to the head , the D.C. medical examiner 's office said Thursday . Lesin , the co - founder of the Kremlin - run news channel RT ( formerly known as Russia Today ) , was found dead in a Washington , D.C. , hotel room last November . The former head of Russia 's largest TV and media company — Gazprom - Media — died of " blunt force injuries of the head , " medical examiner spokesperson Beverly Fields confirmed to BuzzFeed News .