Phil Hartman: May 28, 1998

Cocaine use and alcohol reportedly contributed to Brynn Hartman's decision to shoot her husband, actor Phil Hartman, at point-blank range with his own Smith & Wesson .38 as he slept in the bed they shared in their Encino, Calif. home. She shot him twice in the head and once on his side.

Hartman, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, NewsRadio, and for voicing several characters on The Simpsons, had reportedly threatened to divorce his wife of 11 years, during an argument over her drug use. Along with her drug problems, which resulted in two stints in rehab, Brynn also suffered from depression. She was taking the antidepressant drug, Zoloft, at the time of the shooting.

Shortly after admitting to a friend that she killed her husband in the early morning hours of May 28, 1998, Brynn climbed into the couple's bed where Phil's dead body still lay and sitting up against the headboard she put the gun in her mouth and fired her own fatal shot. When police arrived, they found Brynn's dead body slumped over that of her husband, orphaning the couple's two children. In 1999, Hartman's estate filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Pfizer, the manufacturer of the antidepressant drug that Brynn was taking, as well as her psychiatrist. Pfizer settled.

Bonnie Lee Bakley: May 4, 2001

Though out of the public eye for some time, Robert Blake — star of Truman Capote's 1967 film In Cold Blood, and the 1970's show Baretta — became a household name again after he was charged with murdering his wife of one year, Bonnie Lee Bakley.

The high profile trial intrigue centered on Bakley's background and the couple's strange history. She was widely known as a con artist and for allegedly swindling men for money and had been arrested for writing $200,000 in bad checks, along with having more than 30 fake identifications. She served jail time before meeting Blake in 1999 and becoming his wife after a paternity test proved he was the father of her daughter, Rose, which she initially named Christian Shannon Brando after claiming Marlon Brando's son, Christian, was the father.

On May 4, 2001, the couple had dinner at a restaurant, and upon leaving the restaurant, Blake claimed to have realized that he left his revolver in the restaurant and returned to retrieve it. When he came back to the car, he found his wife dead with a gunshot wound to her head. Blake was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances, two counts of solicitation of murder, and one count of murder conspiracy. He was acquitted in 2005, but found liable for the wrongful death of his wife in the civil case filed by Bakley's children and ordered to pay $30 million in restitution.

Stars Who Died Too Soon

1. YouTube star Logan Bratayley died in October, 2015. He was 13.

2.Jim Carrey’s on-again/off-again girlfriend Cathriona White was found dead on September 28, 2015

3.Simone Battle of G.R.L. was found dead on September 5, 2014

4.‘American Idol’ alum Michael Johns died in August 2014

5.Peaches Geldof — the 25-year-old daughter of iconic music mogul Bob Geldof — died in April 2014

6.Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment on July 23, 2011. She was 27.

7.Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room on February 11, 2012. She was 48

8.Jenni Rivera died in a tragic plane crash on Dec. 9, 2012. She was 43.

9.Robin Gibb passed away following a long battle with cancer on May 20, 2012

10.Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 50 in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009

11.DJ AM — whose real name was Adam Goldstein — was found dead in a NYC apartment on August 28, 2009. He was 36.

12.TLC singer Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez was killed in a car accident in Honduras at age 30 on April 25, 2002

13.Queen of R&B, Aaliyah, died in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22 on August 25, 2001

14.America’s golden boy, John F. Kennedy Jr. lost his life in a plane crash on his way to Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999. He was 38 years old.

15.Beloved folk artist John Denver passed in a plane crash at age 53 on October 12, 1997

16.West Coast hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur had his life taken in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at age 25 on September 13, 1996

17.Diana, the Princess of Wales, lost her life in an automobile accident at 36 years old on August 31, 1997

18.The East Coast rap superstar Notorious B.I.G. was shot down in LA at the age of 24 on March 9, 1997

19.Prince of Motown, Marvin Gaye left us at the age of 44 after being shot by his father on April 1, 1984

20.‘Nirvana’ front man Kurt Cobain’s struggles with addiction led to his end with a bullet to the head at 27 years old on April 5, 1994

21.Leader of the Revolution, iconic musician John Lennon was shot at the age of 40 by an alleged stalker in front of his apartment building on December 8, 1980

22.Elvis “The King” Presley died on August 16, 1977 in his Graceland mansion. The cause of death was a cocktail on 10 prescription drugs. He was just 42 years old.

23.Famed ‘Doors’ front man Jim Morrison passed away in his Paris hotel room at the age of 27 on July 3, 1971

24.Known as the best guitarist in history, Jimi Hendrix died due to an overdose at age 27 on September 18, 1970

30 Actors Who Lost Their Lives Way Too Soon.

Here are stars whose lives were tragically taken too soon.

#1. Bridgette Andersen

The "Savannah Smiles" star died in 1997 at the age of 21 from a drug overdose.

#2. Gary Coleman

The star of "Different Strokes" known for saying, "What you talkin' about Willis?" passed away at the age of 42 from a brain hemorrhage.

#3. Judith Barsi

She starred in "Jaws: The Revenge" and was the voice of "The Land Before Time." She was murdered by her father and then he committed suicide. She was only 10 years old.

