Random Weird Celebrity Deaths You've Never Heard Of (19 items)

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  (#13) Elizabeth Short: The Black Dahlia

  Quite possibly the most notorious unsolved murder in Los Angeles, Elizabeth Short was found severed at the waist in an empty lot. Short's body had been posed, cut into a Glasgow smile, and drained of blood by her slayer. The murder was heavily publicized and Short was eventually dubbed "The Black Dahlia." The story would go on to inspire everything from books to films.

  To this day, the mystery of Short's demise has not been solved. As an aspiring actress, Short never reached cinematic recognition, but she still reached notoriety.
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  (#7) Jayne Mansfield

  • Dec. at 34 (1933-1967)

  Mother of Mariska Hargitay, known as the "Working Man's Marilyn Monroe," Jayne Mansfield was the blonde bombshell of 1950s Hollywood. While driving with her children, lover, and driver, Mansfield's Buick crashed into the rear of a tractor that had suddenly stopped due to fog being emitted from a truck's mosquito fogger. The impact instantly ended Mansfield, her lover, and driver, but her children were miraculously only injured - including Hargitay.

  Rumors circled that Mansfield was decapitated by the crash largely because of the appearance of the car, which looked as if the top had been sliced off. However, the rumors were proven false, and only began because Mansfield's wig flew from her head to the windshield following the crash.
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  (#14) Bob Crane

  • Dec. at 50 (1928-1978)

  Star of the classic TV series Hogan's Heroes, Bob Crane was slain while living in his Scottsdale, Arizona, apartment in 1978. Crane was beaten with a weapon that was never identified. Unprepared to handle a homicide case, the Scottsdale Police Department struggled to collect enough evidence to indict their main suspect - Crane's friend, John Henry Carpenter. Many believed that the camera tripod found at the scene of the crime could have been the weapon.

  Police reopened Crane's case years later and officially indicted Carpenter. However, lack of substantial evidence led to his acquittal. Crane's murder was never officially solved.
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  (#4) Natasha Richardson

  • Dec. at 46 (1963-2009)

  Best known for her roles in The Handmaid's Tale movie and The Parent Trap reboot, Richardson was a prominent English actress and charmer. While taking a skiing class on vacation in Canada, Richardson fell and sustained injuries. In a state of lucid confusion, she reportedly refused medical help, stating she felt fine and returned to her hotel room.

  She later complained of a headache and was rushed to a hospital where she perished from epidural hematoma.
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  (#3) Jon-Erik Hexum

  • Dec. at 27 (1957-1984)

  While on set filming the CBS television show Cover Up, muscle stud Jon-Erik Hexum became restless throughout takes. Hexum began fiddling with a prop gun and then spun a blank cartridge, held the barrel to his head in a mock game of Russian roulette, and pulled the trigger.

  The wadding from the empty barrel shot out of the trigger and impacted Hexum's temple. He was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent five hours of surgery. Six days later, he was pronounced brain dead. Hexum donated many of his organs before being cremated.
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  (#17) Jeff Buckley

  • Dec. at 31 (1966-1997)

  Best known for his heartfelt cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," Jeff Buckley secured a cult musical following from a supportive fan base. Although Buckley only lived to release one studio album, Grace, he garnered critical appreciation.

  While in Memphis recording new material, he was joined by his fellow bandmates. During a break, Buckley jumped into the Wolf River Harbor with all his clothes on, and began swimming. Soon, Buckley had disappeared. A thorough rescue operation failed to find Buckley and he remained missing. It wasn't until a few days later when two people found his body near a boat that he was announced dead. 

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