True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

Wrestling has always been a part of my life and I still love it to this day. There's not a day goes by when I'm not watching something wrestling related, I always like to keep up to date with everything that's going on. So, I was thinking about quite a lot of legends we have lost in the wrestling world over the years, as we know, a lot of tragedies have happened, we've lost so many amazing people and we still celebrate their legacies to this day, the likes of Andre The Giant, Chyna, Eddie Guerrero and Owen Hart, amongst many others, have left a mark on so many hardcore wrestling fans. We've seen sudden deaths occur, horrific injuries forcing legends to retire and we've seen some very disturbing moments such as the shocking deaths of the Benoit family....which I will be writing about in an upcoming post. 

I've been asked quite a few times to write about Chris Benoit and I have yet to put pen to paper because I didn't think I would be able to add any new information to what everyone already knew. As some of my readers tell me, they may know about certain horrific events and true crime cases but they still want to read my take on it and my unique way of writing so I decided that I would create this series here on my blog. Each week I will delve into the past and look back over some of the shocking situations that have happened to some of our most iconic wrestlers over the decades and I'm starting this series off with non other than the unforgettable Miss Elizabeth. 

Miss Elizabeth isn't known for being a 'wrestler', although she did have a little moment in the ring, she was involved in various aspects of wrestling and is mostly known for her stints as a manager to some of our most legendary wrestlers. She is considered a legend and another one of those sad stories that fans often look back on and wonder what could have been. Her death at the age of 42 came as a shock but in her short life and career she left behind some very iconic moments that continue to be re-played and enjoyed to this very day. The wrestlers of today, especially the WWE Divas, have spoken about how Miss Elizabeth was a huge influence on them and how she helped pave the way for women to be taken more seriously in wrestling, she is often referred to as 'The First Lady of Wrestling'.

Miss Elizabeth as she is most famously known (real name: Elizabeth Ann Hulette) was born on the 19th of November 1960 in Frankfort, Kentucky. Her step into the world of wrestling began in the early 1980s when whilst working at a gym she met a man by the name of Randy Poffo. Randy (known as the late and legendary, Randy Savage aka 'Macho Man') was a wrestler for ICW (International Championship Wrestling) and the pair became very close. Elizabeth became involved with ICW as a TV announcer in the beginning and then progressed to being Randy's manager from 1985 to 1992 when they were now in the WWF (World Wrestling Federation). With Miss Elizabeth (as she was called) being Randy's manager, this caused quite a stir at the time and the pair couldn't have been more opposite if they tried. Randy was very much his nickname 'macho' and came across as a loud, brash, burly control freak. Miss Elizabeth was a beautiful, gentle spoken and elegant woman who wore sparkly dresses and followed his lead. 

Many things have been written about Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage over the years and one thing that always seems to be a commonality is that they are often described as wrestling's first couple and most controversial couple. The pair played their roles, characters and storylines perfectly and Elizabeth would often have the fans feeling sorry for her with all she had to put up with having to deal with Randy. Randy would be described by some as 'over-protective' and others would say he was a 'control freak' with how he treated Elizabeth. The fans would often be disgruntled with the way Randy would sneer at Elizabeth or order her around. There were so many iconic and memorable moments from their partnership and Miss Elizabeth was a crucial part to many of the iconic storylines in the 1980s. 

Elizabeth had worked with all the big names during her career in the wrestling world, Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Jessie Ventura, George 'The Animal' Steele (which was said to have been Elizabeth's first major storyline also involving Randy Savage which proved to be very popular with the fans), Roy Wayne 'The Honky Tonk Man' Farris, Ricky Steamboat, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Curt 'Mr Perfect' Hennig and so many others. The 1980s were a fantastic time for Elizabeth and the storylines and iconic moments were aplenty but like all things in the wrestling world, everything was fast moving and as the 1990's approached changes came into play. Randy and Elizabeth had actually been married in real-life during this time and some people will still say to this day that Elizabeth was the love of Randy's life how they come to that conclusion I don't know but I do know that she played a major role in his early career and without her the storylines wouldn't have been as huge or as popular as they were. 

Randy and Elizabeth had divorced by the time 1992 rolled around and the fans found out through a magazine, there was no big announcement or drama about it, it seemed to be quickly swept under the carpet. In the 90's Elizabeth seemed to be back and forth making appearances here and there but still remaining a fan favourite and seen as wrestling royalty, fans were always happy to see her. She took some time away from the world of wrestling and appeared again in WCW in 1996 in the role as a manager again reunited with Randy Savage and involved in storylines with him, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and others. She was part of the NWO (New World Order) with Hulk Hogan until she took some time off in April of 1999 but returned in September of that year to manage another legendary wrestler, Lex Luger. 

