The Strange Circumstances Surrounding the Tragic Death of George Reeves
George Reeves, renowned for his role as Superman in the television show “Adventures of Superman,” was found dead on June 16, 1959, at the age of 45.
His death was officially ruled as a suicide, despite several peculiarities discovered at the scene.
Reeves, although enjoying immense fame from his portrayal of Superman, was reportedly underpaid and limited by typecasting, which hindered his career prospects.
His fiancé, Leonore Lemmon, revealed to the press that his struggle to find work and his complicated relationship with an ex-girlfriend had contributed to his untimely demise.
Those who doubt the suicide verdict argue that Reeves did not display obvious signs of suicidal thoughts.
However, this argument lacks strength as many individuals experience hidden depression without exhibiting distress to their loved ones.
Alternatively, the crime scene itself was highly unusual, and Reeves had recently angered a powerful Hollywood fixer with connections to the mob.
Consequently, numerous friends of Reeves firmly believed that he was the victim of a secret murder.
THE BIZARRE EVENTS OF THAT NIGHT
George Reeves met his tragic fate during an unlikely moment, while guests were still present downstairs.
After most of the guests had left, Reeves retired to bed around midnight, leaving only his fiancé and writer Robert Condon awake.
Unexpectedly, William Bliss and Carol van Ronkel arrived at his house at approximately 1 a.m., despite the late hour.
Reeves briefly appeared downstairs, seemingly intoxicated and irritated, and requested that the intruders leave.
Following an argument with Bliss, he returned upstairs.
According to the official account, after Reeves went back upstairs, Lemmon made an eerie statement about him shooting himself.
Moments later, the group heard Reeves rummaging in a drawer.
Lemmon then remarked, “Now you will hear the shot,” and, indeed, a gunshot resounded.
Bliss rushed upstairs to check on Reeves, only to find him already lifeless.
Later, Lemmon claimed that she had been joking, but her strange comments raised suspicions.
THE MYSTERIOUS BULLETS
At the crime scene, George Reeves was discovered lying n^ked on his bed, with a gun resting on the floor between his legs.
Several oddities surrounded this discovery.
Firstly, no fingerprints were found on the gun, although some argue that this was due to recent oiling.
Additionally, the bullet that ended Reeves’ life was lodged in the ceiling, while the bullet case was located beneath his body.
Police also uncovered two additional bullet holes under the bedroom rug.
Lemmon admitted responsibility for one of them, stating that she had accidentally fired a shot while playing around with the gun a few days prior.
Combining her peculiar comments during the shooting with this revelation, some speculate that Lemmon unintentionally shot Reeves and clumsily attempted to cover up the accident.
WAS REEVES THE VICTIM OF AN ASSASSINATION?
Some investigators believe that the mystery behind George Reeves’ death lies within his romantic entanglements.
Before being involved with Leonore Lemmon, Reeves had a relationship with Toni Mannix, the wife of Eddie Mannix, a powerful MGM “fixer” rumored to have connections with the mob.
Reeves eventually left Toni for the much younger Lemmon, sparking rumors of lingering resentment that led to his murder.
Toni possessed a fiery temper, and her husband was known for making problems disappear.
While these speculations may seem far-fetched, Eddie Mannix was a fearsome figure, rumored to have killed his first wife in 1937.
Furthermore, Toni herself seemed to believe that Reeves was assassinated.
On the night of the shooting, she allegedly called another “Superman” star, Phyllis Coates, in a state of distress.
According to Coates, Toni claimed, “The boy is dead.
He’s been murdered.”
In 1999, publicist Edward Lozzi even alleged that he heard Toni confess to the murder shortly before her death.
THE QUESTIONABLE INVESTIGATION AND AUTOPSY
Regardless of whether it was murder or suicide, the investigation into George Reeves’ death was lacking in thoroughness.
The police failed to adequately examine all the evidence and disregarded the peculiar behavior of Reeves’ house guests.
Despite leaving no suicide note, the case was swiftly declared a suicide without much attention.
Remarkably, it took Reeves’ friends at least an hour to contact the police after discovering his lifeless body.
Additionally, Leonore Lemmon fled to New York, tampered with the evidence, and absconded with $4,000 in traveler’s checks.
Moreover, Reeves’ body was not meticulously examined.
Bruises found on his corpse were left unexplained, and the police neglected to check for powder burns that could have substantiated whether he held the gun.
The body was hastily prepared for the funeral service, adding to the sense of negligence surrounding the case.
Reeves’ skeptical mother resorted to hiring a lawyer and requesting a second autopsy, which unveiled additional bruising.
Unfortunately, the investigation came to an abrupt halt when the lawyer mysteriously dropped the case.
