MARK Salling’s autopsy has failed to confirm the actor took his own life after he was found dead.

The first report on the death of the former Glee star was released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner overnight, reports The Sun.
Disgraced Salling died in the early hours of Tuesday morning in California.

Although failing to confirm suicide it did reveal the actor’s corpse was found in a riverbed, DailyMail.com reports.

There is still no cause or manner of death listed however, with an investigation into the matter ongoing and Salling’s body being held at the facility for further testing.

He had previously attempted to take his own life in August as he awaited trial for possessing indecent images of children.

The 35-year-old actor, who had told the judge in his trial he was on antidepressants, had been reported missing by a concerned family member in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

His body was discovered just before 9am (4am AEDT) near the Starwood Riding club, an equestrian facility located just 10 kilometres away from his Sunland, California, home.

The actor’s car was also parked in the area, with police spotting the vehicle on the side of the road approximately 150 metres away from his body.

Salling was just six weeks away from a sentencing hearing in his case after pleading guilty in October.

He faced between four and seven years in prison after entering a guilty plea to a federal charge of possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.

It was revealed in court documents that some of the images Salling possessed featured children as young as three.

Salling’s lawyer, Michael J. Proctor, confirmed the death of the actor — who was reportedly found in a field close to his home after a “welfare check” 911 call.

TMZ reported that a family member reported Salling missing at 3am (10pm AEDT) on Tuesday.

In a statement his family said: “Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment.

“He is survived by his mother and father, and brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”

Salling pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse images in October last year and was awaiting sentencing, after authorities were reportedly tipped off by an ex-girlfriend.

As part of his plea he agreed to serve between four and seven years in prison. He would also have been required to register as a sex offender.

Salling appeared in all six seasons of the hit Glee, which ended in 2015.

His former co-star Jane Lynch told US Weekly the actor was “troubled”.

“It’s been tough. He was a troubled, troubled guy, and he always was,” Lynch said. “This is a very sad end to it, but I know that he’s at peace now. He’s in the arms of a beneficent force.”

“I know life was very, very hard for Mark. I think we all do the best we can at the end of the day. I know Mark that did the best he could,” she continued.

Lynch also said she “really didn’t know” Salling, regardless of working with him for six years.

“He was a hard guy to get to know,” she said.