At the time of Elizabeth managing Lex, they were both married to other people. Elizabeth was married to a lawyer, Carl Lubetsky who wasn't involved with any aspect of the wrestling business. Rumours were going around that Elizabeth and Lex (real name: Lawrence Wendell Pfohl) were having an affair and when he had to take some time off for an injury, she practically nursed him back to health and the pair were inseparable but it was soon to be proven to be a toxic union. 

Both of them returned to the WCW and having done stints as a valet, TV announcer, presenter and manager, Elizabeth was now having a turn at wrestling but it was clear that her role as a manager was more what the fans and herself were used to. There was a short-lived collaboration with the couple and Richard 'Ric Flair' Fliehr a new tag team 'Team Package' around February of 2000 but this soon disbanded. For whatever reason, ideas running out for her character or maybe she felt it was time to move away from the wrestling business, Elizabeth decided not to return after her contract with WCW came to an end in August of 2000. She was however, scheduled to make some special appearances as part of the World Wrestling All-Stars tour of Europe in late 2002 with Lex Luger, he participated but surprisingly, although Elizabeth was with him on the tour, she refused to make any public appearances much to the disappointment with some fans who were looking forward to seeing her again. 

The drugs and alcohol were taking over the relationship and with money being at their disposal there was no end in sight, it was only a matter of time before things would take a tragic turn. Lex was getting into all sorts of trouble being high as a kite most of the time. Just a couple of days after the domestic violence incident, Lex and Elizabeth were almost involved in a car crash due to Lex driving whilst drunk and high. The police found that he had a gun in the car and no drivers licence. 

These horrible incidences just seemed to continue this tragic spiral of events which lead up to Elizabeth's shocking and heartbreaking death at the age of just 42. It was May the 1st when Lex says that he came home to the townhouse that evening and decided to rent some movies from Blockbuster which the pair watched together. Elizabeth at that time appeared to be fine, at some point the pair took some substances and alcohol and Elizabeth took a nap. Around the early hours of the morning Elizabeth had woken up and Lex asked her if she wanted something to eat. During eating he claims that she suddenly passed out and he realised that she was unconscious. While contacting authorities he was attempting CPR but there was no response from Elizabeth. An ambulance arrived at the house pretty quickly and Lex believed that Elizabeth would be fine because the paramedics took her to the hospital very swiftly and when the news came that she had passed away he was totally dumbfounded. At the age of just 42, Elizabeth was sadly gone due to what was determined to be a toxic mix of alcohol and painkillers. Her death was ruled as accidental and no foul play was determined. A lot of wrestling fans today still struggle with the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth's untimely death and hold Lex responsible for what they believe was his influence on her. The domestic violence incident which happened just a short time before her death, didn't paint him in a good light either. 

An investigation was conducted and the police found a whole trove of drugs and prescription pills in the house including Hydrocodone (a form of painkiller which was found in Elizabeth's system along with alcohol and Xanax), Xanax, Anabolic steroids, Oxycodone, Synthetic Growth Hormone, Testosterone and Alprazolam (which is an anti anxiety medication). Lex was arrested and charged with drug possession and pleaded guilty to the charges put before him. He was released on bail and ended up receiving a suspended five year sentence and a fine of $1,000 and court order that he must attend regular drug screenings. 

The iconic Miss Elizabeth was taken home to be buried in the cemetery of her beloved hometown and to this day fans still go to her grave to pay their respects to a lost legend who did really pave the way for a lot of women in the wrestling world. 

Elizabeth's mother, Mary Ann sadly passed away in 2021 and buried alongside Elizabeth at Frankfort cemetery in Kentucky. 

As for Lex Luger (real name: Lawrence) he is still alive today (as of posting this blog: April 2025) and is retired from wrestling but was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He is currently 66 years old and has suffered various health issues over the years and has had to use a wheelchair. He recently got married again (2025). 

The man who a lot of fans believe had been the most iconic partnership with Miss Elizabeth, 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, sadly passed away on the 20th of May 2011 at the age of 58 due to a heart attack brought on by coronary artery disease. 

I just wanted to include some words below from the men themselves. Lex and Randy on the death of Elizabeth. I have tried to transcribe to the best of my ability their comments in interviews.

