Beneath all the fandom and uber-rich lifestyle, there is a dark side to Hollywood life. Many celebrities have died of overdosing and other accidents under mysterious circumstances, and their deaths are still shrouded in mystery. From the deaths of icons such as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston in her bathtub to stars like Mac Miller, many celebrity death cases are still cold cases yet to be solved. Here is a sneak peek into 10 celebrity deaths that are still unexplained. 

1 Kobe Bryant and his daughter, along with seven people on board a helicopter, died when it crashed on 26th January 2020. The probable cause of the crash is unknown even now. The National Transportation and Safety Board is yet to determine the cause of the crash, and the model of the helicopter has never crashed before. 

The tragedy of Kobe Bryant’s death is still a mystery as the investigators of the helicopter crash are yet to determine its cause. They have come to the conclusion that it was either a human error or some environmental event that led to the crash.

Engine and mechanical failure were ruled out by the NTSB. The chopper climbed slightly up before it veered left and descended rapidly, crashing into a hillside. 

Authorities believe that the crash was either because of misperceiving pitch and roll angles by the pilot that is usually caused by spatial disorientation. There were very overcast skies, but the helicopter had a good safety record.

However, the crashed vehicle did not have a terrain warning system or black box as they are not required in commercial choppers. The accident happened on a day where all of the police and sheriff’s department was grounded because of bad weather. (1, 2)

2 Elizabeth Short, a 22-year-old aspiring actress, was found dead in a park in LA on January 15, 1947, with her body cut in half. What later came to be known as the “Black Dahlia murder” is one of the most notorious unsolved mysteries in the history of Hollywood. 

Elizabeth Short’s death, known to the world as the “Black Dahlia Murder,” is one of the most famous unsolved Hollywood deaths in history. Her body was found cut in two at the waist with all her blood drained out.

Her mouth was cut in the corners to give her the “Joker smile.” Sections of her skin were removed, and there were cuts and bruises in her breast and thighs. 

It was strange that after her body was found, around 50 men and women confessed to the LAPD that they were the killer which made it almost impossible for the police to pinpoint the real killer.

The case has had numerous suspects over the years, but there was never enough evidence to charge anyone. There are multiple theories that link it to other murders. Some linked it to the Lipstick murders.” Many believe that it has ended up as a cold case because of media interference. (1, 2)

3 Thelma Todd, an American actress active during the 1920s and 30s, was found dead in her car under unexplained circumstances. The cause of death was found to be carbon monoxide poisoning. She had been receiving several threatening notes that asked her to pay $10,000 or she would be killed only a few months before her death. 

Preliminary post mortem reports point to monoxide poisoning as the cause of death of the star. Several months before her death, she was the recipient of extortion notes with death threats asking for money. According to friends and colleagues, she did not have any reason to take her own life. 

Her jewels and purse were intact when her body was found. The police suspect that she might have fallen asleep in her car with the engine running. Thelma Todd has had abusive relationships and was manhandled and abused many times in her life.

Her death is still not completely explained as there are many possible enemies who were after her for her money. (1, 2)

4 George Reeves, the original Superman, was found with a gunshot to his head on June 16, 1959. Even though the shooting was an open-and-shut case of suicide, many of his friends denied that and called it murder. On the night of the death, he was hanging out with his three friends, and all of them were too drunk to be dependable witnesses on the case. He left no note, had bruises on his face, and was found naked, which is extremely unusual for a suicide. 

George Reeves was found in his bedroom in a pool of blood, naked, with a bullet in his brain and gun between his feet. The police immediately recorded it as a suicide, but many of his friends doubted foul play as the original Superman had no shortage of enemies with motives.

The case of his death was never reopened, but how the case was investigated is still unsatisfactory to his close friends and family. 

Similar to the Black Dahlia murder, there are many unsolved angles to this death. One of his friends who were present in the house during his death left for New York the same week after his death. Reeve’s body had bruises on his face and chest which were also left unexplained.

Since there was no apparent reason for his suicide and his body found in such an unusual way, many still believe in the many different theories about the cause of his death. (1, 2)

5 Brittany Murphy, the young star from Clueless, died a sudden death at 32. She was battling flu-like symptoms before she collapsed in her bathroom and died on the spot. Five months after that, her husband died the same way in the same room. The case was closed saying they had severe pneumonia, but the circumstances still overshadow her career. 

Murphy’s death was ruled as an accident by the coroner. Despite finding many prescription drugs in her house, her husband refuted the reports that said she was addicted to drugs. The actress was sick and anemic at the time of her passing.

The coroner also confirmed that she did not overdose on drugs. According to investigators and doctors, Murphy would have been alive if she went to a doctor earlier. 

Monjack, her husband, was aware of her flu but did not reveal why they did not consult a doctor. He told the media that she was properly taken care of.

Five months after her death, her husband was found dead with the same cause of pneumonia and anemia at the same spot as she collapsed and died. This raised many questions to her open-and-shut case later and still remains unexplained. (1, 2)