Stars Who Died Too Young

Celebrity is fleeting and there are times when our favorite actors, musicians, and other shining stars are extinguished too soon in the height of their careers. Here are some of the famous faces who died all too young.

1. Paul Walker
The sudden death of this charismatic Fast & Furious actor shocked the world. After leaving a charity event in California, Walker got a lift from race car driving friend, Roger Rodas. Both were killed in the fiery crash – for Paul, at just 40 years old while his career was taking off.

2. Cory Monteith
This popular character on the FOX TV show Glee was often in a battle with addiction and depression; an abrupt end to his career at the age of 31.

3. Heath Ledger
It is often said that only the good die young. This rising star passed away at age 28 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Heath died just before the hugely successful movie, The Dark Knight, was released to theaters. In his starring role as the Joker, Heath won a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

4. Brittany Murphy
Brittany enjoyed fame as the Clueless star. She had a brilliant career ahead of her when she died at a young age from complications of anemia and pneumonia.

5. Jim Morrison
Fans adored and worshipped this popular rock idol and “Doors” singer. It is believed that he died at age 27 from a heart attack, which may have been brought on by a possible drug overdose.

6. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain and Nirvana made music history as one of the greatest music groups ever. Although his death at age 27 is listed as a suicide, many people have wondered if foul play was involved.

7. John Ritter
John Ritter, who starred opposite Suzanne Somers in his role as Jack Tripper on ‘Three’s Company,’ was taken from us at the age of 54. An aortic dissection was the cause of his sudden death.

8. Whitney Houston
She was one of the greatest singers of all time. In her later years, Whitney struggled with addiction and died at age 48; she drowned in a hotel bathtub from an apparent drug overdose.

9. Bruce Lee
He was taken from us too soon. Bruce Lee’s fame as a martial artist was matched only by his amazing worldwide popularity as a movie star. When he suddenly died at age 32 from a brain swelling, the entire world mourned his death.

10. Brandon Lee
He followed in his father’s footsteps in too many ways. Like his dad, Bruce Lee, Brandon was a rising film star and martial artist. A freak accident while filming the The Crow took his life at age 28.

11. Natasha Richardson
Natasha Richardson was a brilliant British film and Broadway stage actor and the beloved spouse of Liam Neeson. A skiing accident cut her life short at age 45.

12. River Phoenix
This popular rising film star died of heart failure at the young age of 23, while he was outside a West Hollywood nightclub, The Viper Room. It is believed an overdose of drugs and alcohol led to his death.

13. Natalie Wood
It was reported that this beautiful star drowned in a tragic boating accident at age 43. Officially, the cause of her death is listed as “drowning and other undetermined factors.” Recently, however, new information has come to light that has led some people to believe that her death may have involved foul play.

14. Aaliyah 
This brilliant R&B singer and rising film star had her life and career cut short at age 22 in a tragic plane crash. Fans around the world mourned her sudden death.

15. Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes
As a former member of the female R&B group, TLC, Lopes was very popular with fans. She was only 30 years old when her life was taken from us in a tragic car crash.

16. Jim Henson
He was the creator of The Muppets and beloved by millions of children and their parents around the world. Henson’s brilliant career and life was cut short at age 53. His death was caused by toxic shock from a powerful streptococcal infection.

17. John Belushi
John Belushi was a comic genius, who became famous on NBC’s successful Saturday Night Live show. His fame and popularity grew even more after he starred in films like the Blues Brothers and Animal House. Belushi’s tragic death at age 33 was the result of a drug overdose.

18. Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales, was married to Prince Charles, the heir apparent and oldest son of Queen August 31,1997, Diana was fatally injured in a car crash when her limo driver tried to lose the paparazzi that were tailing her car. She was 36 at the time. Her sons are Prince William and Prince Harry.

19. Marvin Gaye
This world-famous Motown singer was fatally shot by his father on April 1, 1984. While his parents were in a heated argument, Marvin tried to intervene on his mother’s behalf. Ironically, the gun that killed him was the same gun Marvin had given to his father to protect their home from intruders. He died at age 44.

20. Amy Winehouse
This amazing singer was truly destined for super stardom until she tragically died of alcohol poisoning at the young age of 27 years. Winehouse had battled with addiction for years. The world of music lost a great talent.

