20 Celebrities That Allegedly Killed Someone
Scott Hall
WWE star Scott Hall, who you may recognize by his ring name Razor Ramon, was a very successful wrestler who competed professionally for more than thirty years. In 1983, before his career took off, Hall was charged with second-degree murder for the death of a man in Orlando, Florida. Hall had gotten into a fight outside a nightclub and ended up shooting the man with his own gun. Although that could easily have ended his career before it even started, the burgeoning wrestler insisted that he’d acted in self defense. After an investigation was carried out, the charges were dropped. Interviews with Hall would later suggest that the memory of this dark moment stuck with him throughout his life.
Caitlyn Jenner
In 2015, Olympic gold medalist and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner made headlines for a very grim event. She was driving her Cadillac SUV when she got involved in a very ghastly accident. A woman named Kimberly Howe was driving when her car hit the back of a Prius that stopped short. A few moments later, her vehicle was then hit by Jenner’s. This second impact turned out to be fatal when Howe’s car was sent into the path of a Hummer. She unfortunately died at the scene. Jenner escaped the accident unhurt and was cleared of any wrongdoing by prosecutors. She, however, settled a civil lawsuit with the victim’s family.
Charles S. Dutton
Emmy-winning actor and director Charles S. Dutton rose to fame in the ‘90s for his leading role in the Fox sitcom “Roc.” He also had supporting roles in successful films such as “Alien 3” and “Menace II Society”. Years before his foray into the life of glitz and glamor, Dutton picked up boxing and began fighting in amateur circles. When he was a teenager, he found himself in hot water when he stabbed a man to death during a fight in 1967. Dutton claimed that the man attacked him with the knife first and he was only acting in self-defense. But he still pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was handed a five-year prison sentence.
Brandy<.h4> In 2006, Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Brandy Norwood appeared as one of the judges on the competition show “America’s Got Talent.” After a successful first showing, Brandy declined to return for the second season due to a major traumatic event she was involved in that year. Brandy’s car had run into the rear bumper of another car during a multi-vehicle collision that occurred on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. The driver that was hit later succumbed to the injuries she sustained after being taken to the hospital. Although she was not arrested or charged for the accident, Brandy was sued by Aboudihaj’s family. She ended up settling the case out of court.
Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez was an NFL star who played tight end for the New England Patriots. But his career came to a halt less than a year after renewing his contract with the team. In 2013, police discovered that Hernandez’s friend Odin Lloyd died from gunshot injuries. Since the deceased man was found close to the tight end’s house, authorities quickly brought him in for questioning. The ensuing trial ended in Hernandez being found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. While he was also tried for the killing of two other men, Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, he was acquitted of their murders. In 2017, Hernandez took his own life in his prison cell.
Johnny Lewis
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Johnny Lewis gained recognition in the late 2000s for his role as Kip "Half Sack" Epps in the FX series “Sons of Anarchy.” In 2011, the Los Angeles-born actor was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him with significant head injuries. Following the accident, Lewis began behaving strangely and racked up multiple arrests in just one year. This all built up to the tragic events of September 26th 2012. Lewis allegedly attacked and killed his 81-year-old landlady. After committing this act, he was also found dead in his landlady’s driveway. While the exact details of what happened that day are still hard to put together, that fateful day was full of tragedy.
Keith Moon
On January 4th 1970, “The Who” drummer Keith Moon went for a night out at the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. His entourage included his wife as well as his friend Neil Boland. Upon leaving the pub, the group was attacked by an angry mob of patrons that forced the drummer and his wife to retreat into a car. An intoxicated Moon attempted to drive the vehicle out of the horrible situation. Unfortunately, he ended up running over his friend Boland in the process. The death was, however, ruled an accident, and Moon was later cleared of all charges. The incident reportedly weighed heavily on him in the years that followed.
Vince Neil
Vince Neil enjoyed success in the late ‘80s and ‘90s as the lead vocalist for heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. At the height of the band’s fame in the mid-80s, he got involved in a terrible car accident. On that night, the musician was driving under the influence while headed to a nearby liquor store wth Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas Dingley. Neil ended up colliding directly with another car. During the accident, the two people in the other car sustained serious injuries while Dingley lost his life. Although Neil was also injured, he made a full recovery. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter for Dingley’s death and served 15 days out of a 30-day jail sentence.
William S. Burroughs
Before he became a world-renowned writer, William S. Burroughs lived with a woman named Joan Vollmer after he was discharged from the U.S. Army. The two eventually fled to Mexico to evade drug charges brought against the author. Both were at a party one night when Burroughs reportedly took out a gun and insisted he could shoot a glass that was atop Vollmer’s head. But the writer tragically missed and ended up fatally wounding her. Before facing trial, Burroughs fled back to the U.S. In his absence, he was found guilty and handed a two-year suspended sentence.
Snoop Dogg
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In 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested for his involvement in the murder of Phillip Woldermariam. The two had plenty of bad blood prior to the incident. On one fateful day, Woldermariam allegedly threatened the musician before his bodyguard, McKinley Lee, fired at the attacker. Since Snoop Dogg was reportedly driving the car when Lee fired the fatal shot, he was considered an accomplice to the crime and charged with first-degree murder. The two hired notable celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochran to help defend him. The trial, which lasted about four months, ended in both Snoop and Lee being acquitted of the murder.
