Q: I had always heard that George Reeves, the original Superman, committed suicide. I recently read that many people think he was murdered. What’s the story behind the murder theory?
—Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners
A: Reeves, who played Superman in the TV series called the "Adventures of Superman" from 1952-58, was found dead in his bedroom on June 16, 1959, of what was ruled a suicide (gunshot to his head). The controversy surrounding how he died centers around evidence found at the scene and the accounts by the people who were in the house at the time. Reeves was drinking the night of his death, according to accounts and media reports, and was with girlfriend Leonore Lemmon and friends Carol Von Ronkle, William Bliss and Robert Condon, according to www.TruTV.com. Reeves went to his bedroom and they said they later heard one shot. They also didn't call police until 45 minutes after they claimed they heard the shot. However, two other bullet holes were found in the floor of the bedroom, one shell casing was found underneath Reeves' body, there were no fingerprints on the gun, no powder burns on his head and there were bruises on his body, according to the website. Leonore told police that Reeves was depressed after the cancellation of the Superman show and that the bullet holes in the floor were from a previous accident. "Hollywoodland," a 2006 film starring Ben Affleck as Reeves, follows Louis Simo, based on a real private detective and played by Adrien Brody, investigating the death.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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