(L.A.) Ringo Lawrence, 63, Died at a Private Residence

Case Number: 2025-13583

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 63-year-old Black male that occurred at a private residence.

The coroner’s office identified the man as Ringo Lawrence.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Effects of Cocaine, Phencyclidine, and Levamisole

RIP RINGO LAWRENCE ( August 26, 2025)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Tuesday.

Ruling by the deputy medical examiner was published on October 16, presumably after the results of tox screening had come back from the lab. This is considered an accidental, i.e., unintentional, drug overdose.

Levamisole, sold under the brand name Ergamisol among others, is a medication used to treat parasitic worm infections, specifically ascariasis and hookworm infections. It is taken by mouth.

Levamisole is a common adulterant in street cocaine and is highly toxic. It causes suppression of the immune system (notably agranulocytosis—dangerously low white blood cell counts), leading to life-threatening infections. It is also linked to vascular and white matter brain lesions, increasing neurological damage risk. Levamisole contamination raises the overall toxicity and lethality of cocaine use.