15 Shocking Hollywood Murders

Nicole Brown Simpson: The wife of disgraced football star O.J. Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, were murdered in cold blood in 1994. Despite O.J. being acquitted of the crime, many still believe that he committed the brutal stabbing that ultimately killed them. Meanwhile, no one knows for certain who the real killer is!

John Lennon: The Beatles icon was shot to death in front of his apartment building, The Dakota, in New York City in 1980. His killer, Mark David Chapman, shot the musician four times in the back. He was pronounced dead upon arriving to the hospital. Chapman is still serving his sentence in Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York.

Biggie Smalls, born Christopher George Latore Wallace, was killed by an unknown gunman in a March 9, 1997, in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old, who also known as the Notorious B.I.G., was allegedly killed by an African American man driving a Chevrolet Impala SS. According to witnesses, the man drew a pistol and fired with four bullets hitting the famed rapper. Still, many believe Wallace's murder was related to that of rapper Tupac Shakur, who died on September 25, 1996 also in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. The LAPD has never solved Biggie's murder and finally released his autopsy in Dec. 2012.

Marilyn Monroe: The Hollywood icon's sudden death was ruled a "probable suicide" after she overdosed on sleeping pills on August 5, 1962 in her Brentwood, California home. However, there has always been speculation and wild theories surrounding the events of her death. Such conspiracies included that the mafia murdered her because of the actress' alleged affairs with President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert!  Meanwhile, some believe that JFK and Bobby possibly were behind the murder because she threatened to expose their steamy affairs!

Natalie Wood: The actress was found dead shortly after going on a yacht trip off Catalina Island with husband Robert Wagner and Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken on Nov. 29, 1981. After a fun night of partying on the boat, Wagner and Walken started arguing while Wood went to bed. According to Wagner's rendition of the events, his wife was already missing when he went to say goodnight to her later that day. Hours later, the actress' lifeless body was found floating in the water. Although her death was ruled an accidental drowning, cops reopened the case in 2011 after the boat's captain, Dennis Davern, told NBC News that the fight between Wagner and Walken was what actually led to her death. Her cause of death was eventually changed from accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors."

Sharon Tate: The beautiful blonde was brutally murdered in 1969 in a home that she and husband, Roman Polanski, had rented in Los Angeles. While the director stayed abroad to continue working on a film, the Manson Family – a murderous cult clan led by Charles Manson – infamously terrorized Tate and her houseguests. Tate, who was 8 ½ months pregnant, was reportedly stabbed 16 times. 

The Black Dahlia: Aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, 22, was found with her body sliced in half at the waist on January 15, 1947, and has become famously known as The Black Dahlia. Short was found naked, mutilated and completely drained of blood in a vacant lot in Los Angeles – one of the many misconceptions discredited by the police was that Short had been a prostitute. The case, which remains unsolved, has intrigued America for decades and been the subject of countless books, articles, and movies.

George Reeves: Although the 1950s Superman star reportedly killed himself, many, including his own mother, suspected he was murdered! On June 16, 1959 between 1:30 and 2 a.m., Reeves allegedly shot himself in the head in the upstairs bedroom of his Los Angeles home, while his fiancée, playwright Leonore Lemmon, and friends were partying downstairs. Police reported at the time that Reeves, 45, was depressed because he wasn't getting work, but his mother refused to believe it. Some have even suspected that he was murdered over his relationship with married ex-showgirl Toni Mannix, wife of MGM honcho Eddie Mannix.

Marvin Gaye: R&B musician Marvin Gaye was shot to death was shot to death by his own father! On April 1, 1984, his parents, Marvin Gaye Sr. and Alberta Gaye, were reportedly arguing over missing insurance papers. Amid the alteration, Marvin intervened and supposedly punched his father during a cocaine-fueled frenzy. Not long after the scuffle was done with, Gaye Sr. went into his son's room and shot him twice in point blank range. The singer was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Phil Hartman: SNL favorite Phil Hartman died after his wife, Brynn, shot him to death in their Los Angeles home on May 27, 1988. During a heated argument between the two, Phil threated to leave his wife if she started doing drugs again. He eventually went to sleep but at around 3 a.m., Brynn, after reportedly getting hyped up on cocaine, snuck into their bedroom and shot the comedian once in the head and twice in his side. She shot herself dead shortly after.

Dorothy Stratten: Aspiring actress and Playboy centerfold Dorothy Stratten was brutally killed by estranged husband Paul Snider at just 20-years-old. On Aug. 14, 1980, after agreeing to reunite for a meeting, Snider fatally shot the young actress. She was found naked on her bed with a shotgun wound to the face. Snider, who investigators believed raped her before turning the gun on himself, was found dead as well.

JFK: Perhaps one of the most famous U.S. presidents, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22, 1963 while on a political trip. He died shortly after being taken to a hospital after being shot in the back and head. His suspected killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, was charged with the murder but was eventually killed by Jack Ruby before he could be criminally prosecuted. Ruby, initially convicted and sentenced to death, was granted a new trial but died of cancer-related complications before any proceedings took place.

Brittany Murphy: The 90s fan fave was suddenly found dead in her Los Angeles home in 2009 after reportedly suffering from a case of pneumonia and anemia. The condition, combined with a mixture of over-the-counter cold medicine, caused the Clueless actress to die at just 32-years-old. However, her dad doesn't believe that her death was an accident! In 2013, Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, ordered a lab to test his daughter's hair samples. The test supposedly showed that heavy metals found in rat poison were in her system. "I have a feeling that there was a definite murder situation here," the grieving father said in an interview with Good Morning America, "Yeah, it's poison. Yes, yes, I know that." In March 2016, County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter confirmed to Us Weekly that the case of her death could be reopened.