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FITZHARRIS: December 2009.
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A famous young star ends up
dying on a bathroom floor.
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At first, Brittany Murphy's
death
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00:00:14,548 --> 00:00:16,384
was just another LA tragedy.
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But when her husband diedin the same Hollywood mansion
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00:00:19,153 --> 00:00:20,388
five months later,
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Brittany's final curtain call
is rewritten.
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MONETTI: That was one of the
most surprising things
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in Hollywood history.
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FITZHARRIS: It's now a
mystery
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even Tinseltowncouldn't have dreamed up.
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MERKIN: There was something
destructive going on.
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FITZHARRIS: Rumors of toxic
mold, drug overdose,
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even deliberate poisoning.
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BERTOLOTTI: She was murdered.
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FITZHARRIS: So what or who
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killed Brittany Murphy?
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(dramatic music)
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I'm Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris.
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I'm a medical historian
and best-selling author,
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with a PhD in the History
of Science and Medicine
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from Oxford University.
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I've written about thepioneering days of surgery,
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about syphilis,plagues, and pandemics,
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and even books
made of human skin.
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Some might say I'm obsessedwith the macabre and with
death.
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But I think the way people die
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tells us a whole lot
about how they lived.
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I'm going to exploresome of history's
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most famous livesby looking at them
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through their extremelycurious deaths.
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This is my investigation
room.
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And here is my science lab
where Dr. Raychelle Burks
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will be doing tests
and experiments for me.
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And here is where
my crime-solving partner
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former Scotland Yard detective,
Brian Hook,
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helps me piece
together my investigations.
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Call it biography with a twist.
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A biography from the morgue.
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(tense music)
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Hollywood, Los Angeles.
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A place where people come
in search of fame, fortune,
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and Facebook likes.
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A place where dreams are
made.
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And, as often, unmade.
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Because the price
of fame is steep
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and there are pitfalls
under those palm trees.
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One star had it all.
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To her fans,Brittany Murphy appeared
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to be a flawless Hollywood
princess.
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But behind the red carpet
smiles,
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her career cratered
mysteriously.
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And then, she was dead.
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She was just 32.
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People were saying
the death itself was unnatural,
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no accident, even murder.
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As if this wasn't enough
to get tongues wagging.
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Her husband also diedin the same house.
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Just 5 months later.
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Brittany Murphy's life and
death were... well, curious.
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From the moment she dies,
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stories in the press becomeincreasingly sensational.
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I want to separatethe
truth from the tabloid news.
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This case has so manyintriguing medical facets,
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I think it meritsserious examination.
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So, I'm going tocombine medical science
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with detective workto find out how
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and why she ended upin a place like this.
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Brittany Murphy was born
in 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Brittany and herdivorced mother, Sharon,
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arrived in the city of dreams
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when she was in her early
teens.
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Hollywood insiderand
journalist, Sandro Monetti,
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can give usthe backstory of her life.
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MONETTI: Brittany Murphy
came from a broken home.
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Her parents broke up
at the age of two.
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She found her salvation in
song, in dance, mostly in
acting.
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Brittany knew from an early
age
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she wanted to bein Hollywood, as a performer.
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But she was in New Jersey,
living with her mom, Sharon.
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So, what did she do?
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She sold up all of her
possessions
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and she moved to Hollywood.
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FITZHARRIS: Brittany's
breakthrough came in 1995
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when she starred as Tai,
the naive new girl
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at a Hollywood high schoolin the hit movie "Clueless."
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MONETTI: "Clueless"
had a huge impact.
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And one of its bestaspects was the performance
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of Brittany Murphy.
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MURPHY: Yeah, it's called
"Clueless,"
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and it's about
growing up in the '90s.
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MONETTI: She shonethrough the screen.
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She was like champagne glass
on a tea tray.
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And the whole worldfell in
love with Brittany Murphy.
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FITZHARRIS: Just looking
at her resume,
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you get a real flavor
of Brittany's success.