In an interview with Canadian TV show host and radio personality, Chris Van Vilet, Lex said of Elizabeth: 

''I had too much time and money on my hands. Got messed up on drugs and alcohol. Had a period where I was a complete trainwreck. The tragic passing of Elizabeth....people go ''well, he killed Elizabeth!''. Well, I didn't kill her....but was I a contributing factor to the lifestyle I was living and her being around me all the time....and she overdosed? Absolutely.'' - Lex Luger

Lex also mentioned in the interview that he understood why some fans still held him in some way responsible for Elizabeth's death:

''I totally understand....I get it. She was a beloved character, Liz. And I'll always be tied as part of what happened with her. And I get that I have haters out there. I understand where they are coming from...I get it.'' - Lex Luger 

He described what happened in the hours leading up to Elizabeth's death. 

''I came back late that evening and decided to go...back then you could rent movies at Blockbuster, we don't do that anymore but back then... and I came back and man, I had to stay straight the whole day and I was ready to party and Liz had a party a little bit with me. She seemed that she was fine and we watched the movie. She dozed off a couple of times but it was by then... it was like, you know...2am or 3am, I thought she was just tired. I made a snack, heated up a snack in the microwave and she was hungry and actually stood up to come to the microwave with me and wanted to help. I said, you go ahead and sit down, I'll bring it to you and I brought her, her food. She took a couple of bites out of it. I sat down on the couch a few feet away from her to eat my food and she was passed out. I thought that was weird because why was she eating her food and...uh...one thing led to another. I realised that she was unconscious and I ended up calling 911 and I thought that they got there so fast. I thought she was fine but I learned a couple of hours later that she hadn't made it to the hospital, it was a complete shock to me.'' - Lex Luger. 

On being asked how he was doing hearing the news about Elizabeth's death, Randy Savage said:

''I feel really bad for her and her family and the situation in which we hadn't seen each other for maybe 5, 6 years....but you know we had closure and we said hello and everything was all good. But I feel really bad for her family.'' - 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.

To this day a lot of fans (including myself) believe that Elizabeth should be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for everything she has contributed to the world of wrestling. As I mentioned previously, she was a huge part of many iconic storylines and had played various roles. For what she had achieved at that time as a woman in what was mostly a male dominated industry, it's about time that she was fully recognised as a trail blazer. Her death at the age of 42 was a shocking tragedy and one wonders what could have been especially now and in previous years, Elizabeth might not have chosen to be in front of the cameras anymore but she could have continued to play a pivotal role behind the scenes at WWE after all she knew the industry more than most. It would have been lovely to see her continue to grow in the world of wrestling. It's sad that it wasn't to be.

My thoughts on Lex Luger (Lawrence)? well, it seemed that Elizabeth was surrounded by a lot of dominant men in her life. It seemed that the soft-spoken gentleness of her 'Miss Elizabeth' character was not that far away from the real person that she was. It's difficult to know the real story of what really went on behind closed doors but it was clear that she was in an abusive relationship with Lex Luger and he did have control of her. For her to leave wrestling and go and work as a receptionist in his gym, for her to refuse to take part in the European tour but still accompany him in 2002, there's just a lot of things that scream to me that he was in control of her and she somehow felt that she had to do as he wished. The circumstances of her death, him coming home and desperate to take drugs and involving her in that and sitting away from her whilst they were eating, just a lot of things that just don't sit right with me but none of us will never know the full story. I'm not pointing fingers but it does make me want to ask questions. I think about her relationship with Randy Savage and people would comment about how controlling he was of her and this was when the cameras were turned off. He was in control of a lot of things from what she wore to how she had her hair and how she would walk in and out of the ring. It was played off as him being overprotective and respectful of her but on the other hand he was paranoid that her skirt would inch up a bit too high or someone would be able to see a bit of cleavage or something, he would make her rehearse going in and out of the ring and Elizabeth would go along with everything that he said and demanded. 

There's so much sadness with the story of what happened with Elizabeth and when it was announced that Lex Luger was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a few eyebrows were raised. What are your thoughts on this and what happened with Miss Elizabeth? as always, if you would like to leave your comments below, please do so or send me an email in confidence to jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com.

As sad as this post has been I hope that if you are unfamiliar with Elizabeth's story that you come away from this with a bit more knowledge about who she was and how important she was and is, in the wrestling story. I hope you will check out some of her iconic moments and here's hoping that one day she will be included in the WWE Hall of Fame amongst the greats. 

RIP Miss Elizabeth, your legacy continues. 