21. Selena Quintanilla Perez
She was one of the hottest and most talented Mexican-American music stars with millions of fans around the world. Sadly, Selena was fatally shot on March 31, 1995, a mere two weeks before she turned 24. The shooter was her fan club President, Yolanda Saldívar.

22. John Lennon
Along with Paul, George and Ringo, John Lennon made music history with the Beatles. Tragically, while still only 40 years old, he was fatally shot on December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman. Imagine all the songs he could have written if he were still alive today.

23. James Dean
Actor James Dean was your classic Hollywood “bad boy.” During his brief film career, which lasted only 5 years, before a car accident took his life at a mere 24 years of age, Dean managed to star in such blockbuster films as East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant.

24. Jonathan Brandis
This talented young actor seemed destined for Hollywood stardom, yet fate threw him a curve and his career didn’t take off as many had expected. This may have lead to his depression and eventual suicide at age 27.

25. Corey Haim
Corey Haim was a rising young star when his career was abruptly cut short by a deadly bout with pneumonia at age 38. Many people believed an addiction to painkillers may have played a role in his death as well.

26. Tupac Shakur Tupac was already a famous rapper when he was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Six days later he was dead at age 25. To this day, his name and his legend carry on.

27. Christopher ‘Biggie’ Wallace
Known as Biggie, the Bad Boy Records rapper was also shot and killed in a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997. He was just 24 years old when he died.

28. Michael Clarke Duncan
Most audiences will remember Michael Clarke Duncan for his Oscar-nominated role as John Coffey in The Green Mile. Starring opposite Tom Hanks, Duncan held his own with a performance that any actor could be proud of. He died of a heart attack on July 2012 at 54 years of age.

29. Philip Seymour Hoffman
This Academy Award winner was a brilliant actor. He was destined for greatness. Sadly, he died of a drug overdose at 46 years of age.

30. James Gandolfini
The Sopranos TV show made Gandolfini famous. His acting was dead on! This Emmy winner’s career was on a path to greatness when he died at 51 of a sudden heart attack while on vacation with his family in Italy.

31. Michael Jackson
His music career will never be matched. Michael Jackson was one of this century’s greatest entertainers. Tragically, Jackson was only 50 when he died from complications with prescribed drugs. A controversy continues to surround his death.

32. Marilyn Monroe
She redefined the classic blonde bombshell. There will never be another actress like her. And like so many other stars, Marilyn died of a drug overdose. She was only 36 when she died in 1962.

33. Chris Farley
Like John Belushi before him, comedian Chris Farley got his start on Saturday Night Live with his hugely popular SNL characters and as Tommy Callahan in the film Tommy Boy. Like so many other stars, he died of a drug overdose. He was only 33.

34. Matthew Garber
Known for his role as Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins,” Garber passed away at the age of 21 in 1977 from Hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis, caused from contracting hepatitis in India the previous year.

35. Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer
The curse of the original Little Rascals cast runs deep, and the precocious Alfalfa was no stranger to untimely death. At 31, following an argument of $50, he was shot and killed.

Celebrities Who Lost Their Battle With AIDS

Still today, HIV remains a frightening reality. While many are living long and healthy lives with the disease, AIDS-related diseases felled 1.5 million people in 2013. Once thought to only affect certain people, HIV and AIDS do not discriminate when it comes to income, race, or sexuality. The stories of the following 23 individuals taught many that lesson, and many of these celebrities made it their mission to inform as many as possible about HIV's universal threat.

Anthony Perkins (1932-1992)
Perkins is best known for his portrayal of Norman Bates, the cross-dressing, homicidal hotel owner in Hitchcock’s classic Psycho. But by the time he played Bates, Perkins had already been nominated for a Tony and an Academy Award, and had won a Golden Globe award as New Star of the Year.  Throughout his life, he was known to have close, romantic relationships with both women and men, including, reportedly, Stephen Sondheim. "There are many who believe that this disease is God's vengeance," Perkins said in a statement before his passing, "but I believe it was sent to teach people how to love and understand and have compassion for each other.” He died in 1992 of AIDS-related pneumonia, with his wife, Berry Berenson, and his two sons by his side.  