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After "Clueless", the big
roles start flooding in,
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she gets third listing to
Angelina Jolie and Winona Rider
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in the 1999 critical hit,
"Girl, Interrupted."
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And in 2001,
she's in "Don't Say a Word,"
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starring the Hollywood legend,
Michael Douglas.
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Before too long,
she's the one who's box office.
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The movies are getting bigger
and grossing more and more.
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"Uptown Girls"grosses $37 million.
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"Just Married" withAshton Kutcher, 56 million.
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"Sin City," 75 million.
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00:05:00,834 --> 00:05:03,737
And she's the female leadbeside Eminem in "8 Mile,"
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taking a 119 million dollars.
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Brittany is a genuine
A-lister now.
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One of the last to work
with her is Alex Merkin,
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director of the 2009 indie
movie, "Across the Hall."
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He agreed to talk about
Brittany for the first time
on camera.
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MERKIN: She just had some of
the qualities of a femme
fatale
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that you hope for,
she is really intelligent,
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incredibly talented,
but she is deceptively delicate
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and light, but has that,
sort of, killer instinct
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and that, sort of,
danger behind her eyes,
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when she wants to turn that on.
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FITZHARRIS: But just weeks
after the premiere
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of Alex Merkin's picture,
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a horror movie scene
was playing out
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in real life inside
Brittany's Hollywood home.
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In the early hours
of December 20th, 2009,
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the emergency services
received a panicked call
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from Brittany's mother.
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It's shocking to listen to.
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S. MURPHY:
My daughter's passed out.
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Please get here quick,
please.
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OPERATOR: Okay, we're going
to send somebody out there,
okay.
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-Is she breathing?
-S. MURPHY: No.
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OPERATOR: Look inside her
mouth
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and check for food and vomit.
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S. MURPHY: She justthrew up tons of stuff.
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OPERATOR: Has she taken anykind of medications at all?
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-S. MURPHY: What? No.
-OPERATOR: Has she taken...
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No medications, nothing?
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S. MURPHY: Please.Why aren't they here?
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FITZHARRIS: My chief
investigator,
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former Scotland Yardhomicide detective, Brian
Hook,
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has been lookinginto the circumstances
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of Brittany's death.
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Wow, Brian,
that was really distressing.
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As an ex-cop you must
hear phone calls like that
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all the time.
Do you ever get used to it?
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HOOK: No, you never ever
get used to that.
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The fear, the confusion, the
panic.
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Raw human emotion.
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FITZHARRIS: It was awful.
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Now tell me,
was Brittany Murphy alive
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when the paramedics
arrived at her house?
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HOOK: Yes, Brittany was alive
when they arrived
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but she was unresponsive.
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So she was taken by ambulance
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to the Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center and was pronounced
dead.
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Ed Winter, the coroner
for L.A. County,
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makes an announcement
to the world's press
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outside of Brittany's mansion
in Hollywood Hills.
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WINTER: We're conducting
an investigation
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into the death of Brittany
Murphy.
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It appears to be natural
at this time.
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We'll be conductingan
autopsy tomorrow or Tuesday.
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We'll have to analyze
everything and go from there.
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FITZHARRIS: So there's no cause
of death at this stage?
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HOOK: No. Coroner Ed Winter
says he's going to wait
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for 4-6 weeks before
the lab results come back
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to actually determine
the real cause of death.
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Significantly, prescription
drugs were taken from her home
as evidence,
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and that just sends
the press into total overdrive.
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FITZHARRIS: Yeah, yeah.
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NEWSCASTER: 32-year-old
actress Brittany Murphy died...
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NEWSCASTER 1: ...today,
apparently of cardiac arrest.
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REPORTER: There a lot
of questions this morning.
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DOCTOR: A stroke, or a bleed,
a heart attack or arrhythmia.
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NEWSCASTER 2: Rumorsof an eating disorder.
