On August 10 , 2016 , Saunders ' wife discovered him not breathing in their New York home . Emergency responders rushed to the scene , but around 4 a.m. , he was pronounced dead . He was 61 years of age . Foul play was ruled out by authorities . Family members stated Saunders had not been feeling well in the days leading up to his death but no specific cause of death was publicly announced . John U. Bacon , who coauthored Saunders 's autobiography , stated in the book that the coroner found that Saunders died from a combination of an enlarged heart , complications from his diabetes , and dysautonomia , which affects the nervous system which regulates breathing , blood pressure and heart rate . Saunders 's brain was donated to Mount Sinai School of Medicine for research as requested . He was included in the " in memoriam " segment at the 2017 ESPY Awards
2017 ESPY Awards
2017 ESPY Awards
John Saunders (journalist)