Further Reading & Sources:

- The Definitive Guide to World Wrestling Entertainment by DK

- Miss Elizabeth | Find A Grave

- Miss Elizabeth | Cage Match

- Miss Elizabeth | Wikipedia

- Miss Elizabeth | WWE

- Miss Elizabeth | WM Main Event

- Miss Elizabeth & Lex Luger | SI.com

- Miss Elizabeth | Pro Wrestling

- Miss Elizabeth | IMDB

- Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth | Pro Wrestling Stories

- Miss Elizabeth & Lex Luger | Si.com

- Randy Savage | Wikipedia

- Randy Savage | WWE

- Randy Savage | Macho Man

- Randy Savage | IMDB

- Macho Man: The Life of Randy Savage | Book by Jon Finkel

- Macho Man Randy Savage | Find A Grave

- Wrestling With The Devil | Book by Lex Luger, John Borden, Steve Sting.

- Lex Luger | Wikipedia

- Vince McMahon | Wikipedia

- WWE: 100 Greatest Matches | Book by Dean Miller

- World Championship Wrestling | Wikipedia

- Frankfort Cemetery | Wikipedia

- Randy Savage (clip) | Fons Youtube

I will be continuing my look back into some of the shocking, heartbreaking and disturbing moments in the world of wrestling in my next post and the coming weeks so I hope you will join me here on my blog every week, especially if you are a fellow wrestling fan. Be sure to follow me on my socials to ensure you never miss a post. 

Stay safe until the next post.....x

*Please be aware that I will be discussing some sensitive details in this post which will be distressing. I will be talking about domestic violence, suicide, substance misuse and murder. I will aim, as I always do, to try and share the details of the cases in as sensitive a way as I can without taking away from the facts of each case. If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact me via email: jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*

If you have had the opportunity to read the first part of this series, thank you for taking the time to do so and for coming back again to read part two. I really appreciated the feedback about my previous post which was shared across my social media platforms. It turned out that quite a lot of people didn't know about some of the details I had shared, especially in regards to the tragic stories of Lloyd Avery and Ramon Novarro. 

In this post, I will be concluding this two part series with another 6 actors and actresses who were murdered and the shocking circumstances in which they died. So without further ado, let's get into these 6 tragic stories....

Susan Cabot

(Stephanie Moseley. Picture credit: Metro)

(Johnny Wactor. Picture credit: US Weekly)

 (Collage created by the blog author. Picture credits: Ranker / Silentology / Historic Images / Find A Grave / Imdb / Pinterest)

*Please be aware that I will be sharing some disturbing details in this post which will involve descriptions of murders, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Suicide. I will, as always, aim to be as sensitive with the details as possible, whilst not taking away the facts of each of the cases. Please email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com if you have any questions or enquiries*

Do you ever find yourself watching one of your favourite movies that you've seen hundreds of times and ever wonder what happened to some of the cast members? You soon find yourself grabbing your phone to look them up on Google to see that they've either gone on to more success, retired from acting or sadly, have passed away. Well, sometimes it is the case that they are no longer with us through illness or natural causes due to age, but sometimes you can be left in a state of shock to find they've either taken their own lives due to mental illness, accidental drug overdose or have been horrifically murdered. 

It's human nature to be shocked and intrigued when we suddenly find out that an actor or actress we have admired has been murdered. We are horrified but there is a sense of curiosity about finding out the details of how they met their tragic demise. Celebrities are just the same as the rest of us but there is this naivety we sometimes have that these individuals are somewhat above human (yikes...I sound like Marshall Applewhite - See my Heaven's Gate post!) and have a protective barrier around them. Yes, they do have the money for security, bodyguards and such but sometimes that doesn't even matter, they can still fall into dangerous circumstances just like you and I can. Sometimes it's the very people that they think they can trust, that causes them harm and a lot of the time they are at risk of being in danger due to crazed fans/stalkers. 

So how did I come to deciding to write this two part series about actors and actresses who have been tragically murdered? Well, believe it or not, I was watching the classic movie 'Boyz N the Hood' when I was just messing about on my phone and decided to see what the cast members were up to nowadays. I've seen this movie a dozen times since I was a child and never thought to find out what the cast members were up to at any given moment. I knew that Cuba Gooding Jr had gone on to make other movies. One of the most memorable actors in the movie who was responsible for the shocking on-screen death of the beloved character 'Ricky' (an actor by the name of Lloyd Avery) had a minor but pivotal role in the film. I found out recently that he sadly died in 2005. All of these years have gone by and I had no idea that he had passed away, I was pretty shocked, saddened and horrified when I looked into the details of his death (brace yourself, it's quite disturbing) which I will be sharing in this post. 