Rock Hudson (1925-1985)
Hudson was Hollywood's ultimate leading man throughout the 1950s and '60s, romancing some of the industry’s most beloved actresses on-screen, such as Doris Day, Julie Andrews, and longtime friend Elizabeth Taylor. He was briefly married in order to mask his homosexuality. Hudson died of AIDS-related complications in 1985. His death caused a mini-panic in Hollywood, as one of his last roles, on the prime-time soap Dynasty, required a long kiss with co-star Linda Evans (Evans was, obviously, fine and not angry at Hudson for not disclosing his HIV status). Hudson was the first major Hollywood star to die of the illness. In response to the loss of her beloved friend, Taylor cofounded the American Foundation for AIDS Research and later the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)
Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to be selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team, and the only black man ever to win singles titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open. Ashe reportedly contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during heart surgery, and he announced his illness in 1992, before founding the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS, and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993. After Ashe’s death, President Bill Clinton honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts to eradicate HIV and AIDS, and for his battle to end discrimination in sports.

Liberace (1919-1987)
Flamboyant performer Liberace was known best for his piano prowess, virtuoso performances, and extravagant wardrobe, homes, and cars. At the height of his fame, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the business, playing for celebrities and dignitaries and headlining a very successful Las Vegas show. Throughout his career there were rumors of his affairs with men, prompting Liberace to file numerous libel suits against publications in an effort to mask his sexuality. He died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1987, but he and his personal physician had tried to hide his AIDS diagnosis from the public. However, the official cause of death was confirmed on the coroner's certificate filed by the Riverside County, Calif., coroner.

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)
Mercury, the front man for the widely successful British rock band Queen, was known as bisexual to many in the music industry. Shortly before his death, a very gaunt Mercury joined his band mates for one final video, “These Are the Days of Our Lives,” a song in which the singer reminiscences about his younger days. Mercury died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS in 1991, only one day after he publicly acknowledged he had the disease. In 2010, Rolling Stone named him number 18 on its list of the 100 greatest singers ever.

Gia Carangi (1960-1986)
Carangi has been dubbed the “World’s First Supermodel,” having appeared on the cover of four international editions of Vogue, in five editions of Cosmopolitan, and in advertisements for Armani, Versace, and Christian Dior, all before turning 23. She openly loved women, having flings with female photographers, makeup artists, and designers. Sadly, at 26, Carangi became one of the first famous women to die of AIDS-related complications, having reportedly contracted it through injection drug use. HBO Films later paid tribute with an Emmy-winning 1998 drama, Gia, starring up-and-comer Angelina Jolie.

Elizabeth Glaser (1947-1994)
Glaser became a leading AIDS activist after she received an HIV-contaminated blood transfusion while giving birth to her daughter Ariel. Ariel later died after contracting the illness through breast-feeding, and Glaser’s son Jake contracted it in utero. After Ariel’s death in 1988, Glaser cofounded the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to raise awareness about HIV in children. At the time of Ariel’s death, Glaser told The New York Times, "She taught me to love when all I wanted to do was hate. She taught me to help others when all I wanted to do was help myself." Glaser died in 1994 of AIDS-related complications, but her legacy lives on. The foundation reached an estimated 20 million women worldwide, testing 17 million, and enrolling more the 2.2 million in its HIV care and support program.

Perry Ellis (1940-1986)
Ellis is best known for his casual American style of sportswear. His use of khakis, hand-knitted sweaters, and oversize jackets led The New York Times to proclaim that he “glorified the clean-cut, all-American look.” At the time, his cause of death was listed as viral encephalitis, but rumors of Ellis’s HIV-positive status made news after it came to light that his lover and business partner, Laughlin Barker, died of Kaposi’s sarcoma, an AIDS-related cancer. The Los Angeles Times ran a 1986 series on journalistic ethics and whether it was appropriate to include AIDS rumors in news stories, with Ellis serving as the focus.

Pedro Zamora (1972-1994)
Most famous for his appearance in the third season of MTV’s The Real World, Zamora was diagnosed with HIV at 17. He became the first out, HIV-positive man to appear on mainstream television, as the breakout star of The Real World's 1994, San Franciscon-set season. Zamora dated AIDS educator Sean Sasser while living in the Real World house, and the two exchanged vows in the first-ever televised same-sex commitment ceremony. Sadly, Zamora died hours after the groundbreaking finale aired. Pedro, a 2008 movie written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, dramatized Zamora's life.

