Los Angeles, May 22 (IANS): According to a new report that has surfaced, late pop icon Prince might have been dead for at least six hours before his body was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.

According to details surfaced by Minnesota's Star Tribune, responding paramedics say the Grammy winner was likely dead for hours before being found, reports people.com.

It has been speculated that the "Purple Rain" hitmaker Prince passed away last month at the age of just 57 due to long-term abuse of the painkiller Percocet.

As people.com previously reported, sheriff's deputies received a call at 9:43 a.m. for medical attention -- shortly after assistant Meron Berkure and longtime friend Kirk Johnson discovered his body. And less than 25 minutes later, Prince was pronounced dead.

Although an autopsy for the singer has been completed, the cause of death for the 57-year-old has not been revealed as state and federal investigators continue to piece together the details of his death.

Despite Prince's estate being worth an estimated $250 million, a Minnesota judge has confirmed the singer did not have a will in place to declare the distribution of his assets.