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MAN: She had a lotof inner demons,
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a lot of self-image issues.
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INTERVIEWER: Rumors of drug use
and as you said, anorexia,
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-that sort of thing.
-MAN: Correct.
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REPORTER 1: Was it drug
related?
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There's a lot
of speculation about it.
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FITZHARRIS: This is
another weird thing.
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On the death certificate,
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it says that
Brittany's father is unknown.
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HOOK: We do knowwho her father is.
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He was Angelo Bertolotti,allegedly an ex-mob guy.
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It's suggested that Brittany's
mother
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didn't want his name
on the death certificate
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because Brittany
had fallen out with him.
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She actually hadn't
spoken to him since 2006.
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FITZHARRIS: So, Brittany's
parents are estranged,
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possibly hostile
towards each other.
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That's something to keep an
eye on.
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HOOK: Yes. I think you're
right.
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FITZHARRIS: It's time
to meet Brittany.
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I want to find out
what she can tell me
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about the night in her
bathroom,
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at home with hermum and her husband.
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To help me investigate
the mystery of her death,
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I've had this dummy made out
gel
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which has the same qualities
as a human body.
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With heart, lungs, brain,
stomach, skeleton, and blood.
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Brittany died so young,just 32 years old.
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00:09:01,441 --> 00:09:02,943
But under her exquisite
make-up
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00:09:03,010 --> 00:09:06,546
and expensive haircut,she's just the same as any
woman.
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Her body would have behavedlike anyone her age.
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I'm going to use it to find
out why
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00:09:13,286 --> 00:09:16,523
and how a young woman
in the prime of her life,
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appears to suddenly drop
dead.
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When the coroner's office
releases
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the autopsy report,the results show anemia.
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00:09:26,366 --> 00:09:29,169
Multiple drug intoxicationand pneumonia
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caused by the bacteriaStaphylococcus aureus.
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00:09:33,173 --> 00:09:35,943
Even without the pendingtoxicology investigation,
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there's dozens of pagesin
Brittany's postmortem record.
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00:09:38,812 --> 00:09:41,749
So I really need some helpmaking sense of it all.
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00:09:41,882 --> 00:09:44,752
(tense music)
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Dr. Judy Melinek
is a forensic pathologist
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00:09:50,624 --> 00:09:53,661
who's pronounced
in over 2500 cases.
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00:09:53,827 --> 00:09:55,362
Dr. Melinek, this is a familiar
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00:09:55,462 --> 00:09:57,865
but unconventional space for
you, isn't it?
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00:09:58,031 --> 00:09:58,966
MELINEK: It is.
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00:09:59,132 --> 00:10:00,367
FITZHARRIS: Where do you start?
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00:10:00,533 --> 00:10:02,135
MELINEK: We start with
the external examination.
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00:10:02,202 --> 00:10:03,603
We look on the outsides of the
body
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00:10:03,704 --> 00:10:06,473
to see if there's
any signs of injury.
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00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:09,376
And in Brittany Murphy's case
there was no sign of injury.
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00:10:11,344 --> 00:10:13,246
The next step is
to do the autopsy,
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00:10:13,346 --> 00:10:15,582
to figure out
if there's any sign of disease.
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00:10:15,649 --> 00:10:16,483
FITZHARRIS: And that would
tell you whether
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00:10:16,583 --> 00:10:18,018
there's any underlying
condition
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00:10:18,085 --> 00:10:20,187
that could have contributed
to the cause of her death.
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00:10:20,353 --> 00:10:22,089
MELINEK: Or been the cause
of death, correct.
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00:10:22,255 --> 00:10:24,191
FITZHARRIS: I know this is
just a model but can you show
me on this,
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00:10:24,257 --> 00:10:25,659
where the coroner would have
started?
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00:10:25,826 --> 00:10:26,727
MELINEK: Absolutely.
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00:10:32,733 --> 00:10:35,568
The death of film starBrittany Murphy in 2009,
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00:10:35,669 --> 00:10:37,971
was immediatelyconsidered suspicious.
