Amber Siyavus, who appeared on Season 8 of “Big Brother” in 2007, was found unresponsive in a Las Vegas bedroom on October 9 and later pronounced dead at 1:40 p.m. Officers who responded to the home found a white snorting straw, a lighter, burnt foil, white powder, prescription pills and four Narcan sprays in her luggage, though authorities have not revealed her official cause or manner of death.
According to TMZ, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the home after Siyavus was discovered unresponsive in a bedroom. Police reported that she was found holding what appeared to be a white snorting straw and a lighter, and after her body was moved, officers discovered aluminum foil with burnt residue and a small plastic bag containing white powder underneath her. Officers also said they found numerous prescription pills and four Narcan sprays — a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses — in her luggage.
Siyavus's aunt told police she had returned to Las Vegas from Michigan on October 4 to visit her mother. The aunt said she first spotted Siyavus lying sideways in bed around 7 a.m. on October 9, and when she checked on her again around 11 a.m., Siyavus was still in the same position and unresponsive. The aunt then called police, and dispatchers were told Siyavus was not breathing and was cold to the touch, per the same account.
Family Describes Prior Struggles, No Warning Signs
The aunt also told police that Siyavus had previously attended rehab for heroin and unidentified pills, but said she was not aware of Siyavus having any suicidal thoughts. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner confirmed Siyavus's death, listing her cause and manner of death as pending, according to HuffPost UK, which reported she was found dead at her Las Vegas home on Friday.
Siyavus was 46. Her death follows the 2018 death of her 18-year-old daughter, Lexi Tomcavage, who died by suicide.
From Reality TV Fame
Siyavus competed on Season 8 of “Big Brother” in 2007, finishing in seventh place and earning the nickname “Whamber” for her emotional moments on the show.
A Decline In Fatal Overdoses In Clark County
Siyavus's death comes amid a decline in fatal overdoses across Clark County over the previous 20 months, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Law enforcement leaders were encouraged by the decline.
