At the time of his death, a source close to Ray claimed he died in his sleep while in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming Dangerous Waters, a thriller directed by John Barr.

Nearly a year later, in May 2023, details of his autopsy were made public. Officials have confirmed that Ray Liotta died "as a result of atherosclerotic disease, which is the build-up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls," per CBS News.

Other contributing factors were pulmonary edema, a condition that involves too much fluid in the lungs, and heart and respiratory failure. Jennifer Allen, a publicist for the actor, confirmed to CBS News that he died in his sleep.