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00:10:39,572 --> 00:10:42,509
With the help of a virtual
cadaver, forensic
pathologist
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00:10:42,575 --> 00:10:46,213
Dr. Judy Melinek is guiding
me through the coroner's
autopsy.
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00:10:46,313 --> 00:10:48,415
MELINEK: So we go from
shoulder to shoulder,
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00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:54,021
and then cut down
the middle of the abdomen.
242
00:10:54,654 --> 00:10:56,256
And we remove the skin.
243
00:10:56,656 --> 00:10:57,791
FITZHARRIS: Would
this actually be
244
00:10:57,858 --> 00:11:00,227
quite bloody in a real cadaver?
245
00:11:00,393 --> 00:11:02,029
MELINEK: There is blood
but because the person is dead,
246
00:11:02,129 --> 00:11:03,396
it's not pumping out.
247
00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:05,598
It just pours out from gravity.
248
00:11:07,034 --> 00:11:10,537
So after reflecting the skin,
you'd see the chest cavity
249
00:11:10,603 --> 00:11:13,974
encased in the ribs and then
I'd slice the ribs open
250
00:11:14,141 --> 00:11:17,310
using a rib cutter or a lopper.
251
00:11:19,847 --> 00:11:21,114
FITZHARRIS: They look
like garden shears.
252
00:11:21,281 --> 00:11:22,349
MELINEK: They are garden
shears.
253
00:11:22,515 --> 00:11:23,951
We got them at
a gardening store actually.
254
00:11:24,051 --> 00:11:24,918
FITZHARRIS: Wow.
255
00:11:26,453 --> 00:11:27,287
Ooh.
256
00:11:30,991 --> 00:11:32,793
MELINEK: And then
we lift up the ribcage
257
00:11:32,893 --> 00:11:34,962
to expose the organs
underneath.
258
00:11:38,198 --> 00:11:41,835
The lungs and the heart
are now visible.
259
00:11:41,935 --> 00:11:45,438
So then I would lift the lungs
up out of the chest cavity
260
00:11:45,605 --> 00:11:47,607
in order to remove them
and weigh them.
261
00:11:48,575 --> 00:11:51,879
So this would be a normal-size
lung, nice and pink.
262
00:11:51,979 --> 00:11:54,214
We know that
standard lungs are around
263
00:11:54,281 --> 00:11:58,118
250 to maybe 400 grams.
264
00:11:58,218 --> 00:12:00,120
In Brittany Murphy's case,
265
00:12:01,755 --> 00:12:06,193
her right lung
weighed 1,230 grams.
266
00:12:06,259 --> 00:12:08,962
So it's almost 6 times normal
size.
267
00:12:09,096 --> 00:12:10,563
-FITZHARRIS: Wow.
-MELINEK: And the left lung
268
00:12:10,630 --> 00:12:13,600
was 760 grams, so it was
also heavier than normal.
269
00:12:14,034 --> 00:12:15,702
It would indicate pneumonia,
270
00:12:15,803 --> 00:12:17,938
that the lungs
had filled in with both fluid
271
00:12:18,038 --> 00:12:20,240
and immune system cells
272
00:12:20,307 --> 00:12:22,142
and that's why they
are so much heavier.
273
00:12:23,043 --> 00:12:25,478
(tense music)
274
00:12:30,818 --> 00:12:32,152
FITZHARRIS: Bacterial
pneumonia,
275
00:12:32,219 --> 00:12:34,521
the disease which plays
a part in Brittany's death,
276
00:12:34,587 --> 00:12:37,257
nowadays is widely
treatable with antibiotics.
277
00:12:37,357 --> 00:12:39,860
But of course,
it wasn't always this way.
278
00:12:40,460 --> 00:12:43,263
Throughout the 19thand
into the early 20th
centuries,
279
00:12:43,363 --> 00:12:45,365
pneumonia killed
indiscriminately,
280
00:12:45,432 --> 00:12:49,269
striking fear into the heartsof both patients and doctors.