Ryan White (1971-1990)
In the 1980s, Indiana-born Ryan White became the poster child of the AIDS epidemic. He was a hemophiliac and contracted the disease through contaminated blood. Because of mistreatment by adults in his community and bullying by peers at school, White and his family set out to educate people on the facts of the disease. In the process, White made many A-list friends, including John Cougar Mellencamp, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Greg Louganis, and won the hearts of millions of Americans. White died at age 18 of an AIDS-related respiratory infection. The Ryan White CARE Act, the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV or AIDS, was passed by the U.S. Congress shortly after his death.

Amanda Blake (1929-1989)
Blake was an American actress, best known for her role as Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. How she contracted HIV remains a mystery, but listed on her death certificate as a partial cause of death was CMV hepatitis (cytomegalovirus), an AIDS-related condition. Her fourth and last husband, Mark Spaeth (1944-1985), also died of AIDS-related complications.

Lance Loud (1951-2001)
Loud became part of one of the world's first reality shows when PBS aired An American Family in 1973. Lance, the eldest son of the Loud family, came out to an estimated 10 million viewers during the second episode and changed the television landscape forever. Later, Loud moved from California to New York, formed a band called the Mumps, and eventually settled into his status as a gay icon. Loud died in 2001 of liver failure caused by hepatitis C and HIV.  In 2011, HBO films made Cinema Verite, a film about the making of the original PBS documentary series, starring Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, and Thomas Dekker as Lance. 

Steve Rubell (1943-1989)
Brooklyn-born Rubell, along with business partner Ian Schrager, opened famed disco Studio 54 in 1977. The club was known for excess and as a place where everyday people could party with the beautiful ones. Just a few of the regulars were Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Bianca Jagger, Halston, Calvin Klein, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Madonna, and Cher. Top music stars of the '70s were also known to take the stage; the Village People, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor all entertained revelers.  After Rubell was convicted of tax evasion in 1979, nightclub watchers said the club scene in New York was never the same. Even though he was taking AZT, Rubell died in 1989 of AIDS complications, including hepatitis and septic shock.

Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993)
This Soviet-born dancer was known to celebrate both classical ballet and modern dance in the same performance. He defected to France in 1961 and eventually met his longtime love, Danish dancer Erik Bruhn. The two stayed together until Bruhn’s death in 1986. According to The New York Times, “Nureyev was afraid of revealing his illness before his death because he thought it might limit his career. The dancer learned that he had H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, in 1984, when he was still much in demand around the world. He was concerned that some countries, mainly the United States, might refuse him entry if he were known to be H.I.V. positive.”

Derek Jarman (1943-1994)
This forward-thinking British director shook up cinema in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. Jarman's gay-themed, politically driven work took on everything from the monarchy to Shakespeare classics to the scourge of AIDS. His cinematic style could be described as experimental, but it always came with a strong opinion and a definitive point. Jarman's Edward II is seen by many scholars as a modern classic, and it helped propel actress Tilda Swinton to stardom. Jarman never hid his sexuality or his HIV diagnosis, which would fell him in 1994.

Klaus Nomi (1944-1983)
The German performer remains adored thanks to his highly original performances, beautiful singing voice, and trendsetting costumes. After becoming a sensation in his native country, Nomi won over the crowds at various New York City nightclubs during the end of the disco era. He sang backup for David Bowie on Saturday Night Live, influenced drag legend Joey Arias, and even appeared in films. Sadly, in 1983, Nomi became one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS complications.

Brad Davis (1949-1991)
This actor found fame as one of the stars of the unflinching film Midnight Express, which told the story of Americans tortured in a Turkish prison. Davis, who was straight, was respected for having the courage for taking on gay roles, specifically in Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart and the film Querelle. Before becoming sober, Davis used intravenous drugs, which he and his wife believe were responsible for his infection. Davis tested positive for HIV in 1985, but kept it quiet so he wouldn't be blacklisted in Hollywood.

