confessed before she died however, that she had given him a lethal dose while he had slept so that he didn't have to go to prison for murdering Nancy Spungen.

Who was Sid Vicious: Sid Vicious (real name - John Simon Ritchie) was the bass player for punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He was a drug addict and so was his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, who he was arrested for murdering.

It is not certain whether or not Vicious actually killed Spungen, because he had no recollection of doing so. After both of them being drugged out of their minds, he allegedly woke up to find her dead from a single stab wound to the abdomen.

There are theories that one of two drug dealers to visit their home that night had actually committed the crime, but it was Sid who was arrested, though he made bail.

Categories: Celebrities, Criminals, Entertainment, Music.