So as we know, quite a number of horrific murders of actors and actresses have happened in Hollywood and not just in Hollywood, elsewhere in the world and I have a few stories which I will be sharing in some future posts, including the story of an actress who was murdered by her male co-star because he was jealous that she was getting more 'screen time' than him (there might be some people reading this from a certain part of the world who'll know exactly who I'm talking about but it was a horrendous case). There's quite a number of shocking stories to share from all over the world but for now the focus in this post, is Hollywood. 

So grab a cup of tea or coffee, get relaxed and let's delve into part one of this short series here on my blog....

Dorothy Stratten 

Ramon Novarro 

When we look back over classic Hollywood movies we feel a sense of romance and glamour, like the stars held themselves with more grace and mystery back then. Everything seemed to be art deco, more elegant and award ceremonies were so glamorous, it all seemed so timeless. When it came to the matinee idol heartthrobs, Ramon Navarro, he certainly fit the bill with his dark eyes, exotic features and charisma. Like a lot male movie stars of that era, Ramon lived a double life, on one side he was a heartthrob, adored by thousands of women and the other side, he was having to hide his sexuality for the sake of his career. As we know back then, attitudes were very black and white, not just the movies, times were different and a lot of singers and actors were forced to portray a squeaky-clean image, even going so far as to having their childhood's fabricated and being forced to lie about their ethnicity. That's part of the reason I have included writing about dark history on my blog because there certainly is a lot of skeletons in Hollywood's closet and an abundance of shocking stories about what went on back then. 

So Ramon was a shining star but like all shining stars, there comes a time when the light begins to fade and times move on. As he got older, Ramon was still held in high regard and very much loved, he was seen (and quite rightly so) as Hollywood royalty and a huge part of cinema history. The sad thing is, that part of this popularity caught the attention of the wrong people. Now in his late 60s, Ramon was approaching his 70s with no signs of slowing down. With the pressures of his career no longer holding him down, he knew he had made his mark on Hollywood and was now feeling more relaxed to be himself and live life on his own terms however, this would lead to disturbing consequences. Ramon was living comfortably and enjoyed the attention of younger men at his home, he lived in a beautiful big house and the young men who came to see him would often be treated to his generosity and some would steal items from his home. These men were hired from an escort agency and Ramon would pay them for their time, their company and their sexual services. It's heartbreaking to think that this wonderful actor who'd captured the heart of so many in his hay day was now paying for sex (sorry to put it so bluntly) with these younger men who didn't care about him or appreciate who he was. 

Of course, this sort of lifestyle where you are inviting strangers to your home, especially if you are known as an actor, can be very risky because they types of people believe that you have lots of money and expensive belongings. It was only a matter of time before someone really took advantage of this and two brothers (named Paul and Tom Ferguson) had overheard one of the boy's bragging about going to Ramon's home, the beautiful big house, the lovely food, the fancy furniture etc and decided that they were going to get a hold of his phone number and make him an offer they thought he would never refuse. 

The two brothers called Ramon on the phone and on the promise of a threesome with these two guys the older actor jumped at the chance. However, when the pair arrived at Ramon's home, what Ramon was expecting as he opened the door (wearing his bathrobe with $20 in the pocket) was not exactly what he had in mind. The Ferguson brothers pounced on the 69 year old and beat and tortured the poor man for hours constantly demanding that he tell them where his money was hidden. The pair were convinced that this veteran Hollywood actor had money stashed somewhere in the house. When Ramon told them there was no money, they beat him more and more to the point that he was now passed out lying in his own blood, choking. The evil brothers got fed up and decided to leave but not before checking Ramon's bathrobe pockets as he lay dying, they walked away with the $20 that he had in his robe. They didn't call an ambulance, they just left him there and Ramon sadly passed away from choking on his blood on the 30th of October 1968. 

I would leave the this terrible story there but I know you want to find out what happened next for the Ferguson brothers. Well, let's just say that karma came back for them in a big way. They were caught, found guilty and thrown in prison for  what they did to Ramon but they were eventually released....but not for long as they just couldn't stay out of trouble. The chickens soon came home to roost for the pair of them, as the saying goes, Tom committed suicide in 2005 and his brother, Paul was beaten to death in 2018. 

