Although many news publications initially reported Eric Chase Bolling’s cause of death as a suicide, nothing has been confirmed as of this writing. But even as newer reports are claiming that the 19-year-old college student was “destroyed” by the controversy surrounding his father, former Fox News Channel anchor Eric Bolling, the young man’s death remains shrouded in mystery due to the lack of evidence suggesting that he might have killed himself.
Citing sources familiar with the situation, TMZ wrote today that Eric Chase Bolling had suffered “ emotional torture ” due to the alleged circumstances behind his father’s departure from Fox News Channel. Eric Chase was reported to have died just a few hours after it was announced that Eric Bolling and FNC had parted ways, following allegations that he had sexually harassed some of his female colleagues by sending them lewd text messages.
As recounted by Variety , the elder Bolling was best-known for hosting the Fox News Channel programs The Five and Cashin’ In . He had also been instrumental in the launch of another FNC program, The Fox News Specialists, though FNC confirmed that Bolling’s departure also means The Specialists will be canceled. His son, Eric Chase, had just started his sophomore year at the University of Colorado in Boulder, according to a report from CNN .
Eric Chase Bolling Jr. Died in Bed after ‘Emotional Torture’ Over Dad’s Firing https://t.co/lcVihA52s4
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 11, 2017
The TMZ report went on to add that Eric Bolling had agreed on an earlier departure date from FNC due to concerns that his son was “having trouble dealing with the publicity and the embarrassment.” And while it’s been theorized that the younger Bolling killed himself due to the emotional stress related to the allegations made against his father, TMZ also noted that Eric Chase Bolling’s cause of death is questionable at the moment, as the teenager was found dead in his bed on Friday afternoon, with the covers placed normally. No suicide note was found, while there was no evidence either of pill bottles or drug paraphernalia.
A report from Heavy emphasized that there may have been publications , TMZ included, that jumped the gun in reporting Eric Chase Bolling’s cause of death as a suicide. Following the elder Bolling’s statement that there was “no sign of self-harm” at the scene of his son’s death, TMZ removed all references to suicide from its original report on Eric Chase’s passing, simply stating that the teenager died hours after his father parted ways with Fox News Channel.
However, a prior TMZ update earlier that Saturday afternoon alleged that Eric Chase “died from a drug overdose,” per unnamed “well-placed FNC sources.” This was again speculated on Monday morning’s report, though the theory is far from official, with the coroner’s office still in the process of conducting toxicology tests.
Citing a family friend, CNN reported that an autopsy will be conducted on Monday to determine Eric Chase Bolling’s exact cause of death.
[Featured Image by Paul Morigi/Getty Images]
