What happened to Jim Isray? Former Colts owner's cause of death explored

New details related to Jim Isray have recently emerged in a report shared by The Washington Post on August 28, 2025. Notably, the billionaire passed away in May this year, and a death certificate alleged at the time that he died from heart problems and certain complications resulting from pneumonia.

The latest report referred to how the CEO of the Indianapolis Colts struggled with a relapse into his opioid addiction, which had already impacted his life in a different manner many years ago.

The relapse happened during the last few years of Jim Isray’s life when his team attempted to avoid speaking or revealing the relapse. The report says that Jim allegedly suffered three overdoses, with one of them happening in 2020, followed by two more in 2023.

Moreover, the businessman was also approaching a private addiction specialist named Harry Haroutunian to get ketamine injections, and the latter was the same person who had prescribed opioids to Isray for the last two years. Apart from this, the report claimed that the police did not conduct an autopsy or any other test.

Harry had additionally signed a certificate, which stated that Jim’s cause of death was natural. Furthermore, Haroutunian was also residing with Isray in his final two years. While speaking to The Washington Post, Harry said that he took care of Jim like a “brother” and added:

“We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible.”

As per the report, he suffered an overdose during a vacation in Turks and Caicos in February 2020, following which he had to be taken away through air transport. On the other hand, Harry allegedly prescribed more than 200 pills a few days before Isray had another overdose two years later.

Jim Isray’s daughters respond to the new report featuring the details of his final years

The latest report by The Washington Post claimed that Isray had reportedly received private treatment for his overdose at the Indianapolis-based Ascension St. Vincent Hospital. Notably, an agreement was signed with the staff members of the hospital to ensure that no one would learn about the treatment.

Apart from this, Jim Isray’s nurse was once concerned that he was taking a lot of pills, following which the nurse hid the pills. However, the nurse was eventually fired by Jim when he asked for the medication and she refused to give it.

Meanwhile, Jim’s daughters, Carlie Isray-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, spoke to People magazine on the same day when the report went viral, saying that they would not like to say anything related to the claims being made as part of an inquiry into their father’s death.

“The media is not the place to address inquiries about information which is disputed, lacks essential context, or involves private medical matters… We ask for continued privacy as we move through this difficult time”, the sisters also said.

As mentioned, Jim Isray died in May 2025, and the news was first revealed through the official handle of the Indianapolis Colts on X (formerly Twitter). Isray was additionally associated with the Baltimore Colts and was involved in philanthropic activities, where he donated to different institutes such as Riley Hospital for Children.