Stephen Milligan, 45, enjoyed
masturbating while suffocating himself with a plastic bag. The
politician was found dead on his kitchen floor in lady's underwear,
with a plastic bag over his head and tied around his neck. The
coroner and police found no evidence of suicide or foul
play. Agence France Presse, March 22,
1994
61. The Dying Wallendas .
Karl Wallenda (1905-1978) vowed to continue the family’s high wire
tradition after two members were killed and one paralyzed during a
performance in Detroit in 1961. In 1972, another member of the
troupe was electrocuted to death in West Virginia. On March 22,
1978, Wallenda fell to his own death during a walk between two
hotel towers in Puerto Rico. Wallenda’s descendants continue to
perform death defying high wire circus acts in fulfillment of
Karl’s motto, “The dead are gone and the show must go
on.” They went that-a-way...,
1988
62. Gone in 60 Seconds. Film
producer and director, Toby Halicki, 48, was killed during the
making of the sequel to his 1974 car chase movie, Gone in Sixty Seconds .
Halicki was directing the film's climax, which called for the
toppling of a water tower. But the tower fell too early and Halicki
was hit by a utility pole that was pulled down by the falling
tower. Halicki was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital
in Tonawanda, New York. Reuters,
August 21, 1989
63. Eraserhead II: The Donut Shop. Actor, Jack Nance, 53, was best known for his role as the star
of the 1978 classic cult film, Eraserhead . Nance also appeared in
other David Lynch productions including the television
series, Twin Peaks .
Nance died within one day of instigating a fight with two young men
at a Pasadena donut shop. Nance was punched a number of times in
the head during the altercation but apparently did not seek any
medical attention. David Lynch commented that his friend was in bad
physical shape but when, "people irritated Jack... he'd be verbally
abusive... Jack always said he wouldn't be too hard to
kill." Los Angeles Times, January 4,
1997
64. Playwrong. Tennessee
Williams (1912 1983), the brilliant and passionate American
playwright became quite dependent on prescription drugs in his
later years. He apparently died after playing with a pill bottle
cap in his mouth. He inadvertently swallowed the cap and choked to
death in his Manhattan apartment. Miami Herald, March 10, 1983
Love & Paraphilia
65. Always Wear a Helmet. Seventeen year old, Joseph McNulty Jr., an aspiring
race car driver, ended his racing career before it really got
started. The high school senior suffered fatal head injuries when
he leaned out of a school bus to talk to a girl. McNulty's head hit
a telephone pole as the bus was pulling away from Bay Shore High
School on Long Island, New York. Newsday, May 3, 1996
66. Love Potion. Gail Buscher,
43, of Lakeworth, Florida, died after using an unregulated
aphrodisiac she and her boyfriend bought at an adult bookstore. The
solution is not regulated because it is not sold as a drug but as
an "incense" or "room odorizer." These commonly available products
contain isobutyl nitrite. This poison creates a high by dilating
blood vessels and increasing the heart rate. A spokesperson for the
Florida Poison Control Centre explained, "It's very dangerous.
People don't realize that the high feeling they're getting is
because they're depriving themselves of oxygen." The mother of
three expired after spending three days in a
coma. Associated Press, April 17,
1985
67. Play It Again, Jimmy. Jimmy
"The Beard" Ferrozo, 40, an assistant manager at a Miami strip
club, was crushed to death between a naked dancer and the club's
ceiling. Ferrozo was having a few drinks with a
23 year old dancer after closing when one thing lead to
another and the two found themselves on top of the club's piano.
The piano was on a hydraulic lift system used in the opening of
another dancer's routine. The life of Ferrozo’s companion was saved
by the few inches of space