David Huffman

David was one of those rare actors that never forgot his roots! He was a very talented man who had not only lit up the screen with his acting skills but also won praise in the theatre too. He was very creative and had many talents which included painting and music....he could even play the bagpipes! The story of what happened to David is heartbreaking, I wasn't familiar with him before I did my research but he had one of those faces where you would say to yourself ''I've seen this guy before'', which is a silly thing to think considering he was an actor but as I am someone who practically lives for 1980s movies, it's most probable that I have seen him in a 1980s movie or show. 

Well David was not just a talented man, he had two sons with his wife who he had met as a student at university and was very much a family man who never let the success of his career go to his head. Unlike a lot of celebrities, he never thought of himself as above anyone and those who knew him describe him as being generous to a fault. This was clearly demonstrated in the heartbreaking circumstances in which his death came about. His kindness and caring was to be the very things that ended up costing him dearly. 

In February of 1985, David was spending some time at a theatre with his cast members having cookies and having some time bonding with everyone. When he left that afternoon he was sitting in his vehicle practicing playing his bagpipes when he noticed out of the corner of his eye some commotion across the street. 

David witnessed a young man harassing an elderly couple and trying to steal items from their mobile home. Being the person that he was, David went to see what was happening and to see if the elderly couple were ok. It turned out that the perpetrator was a 16 year old illegal immigrant called Genaro Samano Villanueva who had come into America illegally with his family, not that long before this incident and had been going around committing petty crime as a way to make money. David saw what had happened and decided to confront Genaro which ended up with David giving chase to the 16 year old boy, the situation quickly escalated even worse when the pair got into a scuffle and Genaro forcefully stabbed David in the chest numerous times with a screwdriver, puncturing some main arteries. Blood was coming out of David very quick and fast and it didn't take long for David to collapse and die of his injuries. The whole thing took seconds, maybe a few minutes at most but David Huffman (later nicknamed by many as 'The Good Samaritan') was dead at just 39 years old. 

The elderly couple didn't know what had happened because when David chased Genaro, the pair disappeared and they never saw anybody again after that. David was found about an hour later by a group of children, Genaro fled the scene. The police launched an investigation and the elderly couple noticed the information posters and reports and recognised David, they contacted the police straight away and were give them a description of Genaro. Thanks to the elderly couple's poster of Genaro, he was soon tracked down and arrested, he was found guilty and jailed. It's scary to think that if the elderly couple had not come forward, would Genaro have ever been charged? It's a sad story about a man who was very loved and was kind and saw something happening and wasn't too proud to go and help an elderly couple in need. 

David was a hero that day and will be remembered for what he did as well as his acting credits and many talents. It's a shame that the world never got a chance to see what more David had to offer because 39 is no age and his family miss him terribly as you can imagine. 

Lana Clarkson

This case will probably ring a few bells with you especially if I mention the name, Phil Spector. Lana Clarkson was a stunning blonde actress and model. She had minor roles but sadly wasn't very well known until her tragic death. You'll often see her name appear next to the late Sharon Tate, who as you know was also a beautiful, blonde actress who was pregnant and married to Director Roman Polanski. Sharon and her friends had been horrifically murdered by Susan Atkins and the Manson Family back in 1969. Lana and Sharon are often compared because of some of their similarities, beautiful promising young actresses that were on the cusp of a glittering career. The story of Lana's death was difficult to understand, although we know that Phil Spector was responsible, the question that is always asked in any of these types of circumstances is why? 

Phil Spector before being known to the world as a monster and a murderer, was an American music producer and icon in the music world, and everyone wanted to work with him. He'd collaborated with everyone from Tina Turner to The Beatles. He was seen as royalty so when the news broke that a young actress had died in tragic circumstances in his home, the world was shocked. The details that were being made public about the tragic incident were even more confusing. Phil gave a strange version of events, he said that Lana had committed suicide by mistake and had been kissing the gun. 

Phil's limo driver spilled the beans and it really was one of those cases where there was quite literally a smoking gun. Apparently Phil had picked up Lana and they went back to his home where the limo driver waited outside, after about an hour, there's a loud bang that sounds like a gunshot. The limo driver then witnesses Phil coming out of the back door of his home holding a gun and saying ''I think I've shot her''.

