Tetra Pak wife ‘may have been dead for a week’

of Britain’s richest women may have been dead more than a week in her five-storey Chelsea townhouse before her body discovered.

Eva Rausing’s body was found in upstairs bedroom where she was believed to died of a drug overdose.

Her husband Hans Kristian Rausing, family built up the Tetra Pak drinks carton empire, receiving treatment a South London hospital police wait to question him her death.

Mr Rausing was arrested suspicion of possessing drugs Monday morning. He was further arrested in with his wife’s death after police found her body in home in Cadogan Place.

The Evening Standard reported today Mrs Rausing’s body was found in an upstairs bedroom and she “believed to have died a drug overdose”. The newspaper said that she may have been dead more than a week.

Police are treating the death of Mrs Rausing unexplained and a post-mortem examination yesterday failed to establish a formal of death. Detectives are awaiting the results further tests.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Officers the Homicide and Serious Crime Command are investigating, and the death continues to be treated at this as unexplained.”

Grieving relatives of the married , whose past drug problems have widely reported, last night revealed their sorrow the death.

A statement from the family of Mrs Rausing, maiden name was Kemeny, said: “Tom and Nancy Kemeny along all of their family are saddened by the death of their daughter, Eva Louise Rausing.

“Eva was a devoted wife 20 years and mother of four much-loved and wonderful children.

“During her short lifetime she a huge philanthropic impact, supporting a large number of charitable causes, not financially, but using her personal experiences.

“She bravely fought her health issues many years. The family is devastated her death and asks to be given privacy at difficult time.”

The Rausing family said they were “deeply shocked and saddened to hear the tragic death of their daughter-in-law” and also asked for their privacy to respected.

Mr Rausing stands to inherit estimated £6 billion from his Swedish father, also named Hans, sold his Tetra Pak shares to his brother the 1990s.

In 2008 Mr Rausing and his wife investigated by police over drugs but the prosecution formally discontinued.

Mr Rausing, then 45, was charged drugs offences after police found crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin during a of his home.

After lengthy discussions his legal team and prosecutors, he accepted a conditional police caution .

The couple had arrested after Mrs Rausing was caught drugs as she tried to enter US Embassy in London.

Court documents revealed Mrs Rausing, then 44, was carrying about 10g of crack cocaine, 2.5g of heroin and 2.35g of diethylpropion, banned stimulant and appetite suppressant.

A further drugs stash, 220mg of diazepam, used to treat anxiety, was found in her Renault Clio car.


Adapted from: The Times, July 11, 2012.