EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman's Final Resting Place Remains a 'Secret' — 16 Years After Actor's Mysterious Fall That Ended His Life
Gary Coleman died at 42 years old.
May 27 2026, Updated 1:16 p.m. ET
Gary Coleman tragically died at 42 after falling down the stairs and suffering a brain bleed.
As the 16th anniversary of the late child star's death approaches, RadarOnline.com resurfaces details on his last wishes and why his final resting place is still unconfirmed to this day.
Gary Coleman's Last Wishes
Gary Coleman passed away after a fall down his stairs at his Utah home.
The Diff'rent Strokes actor passed away on May 28, 2010, at a hospital in Provo, Utah, a few days after his fall.
Roughly two weeks later, Coleman's own words and desires were read in court.
He asked to be cremated. He also requested that only “those who have no financial ties to me and who can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman” to be at his wake.
Additionally, he ensured that no members of the press would be allowed at his funeral, if there was one.
Coleman died with few financial assets other than his Utah home, but a trust determined where any money would go.
"Before anyone gets paid, his medical and funeral bills have to be covered first," attorney Kent Alderman told People of Coleman's estate at the time. "Whatever’s left after that will be distributed according to his trust."
Gary Coleman's Ashes Kept Safe by Friend
Anna Gray said she'd never reveal where Gary Coleman's final resting place was.
In 2015, his former business manager, friend and the eventual executor of his will, Anna Gray, exclusively told Radar that Coleman's "final resting place" would remain a "secret."
"After a two-year court battle, I brought Gary’s ashes back to Oregon," she said at the time. "I have yet to choose a final resting place, but when I do, I will never share it with anyone – not even my husband."
"Gary’s last and most horrible fear was that even in death he wouldn’t be allowed any peace," she added.
While Gary's ex-wife, Shannon Price, wanted half of Gary's ashes, Anna refused.
"That is not what Gary would have wanted," she said. "Gary wanted a peaceful life. In death I am going to give him that peace."
Anna appears to have kept her word. While one website, Find a Grave, claimed his ashes were scattered on a train track in Illinois, that has not been publicly confirmed.
Inside Gary Coleman's Mysterious Death
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Gary Coleman's death was ruled an accident.
Before Coleman's death was officially ruled an accident by authorities, some suspected his former wife had been involved due to their rocky relationship.
In a 911 call, Price appeared to fail to follow the dispatcher's first aid instructions, including to apply pressure to the wound on Coleman's head after his fall.
Later, she was the one who made the decision to take him off of life support. They had secretly legally divorced nearly two years prior, but doctors were reportedly initially unaware of their split.
A polygraph test sparked even more confusion about the extent of her alleged involvement in his death. Price claimed that she did not "physically" cause Coleman to fall down the stairs, but experts determined that her results indicated she was lying.
When she was asked if she ever hit the late actor, the results were inconclusive. She also received an inconclusive result when she was asked if she intentionally did not give him proper first aid after his fall.
However, charges were not pursued as police did not find evidence of foul play.