Don King
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With his crazy hair and flamboyant personality, King is one of the most famous boxing promoters ever. Unfortunately, aside from alleged organized crime connections and various litigation cases against him, he was found responsible for the deaths of at least two people in court. The first was Hillary Brown, whom King shot in a justifiable homicide in 1954 after Brown tried to steal money from one of his gambling dens. Thirteen-years later, Sam Garrett – a former employee of King who owed him money – was beaten to death, and King was found guilty. He spent four-years in prison on a non negligent manslaughter charge, and has since been pardoned for the crime.
Matthew Broderick
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Though he’s the winner of two Tony Awards and has starred in several beloved films, not all of his fans may know about the dark events in Broderick’s life that occurred in August of 1987. While on vacation in Ireland with his then-secret-girlfriend Jennifer Grey, Broderick’s rental car crossed into the wrong lane about 80 miles west of Belfast for an unknown reason and rammed another vehicle, killing both women inside. Suffering several serious injuries, including lacerations and broken bones, Broderick and Grey were rushed to hospital. Broderick was later charged with careless driving and fined $175.
Laura Bush
Long before she encountered George Walker Bush in 1977 and eventually became First Lady of the United States for two terms, a 17-year-old Laura Welch was behind the wheel when her car struck and killed good friend and schoolmate Michael Dutton Douglas. In November of 1963, two-days after her 17th birthday, Welch – as she was known at the time – drove through a stop sign and collided with Douglas’ automobile, killing him and suffering slight injuries herself. Although she was not charged for the accident, the tragic event haunted Bush for years.
Phil Spector
Ranked as one of Rolling Stone’s Greatest Artists of All Time and acclaimed for his roles as a producer, songwriter, and music pioneer, Spector was a giant in the industry, which is why many were shocked when a woman turned up dead in Spector’s California home in 2003. The woman was actress Lana Clarkson, and although he was quoted as saying that he thought he had killed her, he later claimed that she accidentally took her own life because she had “kissed the gun.” Regardless, the eccentric celebrity was tried twice in relation to Clarkson’s death and was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder in 2009.
Ted Kennedy
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A prominent member of the United States Senate, a powerful speaker and a member of one of America’s most famous political families, Kennedy’s beloved image was tarnished because of the events of July 18th, 1969. After leaving a party he’d been hosting on Chappaquiddick Island with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, the car they were in drove off a bridge and into the water below. Although Kennedy escaped the overturned car and swam to shore, Kopechne didn’t follow. He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. An inquest later revealed that negligent driving may’ve been a factor in the death.
Robert Blake
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Blake was famous for his film and TV roles, notably and perhaps ironically including his portrayal of a real-life killer 1967’s “In Cold Blood.” Blake married Bonnie Lee Bakley in 1999, a woman notorious for scamming older men for their money. Two-years later, she was found dead in a car from a gunshot. Blake was arrested and charged the following year. Although several witnesses claimed he’d tried to hire them to kill her, he was acquitted in the criminal case. But Blake was found liable for his wife’s wrongful death in a civil suit and was ordered to pay $30-million.
Sid Vicious
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Famous for his rebellious lifestyle and his musical career with the Sex Pistols, Vicious was also well-known for his relationship with the equally-unruly Nancy Spungen. Their tumultuous love-affair was marked by physical and emotional torment. On October 12th, 1978, Vicious woke to find Spungen dead in the bathroom of their suite in New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Although it’s unknown whether her death was accidental, the unintentional result of a fight, or deliberate murder, Vicious was released on bail. The incident deeply affected the musician and reportedly led to him committing self-destructive acts. He would later pass away less than a year later.
Chris Benoit
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At the peak of his career, this Canadian wrestler was a two-time world champion and was referred to by some as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. However, with highs come lows. In June 2007, police entered his home due to concerns about his welfare. The authorities tragically found the bodies of Benoit as well as those of his wife and son. In the wake of this grim discovery, it’s been theorized that everything from steroids to brain damage could’ve been behind it all. But the exact motives that led to this horrific tragedy may never truly be known.
Oscar Pistorius
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This South African runner first made it to the news as a gold medal-winning Paralympian. He would later make history as the first runner with an amputation to participate in an Olympic track heat. Although Pistorius was initially seen as an inspiration, everything changed in February 2013. On February 14th, he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in South Africa. He claimed that he thought she was a home invader. Alhough Pistorius was found not guilty of the murder, he was found guilty of culpable homicide. After sitting in on multiple sentencing hearings and going to prison, it was reported that he’d be eligible for parole in 2023.
O.J. Simpson
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This former football star and successful actor was at the center of perhaps the most controversial and publicized trial of the 20th century. When Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found dead in June 1994, Brown’s ex-husband, O.J. Simpson was accused of being responsible. The accusation was followed by a court case that got a ton of tv coverage. During the trial, the defense team introduced a number of arguments for his innocence. His legal team ultimately prevailed when a verdict of not guilty was reached. But Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial and was ordered to pay damages to the tune of $33.5-million.