A 27-year-old Durango man died of an apparent drug overdose early Friday morning at his home.
“It didn’t look like foul play, and he didn’t have any medical conditions,” La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said about the death of Franklin Kuhlke. “It seems likely it was an overdose, but we’ll know more after the autopsy on Tuesday.”
A final ruling on cause of death probably won’t be issued until toxicology results are available, which usually takes several weeks, she said.
Kuhlke, who moved to Durango in June, lived with friends on East Third Avenue. He was active in the acting community, said Michelle Martinez, general manager of the Strater Hotel. The young actor was set to debut as Rocky in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Friday at the Henry Strater Theatre.
“Many of the cast and crew have not heard yet because they were busy at work or school,” she said Friday afternoon. “We’ll have to tell them when they arrive for rehearsal, and it’s going to be a sad night.”
Kuhlke worked at Derailed Pour House, Martinez said.