#4. Lee Thompson Young

Young committed suicide at the age of 29 in 2013. The Disney star had suffered from bipolar disorder.

#5. Heather O'Rourke

She played Carol Anne in Speilberg's 1982 movie "Poltergeist" and sequels, "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" and "Poltergeist III."

In 1988, during the filming of 'Poltergeist III', Heather suffered flu-like symptoms that were the result of congenital intestinal stenosis. She went into cardiac arrest and died on the operating table at the age of 12.

#6. Brad Renfro

Renfro was one of main stars of "The Client." He died in 2008 at age 25 of an accidental heroin overdose.

#7. Carl Switzer

Alfalfa from 'Our Gang' was played by Carl Switzer. He was shot during a fight with a man who believed owed him money. He was only 31 years old.

#8. Dana Plato

Dana played in the television series "Different Strokes." She died at the age of 35 in 1999 after taking a fatal dose of lortab and valium.

#9. Jonathan Brandis

The "Ladybugs" star died in 2003 at age 27. Brandis was found alive after trying to hang himself. He died from injuries.
Jonathan Brandis

#10. Anissa Jones

Sadly, the main character of "Family Affair" died in 1976 at 18. She received her $70,000 trust when she became a legal adult and got into a life of drugs. She died of an overdose of barbiturates, phencyclidine, and cocaine.

#11. Corey Haim

The star of 80's teen films like the "Lost Boys," "Lucas," and "License to Drive" turned to drugs when his career slowed down. He was 38 when he died of complications due to pneumonia.

#12. Justin Pierce

He was best known for his role as Casper in "Kids." Justin never got his acting career off the ground. He appeared in few episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle" and in "Next Friday." He hung himself in Las Vegas at the age of 25.

#13. J. Madison Wright Morris

Morris, who is best-known for her role in "Grace Under Fire," died in 2006 at age 21. She received a heart transplant at the age of 15. The actress died from a heart attack one day after coming back from her honeymoon.

#14. River Phoenix

The child and teen star of "Stand by Me" and "Explorers" died in 1993 at age 23. He collapsed outside of the Viper Room nightclub in Los Angeles. He died from an overdose of cocaine and morphine.

#15. Bobby Driscoll

Bobby Driscoll started in several Disney productions, "Song of the South," "So Dear To My Heart," and "Treasure Island." He was also the voice of Peter Pan. As an adult, he had trouble finding work and started using drugs. His body was found in a New York tenement on March 30, 1968.

#16. Christopher Pettiet

The popular teen star of "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" died of drug overdose in in 2000.

#17. Brittany Murphy

As a young teen, Brittany appeared in "Blossom" and "Drexel's Class." Her first big screen appearance was in "Clueless." She also had a role in "Girl Interrupted" and starred with Ashton Kutcher in "Just Married." She had a promising career ahead of her, but her life was cut short at the age of 32. She went into cardiac arrest and was found in her bathroom. Her husband, Simon Monjack, died five months later, also from cardiac arrest. Her family suspects foul play.

#18. Matthew Garber

Matthew, known for his role in "Mary Poppins," passed away at the age of 21 in 1977. The cause of death was acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

#19. Tara Correa-McMullen

Tara starred in "Judging Amy" as a character who was killed by gang members. She met a similar fate when she was killed by a shotgun blast at the age of 16.

#20. Rob Knox

The actor from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" tragically died in 2008 at the age 18 while trying to defend his brother from an attacker.

#21. Scotty Beckett

Another child star from "Our Gang" passed away at the age of 38 in 1968. The death was caused by an overdose of barbiturates.

#22. Dana Hill

Dana played Audrey Griswald in National Lampoon’s "European Vacation." At a young age, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She slipped into a diabetic coma in May of 1996, suffered a massive stroke in June, and died in July at the age of 32.

#23. Lucille Ricksen

The silent movie star died at the age 14. Lucille fell ill during a filming and was later diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1925.

#24. Josh Ryan Evan

Josh had notable guest spots on "Ally McBeal," "7th Heaven," and "Poltergeist: The Legacy." He also starred as Timmy on the soap opera "Passions." In 2002, Josh died died from complications related to a congenital heart condition

#25. Billy Laughlin

Little Froggy from "Our Gang" died in 1948 at the age of 16. He was a passenger on the back of a motor scooter and was hit by a truck.

#26. Michael Cuccione

The star of TV movie "2gether" died in 2001 just 8 days after his 16th birthday of pneumonia. At the age of 9, Cuccione had survived Hodgkin's disease after rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

#27. Ashleigh Aston Moore

At the age of 26, the "Now and Then" actress died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2007.

#28. Sammi Kane Kraft

The star of the "Bad News Bears "remake died in 2012 from injuries sustained in a car accident. She was a passenger in a car that was rear-ended by a semi-truck.

#29. Norman Chaney

The child actor who played Chubby from "Our Gang" died in 1936 at age 21. Chaney died from complications during surgery for his glandular disorder.

#30. Michelle Thomas

The popular star who played the role of Myra Monkhouse of "Family Matters"died at the age of 30 in 1998. She was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer and had two surgeries for it. She died shortly after being released from the hospital after the 2nd surgery.