As awful as the circumstances were, this was pretty much an open and shut case because obviously Phil was responsible for this young woman's death. It became a real saga and a real lesson in what people think they can get away with if they have a certain reputation and wealth. Phil was a powerful man at one point and knew everybody in the music industry as well as underground figures in the criminal world. He had a vast amount of wealth and when he appeared in his first trial (which ended in a hung jury), there was an air of confidence about him. The whole thing was a complete and utter waste of time but he actually thought that he could get away with it because of who he was and how rich he was. This was a man who was able to buy people's silence in the past and get everything pretty much his own way and there was a point where I actually thought he was going to get away with it. The trouble was that there was a big debate on this poor woman's mental health and whether she held the gun herself and why this so-called legendary music producer would put himself in such a position to take the life of this young woman. 

In the second trial which wasn't televised, he was found guilty of second degree murder and obviously this was a huge shock to him because all of a sudden he's no longer the big American producer, he's now in handcuffs and a jumpsuit with his wig off and instead of enjoying caviar and champagne, he's now in a cell with big Bob eating lumpy porridge. The mighty had surely fallen and it was a great thing to see that it didn't matter how much money you had or how many celebrities friends you had (who, by the way had dropped him like a bad habit) if you take the life of an innocent person, you have to pay the price. 

Again, like with Sharon Tate and others who were murdered and never had the chance to experience the success that lay ahead of them, Lana will sadly be forever remembered as being a victim of this horrible situation. Phil Spector, after all those decades of being seen as music royalty, died in disgrace in his jail cell in 2021. Instead of being remembered for the incredible achievements and moments of musical history he helped create, people look at him and his legacy now as in a dark light, the images of him in the courtroom, the mug shots without his wig on and the whole set of circumstances just go to show that a lifetime's glittering career can be utterly tarnished forever in a short space of time and there's nobody to blame but himself. 

Jenny Maxwell

Jennifer Helene Maxwell (known professionally as 'Jenny Maxwell') is often unfortunately nicknamed 'The Elvis Girl Who Was Murdered'. Obviously to star in a movie with the late, great and legendary Elvis Presley (the movie was 'Blue Hawaii' - 1961) is nothing to shake a stick at but there was more to Jenny. She was a talented woman in her own right and had a unique beauty about her. She had worked in various movies and television roles and was said to have been a distant relative of Marilyn Monroe. 

Her rise to fame was quite extraordinary, she was discovered at the age of 16 by none other than the legendary film Director, Vincente Minnelli (Judy Garland's former husband and father to Liza) and the future looked bright Jenny and obviously she went on to star alongside Elvis. Being a beautiful woman she was never short of male attention and had been married twice, both marriages being quite tumultuous, her second marriage was to a lawyer who was a couple of decades older than her. Jenny was also mother, she had a son (named: Brian) that she had with her first husband and was involved in a custody battle with him. 

Her second marriage wasn't easy either when it fizzled out either, there was drama when the pair decided to separate. The man she had been in the second marriage to had rumoured dealings with the mafia and was involved in all kinds of trouble so it's no surprise that sadly, Jenny was going to be caught up in tragic circumstances. According to a book which was written by Jenny's cousin (and released in 2021), on the night of the 10th of June 1981, Jenny and estranged husband were having a conversation in the lobby of her home when someone came out of nowhere and shot the the two of them. At the time it was declared in the media as an unsolved case and a tragic robbery gone wrong but decades later the truth would be revealed. In the book that was written by her cousin (titled: 'Murder of an Elvis Girl by Buddy Moorhouse) he explains that the police found that nothing had been stolen during this horrible incident and that they believe due to their investigation that Jenny's second husband had set up the whole thing. Apparently it was all a plot to get his hands on Jenny's money. The second husband had arranged for a guy posing as a hitman to shoot Jenny but to also shoot him but in a way that it wouldn't be fatal. His plan was to have Jenny murdered, he would be injured and recover, then he would inherit all of her money. 

His plan didn't work out though because the shooter shot too close to an artery and he ended up dying from his wound. Sadly Jenny died at the scene. A further shocking twist to this whole tragic story was that due to the fact that they were still technically married and Jenny had died before her second husband, her estate automatically transferred over to him when she died. He held on for another couple of hours before he passed away and the estate was then transferred over to his daughters. Who turned out to be every bit as shady and dodgy as their father. Brian, Jenny's son was left nothing from his mother's estate, the daughters of the man who arranged his mother's murder wouldn't give him a thing. A sad story all round and your heart goes out to Jenny and Brian. If only things had turned out differently but again even when you're famous you are not immune to backstabbing people, even people who you were married to or once had a close friendship with and when it comes to money, some people have no heart and will stop at nothing to get their hands on someone's money. 