Tom Fogerty (1941-1990)
Fogerty and his brother John were founding members of the Southern-influenced rock band Creedence Clearwater Revivial. CCR is known for megahits like “Proud Mary,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Fortunate Son.” Unfortunately, the brothers had a falling out in the early 1970s, which was the beginning of the end for the band. Sadly, Fogerty’s attempts at a solo career never saw the success that Creedence achieved. He died in 1990 of AIDS-related complications, having contracted the disease during a blood transfusion. The brothers were never able to reconcile.

Keith Haring (1958-1990)
The work of this kind-hearted, Pennsylvania-born artist would come to represent much of the visual aesthetic of the 1980s. After moving to New York City, Haring painted his joyful, faceless creatures on the city's subways. His work began getting national attention as the decade progressed, as galleries began showcasing his work and he developed friendships with high-profile figures like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Madonna. Haring's images took on more political dimensions as he began rallying against apartheid and the ravages of AIDS, to which he eventually succumbed. Before his death in 1990, Haring shared his artwork on school buildings and hospital walls, and established a foundation devoted to providing funding for AIDS efforts.

Peter Allen (1944-1992)
This Australian import was best known for his Oscar-winning song, “Arthur’s Theme” (written in collaboration with others), and for serving as songwriter for Olivia Newton-John, Carly Simon, and Frank Sinatra, to name only a few. Allen, discovered by Judy Garland, later married her daughter, Liza Minnelli, but the couple parted ways after seven years. After their divorce, Allen came out and lived with his long-term partner, model Gregory Connell, until Connell’s death from an AIDS-related illness in 1984. Allen died in 1992 from an AIDS-related throat cancer. Hugh Jackman would later star in a musical about Allen's life, The Boy From Oz.

Eazy-E (1963-1995)
Eazy-E was part of the influential rap/hip-hop group NWA, rhyming alongside Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. During the time when NWA was gaining popularity, Eazy-E invested in Ruthless Records and became known as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap.” After a falling out, the group disbanded and Eazy went on to have a moderately successful solo career. Eazy died in 1995 of AIDS complications, only a month after his diagnosis. Shortly before he died, he released a statement to fans saying, “I've got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their asses before it's too late. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real, and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone.”

Lance Loud (1951-2001)
Loud became part of one of the world's first reality shows when PBS aired An American Family in 1973. Lance, the eldest son of the Loud family, came out to an estimated 10 million viewers during the second episode and changed the television landscape forever. Later, Loud moved from California to New York, formed a band called the Mumps, and eventually settled into his status as a gay icon. Loud died in 2001 of liver failure caused by hepatitis C and HIV.  In 2011, HBO films made Cinema Verite, a film about the making of the original PBS documentary series, starring Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, and Thomas Dekker as Lance. 

Steve Rubell (1943-1989)
Brooklyn-born Rubell, along with business partner Ian Schrager, opened famed disco Studio 54 in 1977. The club was known for excess and as a place where everyday people could party with the beautiful ones. Just a few of the regulars were Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Bianca Jagger, Halston, Calvin Klein, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Madonna, and Cher. Top music stars of the '70s were also known to take the stage; the Village People, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor all entertained revelers.  After Rubell was convicted of tax evasion in 1979, nightclub watchers said the club scene in New York was never the same. Even though he was taking AZT, Rubell died in 1989 of AIDS complications, including hepatitis and septic shock.

Dominique Dunne: November 4, 1982

Just four months after appearing in the 1982 blockbuster supernatural thriller, Poltergeist, 22-year-old actress Dominique Dunne was strangled by her ex-boyfriend, sous-chef John Thomas Sweeney, at her West Hollywood home. The attack put her in a coma for five days until she was declared brain dead and taken off life support.

Dunne was the daughter of heiress Ellen Griffin and Dominick Dunne, a film producer, writer, investigative journalist, and television host, and the niece of novelists Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne. Her first break as an actress came when she was cast in the 1979 movie, Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. She soon appeared in the hit '80s television shows, Lou Grant, Hart to Hart, and Fame, before landing her first feature film role in the Steven Spielberg-produced supernatural thriller Poltergeist.

The trouble with her boyfriend Sweeney began shortly after the two moved in together, just weeks after meeting. A few months prior to her murder, two altercations occurred, one being his first attempt on her life by strangling. In 1983, Sweeney was acquitted of the second-degree murder charge, but was still found guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and also convicted of a misdemeanor assault for a previous attack. He was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison, but only served three years and seven months.

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.