281
00:12:49,336 --> 00:12:52,840
It carried a case fatality rate
of 30 to 40 percent.
282
00:12:53,273 --> 00:12:54,741
The first antibacterial agent
283
00:12:54,842 --> 00:12:56,776
shown to be effectiveagainst pneumonia
284
00:12:56,944 --> 00:12:58,778
was called sulfapyridine.
285
00:12:59,446 --> 00:13:00,981
Developed in the 1930s,
286
00:13:01,081 --> 00:13:03,250
it was likely usedto treat Winston Churchill's
287
00:13:03,350 --> 00:13:05,685
bout of pneumonia in 1943,
288
00:13:05,853 --> 00:13:08,488
arguably saving his lifeand changing the entire
course
289
00:13:08,588 --> 00:13:10,323
of World War II.
290
00:13:10,490 --> 00:13:13,260
Penicillin and other
effective drugs soon followed,
291
00:13:13,326 --> 00:13:16,663
transforming pneumonia into
a largely manageable condition.
292
00:13:17,297 --> 00:13:20,300
Nevertheless, about 250,000
people
293
00:13:20,367 --> 00:13:21,768
are admitted to hospitals each
year
294
00:13:21,935 --> 00:13:23,503
in the US with pneumonia.
295
00:13:23,570 --> 00:13:27,174
And the infection claims around
50,000 lives annually.
296
00:13:27,340 --> 00:13:29,176
Pneumonia is intrinsically
linked
297
00:13:29,242 --> 00:13:32,445
to the larger viral epidemics
of our time including SARS
298
00:13:32,545 --> 00:13:34,447
and the COVID-19 pandemic.
299
00:13:34,547 --> 00:13:36,283
Patients with eitherof these viruses
300
00:13:36,449 --> 00:13:37,985
can get life-threatening
pneumonia,
301
00:13:38,151 --> 00:13:40,153
making it easy to seewhy such outbreaks
302
00:13:40,220 --> 00:13:42,022
can still cause mass panic.
303
00:13:42,589 --> 00:13:45,692
Pneumonia can be contracted
by anyone, anywhere.
304
00:13:45,792 --> 00:13:47,427
As we now know.
305
00:13:47,594 --> 00:13:49,696
(tense music)
306
00:13:53,566 --> 00:13:56,536
Pneumonia is a particularlynasty disease to die from.
307
00:13:56,703 --> 00:13:58,271
Especially if you'reunder the influence
308
00:13:58,338 --> 00:14:00,340
of prescription medicationlike Brittany Murphy.
309
00:14:01,174 --> 00:14:04,311
My expert chemical analyst,Dr. Raychelle Burks explains
310
00:14:04,411 --> 00:14:06,980
what was happening to heron the night that she died.
311
00:14:11,351 --> 00:14:12,953
So, Raychelle,
can you tell me exactly
312
00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:14,621
what was going
on in Brittany's body?
313
00:14:14,754 --> 00:14:16,990
BURKS: There were a cocktail
of drugs inside her body.
314
00:14:17,090 --> 00:14:19,359
For starters,
two anti-seizure drugs.
315
00:14:19,526 --> 00:14:21,261
FITZHARRIS: What would
the impact on her body be?
316
00:14:21,962 --> 00:14:23,196
BURKS: These could severely
317
00:14:23,296 --> 00:14:25,232
weaken her abilityto oxygenate blood.
318
00:14:25,398 --> 00:14:29,369
This particular bacteria,
Staph A, causes
micro-abscesses in the lungs,
319
00:14:29,436 --> 00:14:31,271
further affecting her
respiration.
320
00:14:31,438 --> 00:14:33,073
Releasing poisoninto her bloodstream
321
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,476
causing septicemiaand
dangerously high temperature.
