An autopsy report obtained from the Morris County (New Jersey) Medical Examiner clarifies the cause of the sudden death of Ace Frehley, the founding KISS guitarist. The report, released Nov. 10, 2025, attributes Frehley’s death at 74 to blunt-force injuries to the head sustained during a fall; the manner of death is listed as accidental.

Media outlets that published the medical documents include TMZ and People, both reporting details pulled from the examiner’s findings.

According to those reports, the autopsy echoes earlier accounts that Frehley fell at home on Oct. 16 and sustained fatal head injuries. Those accounts also note an earlier incident weeks before, when he was reportedly placed on life support after suffering a brain bleed related to a separate fall.

Frehley’s family issued a statement at the time of his passing expressing profound grief and gratitude for the care and presence of those around him in his final moments. They asked for privacy as they mourned his loss and celebrated his life and generosity of spirit.

Celebrated for his “Spaceman” stage persona, Frehley helped form KISS in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. He contributed to the band’s rise through landmark releases—such as Love Gun and Alive II—that helped propel KISS into the mainstream and onto the Billboard 200 top ten. Frehley departed the group in 1982, rejoined for the blockbuster 1996 reunion tour and remained with the band through 2002. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of KISS.

In a 2024 interview with Billboard, Frehley said he believed there was still a possibility the original KISS lineup could reunite, remarking that he saw himself as one of the few options for keeping that legacy alive.

He is survived by his daughter, Monique, and his wife, Jeanette Trerotola.

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