Founder of Russia Today died from 'blunt force injuries to the head'

A longtime aide to Vladimir Putin and founder of the state-run Russia Today channel, who was found dead in Washington in November, died as a result of "blunt force injuries to the head."

Beverly Fields of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in D.C. confirmed Mikhail Lesin's cause of death to Mashable by phone on Thursday.

Fields said Lesin also sustained "blunt force injuries of the neck, torso, upper extremities and lower extremities."

She said she could not comment further because the investigation into Lesin's death is ongoing. 

As of now, the official "manner of death" is "undetermined," according to the medical examiner.

The findings contradict initial reports in Russian state-sponsored media. 

The findings contradict initial reports in Russian state-sponsored media.

At the time of his death, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, citing family members, reported that the 57-year-old former press minister had died from a heart attack in his room at Washington's Dupont Hotel on Nov. 5. 

RT.com, formerly Russia Today, said Lesin "had been suffering from a prolonged unidentified illness."

Both outlets reported that police had found no signs of foul play.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook after news broke that the Russian embassy "has repeatedly sent through diplomatic channels inquiries about the progress of the investigation into the death of Russia's citizen." 

"The U.S. side has not provided us any substantive information," she added.

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The circumstances of his death, including the location -- the U.S. capital -- have fueled conspiracy theories and led to speculation that he was murdered after offering help to American authorities.

"Litvinenko-Perepilichny-Berezovsky-Lesin. Who else?" Tikhon Dzyadko, a Russian journalist at the independent TV Rain channel, tweeted Thursday. He was referring to a string of high-profile deaths of powerful Russians in London and Washington.

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Who was Mikhail Lesin?

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Lesin, an influential media mogul in Russia, was a controversial figure who provoked the ire of the West, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker in particular.

The Mississippi Republican in 2014 alleged Lesin was the mastermind behind the Kremlin's crackdown on Russia's independent television outlets and even called on the Justice Department to launch an investigation into accusations of corruption and money laundering.

Lesin had procured $28 million worth of property in Los Angeles and "multimillion dollar assets in Europe" during his time as a civil servant, which "raises serious questions," Wicker said at the time.

Lesin is thought also to have funded Hollywood films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and Woody Allen.

The Justice Department responded to a request by Wicker to investigate Lesin in December 2014, saying it was considering a probe.

Putin expressed his condolences to Lesin's family in Russia the morning after his former aide's death, saying he appreciated his "massive contribution to the creation of modern Russian mass media."

UPDATE: March 10, 2016, 8:38 p.m. EST Added Russian Foreign Ministry comments.

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