Lloyd Avery II

So last but not least in this first part of this short series of posts, I have also been looking into the tragic death of actor Lloyd Avery II, most famously known for his role in the classic and Iconic 'Boyz N The Hood'. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it was looking up the cast members of the film and seeing what had happened to Lloyd which inspired me to write this post. So as you know, Lloyd was a talented young actor but his original dream was to get into the music industry which he continued to pursue alongside an acting career. 

When it comes to Boyz N The Hood, everyone remembers the shocking scene when the character 'Ricky' is shot and the scene where Avery's character leans out of a car window and fires the fatal shot. His character is later killed in an act of revenge by Ricky's brother. Lloyd became a familiar face and had also appeared in cult movies such as 'Poetic Justice' and 'Don't Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood'. He had an interesting upbringing counting the children of the legendary Quincy Jones and Smokey Robinson as his childhood friends. He was always creative as a child and it always expected that he would have some sort of career in the arts. 

Sadly though for reasons best known to himself, Lloyd's real life didn't stray that far from his on-screen characters. He found himself on the wrong side of the law many times and despite opportunities and future acting roles offered to him, Lloyd went down a different path and ended up shooting to death two people. These two people were reported to be random citizens so it's unclear if someone paid him to shoot these people or he was under the influence of something and carried out the murders after some sort of drug binge but whatever the case, he murdered two people and was sentenced to life imprisonment. All the promise of a great career gone down the tubes. 

More tragedy was to come when on the 4th of September 2005, Lloyd, at the age of just 36, was found dead in his prison cell. He had reportedly (as part of a satanic ritual) been strangled by a cellmate by the name of Kevin Roby. Looking into the murderer of Lloyd was another ordeal in itself, I wasn't expecting to go down a horrible rabbit hole as bad as it was. I was expecting the murderer of Lloyd to be a member of a gang but this was far worse. Kevin Roby was known for being a satanist who raped his sisters and reportedly murdered one of them. Even the mugshots of this monster put the chills down one's spine. An utterly terrifying individual and the circumstances of the death of Lloyd get more horrendous the more you look into it. Kevin had apparently strangled Lloyd and then used his blood to paint a pentagram on the floor before placing his body in the centre. This was all because Lloyd had apparently turned to Christianity whilst being in prison and Kevin (who was a hardcore satanist) strongly objected to being placed with Christians. Kevin tried to also murder one of the corrections officers. A very sick and dangerous man indeed. 

I know Lloyd was responsible for the deaths of two people and the whole thing is horrendous but to have his life end like that just adds more tragedy and horror to what could have been a successful and fulfilling life. What the hell happened to that young boy who was so talented and on the way to bigger and better things? I guess we will never know but what a horrible way for things to end. 

So this was a very difficult post to get through, each of these stories was tragic and in many cases, utterly horrifying. I appreciate it if you have made it this far in the post. I'm thinking of the people I have written about here and how incredibly different each of these stories are. It's tragic in every case. RIP Lloyd, Ramon, David, Jenny, Lana and Dorothy. 

Further Reading & Sources:

- Boyz N The Hood | Wikipedia

- Lloyd Avery II | Wikipedia

- Lloyd Avery ll | imdb

- Kevin Roby | True Crime Database

- Lloyd Avery ll | Investigation Discovery

- Lloyd Avery ll | Find a Grave

- Ramon Novarro | Wikipedia

- Ramon Novarro | imdb

- Roman Novarro | Golden Globes

- Roman Novarro | LA Times

- Roman Novarro | Find A Grave

- David Huffman | Wikipedia

- David Huffman | imdb

- David Huffman: Article | LA Times

- David Huffman | Find A Grave

- Jenny Maxwell | Wikipedia

- Jenny Maxwell | imdb

- Jenny Maxwell: Article | The Livingston Post

- Murder of an Elvis Girl | Book by Buddy Moorehouse

- Jenny Maxwell | Find A Grave  

- Lana Clarkson | Wikipedia

- Lana Clarkson | imdb

- Murder of Lana Clarkson | Wikipedia

- Lana Clarkson | Britannica

- Lana Clarkson | Find A Grave

- Dorothy Stratten | Wikipedia

- Dorothy Stratten: Article | ABC News

- Dorothy Stratten | imdb

- Dorothy Stratten | Book by Morghan Knight

- Dorothy Stratten | Find A Grave

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I appreciate it very much. If you would like to help support my weekly content by making a small donation by buying me a coffee, you can find the link on my page at the right of this page. You can also find all of my social media links here

Stay safe and I hope to see you in part two....x