Los Angeles, July 31 (IANS/EFE): Jessica Barrymore, the half-sister of Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore, was found dead inside her own vehicle in National City, California, San Diego's KGTV television reported.
According to KGTV, a local resident noticed Barrymore's body in an automobile that was blocking her driveway about 6 a.m. Tuesday.
When the woman went up to the car to ask Barrymore, 47, if she was all right, she discovered that she did not have a pulse and that there were "dozens of white pills scattered around" on the car seat and called police.
Barrymore was lying over the steering wheel with an energy drink container between her legs, Marta Lopez, the woman who found her body, said.
Jessica Barrymore and Drew Barrymore are the daughters of actor John Drew Barrymore, although they have different mothers. Jessica's mother is actress Nina Wayne, the actor's fourth wife, while Drew's mother is Jaid Mako, who was married to Barrymore for 13 years.
John Drew Barrymore died in 2004.
Drew Barrymore, who is nine years younger than her half-sister and only met her "briefly", issued a statement a few hours after learning of her relative's death: "I wish her and her loved ones as much peace as possible and I'm so incredibly sorry for their loss."