322
00:14:36,643 --> 00:14:39,579
The bacteria is multiplyingfaster and faster to the
point
323
00:14:39,646 --> 00:14:42,449
where the infectionbecomes overwhelming.
324
00:14:42,615 --> 00:14:44,317
Brittany would have goneinto the final stage
325
00:14:44,417 --> 00:14:45,718
of septic shock.
326
00:14:45,818 --> 00:14:47,120
Her lungs are filling with
fluid.
327
00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,289
She'd be in great distress by
now.
328
00:14:49,356 --> 00:14:51,658
FITZHARRIS: We know that at
around 7:45 in the morning,
329
00:14:51,791 --> 00:14:53,994
her mother, Sharon Murphy,
calls for help.
330
00:14:54,161 --> 00:14:56,496
But it's too little too late.
331
00:14:57,430 --> 00:15:00,900
(tense music)
332
00:15:01,601 --> 00:15:04,504
And so, collapsed on
her bathroom floor,
333
00:15:04,604 --> 00:15:06,239
this is the moment
that Brittany Murphy
334
00:15:06,306 --> 00:15:08,308
reached the point of no return.
335
00:15:08,408 --> 00:15:10,743
I need to go back in time
and figure out,
336
00:15:10,843 --> 00:15:12,712
where did this terrible end
begin?
337
00:15:13,513 --> 00:15:15,048
My chief investigator, Brian
Hook,
338
00:15:15,115 --> 00:15:17,617
is a specialist inunexplained deaths.
339
00:15:17,784 --> 00:15:20,120
HOOK: If you find out
how people have lived,
340
00:15:20,187 --> 00:15:22,189
you'll find out
how they have died.
341
00:15:22,355 --> 00:15:24,157
They are inextricably linked.
342
00:15:24,324 --> 00:15:25,925
FITZHARRIS: Their personal
lives are really important.
343
00:15:25,993 --> 00:15:30,830
HOOK: Yes. Initially, she's
dating some very high-profile
people.
344
00:15:30,897 --> 00:15:33,866
Such as Marshall Mathers,
who we know as Eminem.
345
00:15:33,967 --> 00:15:35,468
FITZHARRIS: All right, okay.
346
00:15:35,535 --> 00:15:36,636
HOOK: Ashton Kutcher.
347
00:15:36,703 --> 00:15:38,238
FITZHARRIS: Everybody knows
who he is.
348
00:15:38,405 --> 00:15:41,208
HOOK: Film executives,
very, very influential people,
349
00:15:41,274 --> 00:15:42,942
high up in the film industry.
350
00:15:43,043 --> 00:15:44,677
FITZHARRIS: Real power couples.
351
00:15:44,744 --> 00:15:47,314
HOOK: She's dating people that
really could have an influence
352
00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:48,815
on her career.
353
00:15:49,882 --> 00:15:52,585
FITZHARRIS: Then, suddenly, in
2006,
354
00:15:52,685 --> 00:15:56,356
someone walks into Brittany's
world and everything changes.
355
00:15:56,923 --> 00:15:58,858
From the get-go,the grapevine crackled
356
00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:01,694
with unflattering gossipabout her new boyfriend.
357
00:16:02,229 --> 00:16:06,099
MONETTI: When Simon Monjack
arrived in Brittany's life,
358
00:16:06,166 --> 00:16:08,568
all the Hollywood community
had one question.
359
00:16:08,668 --> 00:16:09,969
Who the hell is this guy?
360
00:16:11,671 --> 00:16:14,607
He described himselfas a director,
361
00:16:14,707 --> 00:16:18,045
a screenwriter, photographer.
362
00:16:18,511 --> 00:16:21,014
But he seems to be
very short of money.
363
00:16:21,114 --> 00:16:24,851
He was evicted from
two previous apartments
364
00:16:24,951 --> 00:16:27,020
for not paying back rent.
365
00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:31,858
He had two ex-wives who
claimed that he owed them
money.
