 (CNN) -- A Russian former died Thursday night in a London hospital three weeks after his suspected poisoning, with doctors unable to determine the cause of his illness, hospital officials and police said Thursday. Litvinenko was a longtime critic of the Russian government, which he and his friends blamed for his sudden illness earlier this month. Russian authorities have denied any role in the matter.
| The Soviets remain the Soviets. |
| And the dead guy's remains remain dead. |
Doctors reported earlier Thursday that his condition had suffered a "major deterioration" overnight, and that extensive tests had failed to turn up the cause of his illness. He was pronounced dead at 9:21 p.m. Thursday, hospital spokesman Jim Dell said. "Inquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding how Mr. Litvinenko, 43 years, of north London, became unwell," Scotland Yard reported.
| It was a professional job. They may find the cause, it's doubtful they'll find the perp. |
Dell said doctors at University College Hospital "did everything possible to save his life." He declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation. "Our thoughts are with Mr. Litvinenko's family," he said. A friend, Alex Goldfarb, said Wednesday that Litvinenko had suffered heart failure and was placed on life support. Litvinenko said he was poisoned after meeting with a contact who claimed to have information connecting the Russian government with the October slaying of a frequent critic, journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
| Haven't found who bumped her off, either, have they? |
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