“I never meant to cause you sorrow”: Will charges still be laid over Prince’s death two years on?

Two years after Prince’s death on April 21, a Minneapolis prosecutor has announced that he will make a decision on possible charges “in the near future.”

The 57-year-old superstar was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park home.

His image was that of one who lived a clean life. But he died of an overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Carver County attorney Mark Metz issued a statement that the investigation into the case “remains active.”

He was responding to a request by a Minneapolis law firm hired by some of the musician’s next-of-kin to explore the possibility of a potential civil wrongful death lawsuit.

The firm was worried that any applicable “statute of limitation” would expire.

On March 22, a district court ordered that the state’s autopsy report be released to the law firm, under the strict rule that details would only be shared with Prince’s relatives.

The data would determine if there was a case for a lawsuit.

Metz’s statement added that this week he would make an announcement on releasing more data requested by the Prince family.

A year ago, on the first anniversary of Prince’s death, media reports revealed that investigators still had not interviewed a key associate or asked a grand jury to consider whether criminal charges are warranted.

A search by police of Paisley Park found more counterfeit pills.

Criminal justice experts say that investigations such as Prince’s death can take years.

This is because they have to find out just where the pills came from.

Were they illegally prescribed or if bought from the black market online or on the street?

There is no clear indication if anyone will be held responsible for the death.

In Prince’s case, prosecutors will take as long as they want to spare themselves an embarrassing defeat in a high-profile trial.

The tactic would be to gather enough background evidence to go after anyone whom they accuse to scare him that they have more damning stuff than they really do.

One not spoken to by last April was Kirk Johnson, a long-time drummer for Prince and estate manager at Paisley Park

He was one of those who discovered the star’s body.

He was also with Prince six days before when the tour party was flying back after a show in Atlanta. Prince fell ill on the plane, and was revived with two doses of an opioid antidote.

Johnson has not, as far as is known, spoken to federal prosecutors.

So far he’s made it clear he’s not about to talk.

In an interview with CNBC, he coolly kept responding to the interviewer “next question” as she probed the celebrity death.

When talking on camera with CBS about Prince’s final days, Johnson had pointed to his head and said: “Kirk has a vault. Right here. It’s never gonna be unlocked.”

Also not interviewed by last year was Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg who had prescribed medications for the star.

TMN is not suggesting that Johnson or Schulenberg were guilty of any wrong-doing.

Many of Prince’s relatives have been interviewed. It's expected so will flight crew and medical staff involved in the plane, while details of mobile phones, computers and medical records have also been checked out.