366
00:16:31,924 --> 00:16:35,895
He owed a huge amount to a
bank in his native, Britain,
367
00:16:35,962 --> 00:16:38,898
and he'd recently
overstayed his visa.
368
00:16:40,467 --> 00:16:42,969
FITZHARRIS: In fact, Brittany
has known Simon on and off
369
00:16:43,070 --> 00:16:45,172
since she was 17,
when he was hired
370
00:16:45,272 --> 00:16:47,140
to take pictures of her
for a magazine.
371
00:16:47,307 --> 00:16:49,709
Now, they begin a whirlwind
romance.
372
00:16:50,710 --> 00:16:53,613
It looks like Brittanyhas finally found true love.
373
00:16:53,713 --> 00:16:56,649
But to Simon's mother, Linda,
it seemed that below the
surface
374
00:16:56,749 --> 00:16:58,751
there was a hidden dimension
to their relationship.
375
00:16:58,885 --> 00:17:00,687
She agreed to talk to us
376
00:17:00,787 --> 00:17:03,990
and share her unique
perspective on Brittany's
personality.
377
00:17:04,157 --> 00:17:05,592
L. MONJACK:
She was an innocent.
378
00:17:05,758 --> 00:17:09,396
She was very fearful of
everything.
379
00:17:09,562 --> 00:17:11,764
I think that
you'd find, historically,
380
00:17:11,831 --> 00:17:13,700
if you went through
everybody that she knows,
381
00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:16,403
she was wantingto be looked after.
382
00:17:16,803 --> 00:17:20,440
And Simon was quite happyto be that person in that
role.
383
00:17:22,008 --> 00:17:24,611
FITZHARRIS: After only a few
months, the pair get married.
384
00:17:24,677 --> 00:17:26,446
It gets rid
of his immigration problem
385
00:17:26,513 --> 00:17:28,948
and helps him out
of his financial situation.
386
00:17:29,048 --> 00:17:30,950
It's the classic Cinderella
story,
387
00:17:31,050 --> 00:17:34,154
only Simon is the one
who goes from rags to riches.
388
00:17:34,254 --> 00:17:36,723
And, of course, once Brittany
and Simon tied the knot,
389
00:17:36,789 --> 00:17:38,325
he moves into her Hollywood
home.
390
00:17:38,491 --> 00:17:41,294
(tense music)
391
00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:46,399
MONETTI: What you're looking
at here is the Hollywood
dream
392
00:17:46,499 --> 00:17:47,900
come to reality.
393
00:17:49,469 --> 00:17:51,338
When Brittany Murphy made it,
394
00:17:51,404 --> 00:17:53,440
she wanted to getthe ultimate house.
395
00:17:53,606 --> 00:17:57,977
And she found it,
here at 1895 Rising Glen,
396
00:17:58,111 --> 00:18:01,148
high above iconicSunset Boulevard.
397
00:18:02,315 --> 00:18:04,484
Brittany moved in with her
mother.
398
00:18:04,617 --> 00:18:08,855
And even when Simon Monjackcomes into the picture,
399
00:18:09,021 --> 00:18:11,558
her mother, Sharon,continues to live with them.
400
00:18:12,058 --> 00:18:13,960
It's an unusual arrangement,
isn't it?
401
00:18:14,026 --> 00:18:16,062
For the newlyweds
to have the bride's mother
402
00:18:16,163 --> 00:18:17,297
with them as well.
403
00:18:20,267 --> 00:18:21,901
FITZHARRIS: I'm not surprised
Brittany would want someone
404
00:18:22,001 --> 00:18:24,471
she trusted close
to her at all times.
405
00:18:24,537 --> 00:18:25,938
But this is what intrigues me.
406
00:18:26,038 --> 00:18:27,707
When Simon comes on the scene,
407
00:18:27,807 --> 00:18:29,642
they seem to become a
threesome,
408
00:18:29,709 --> 00:18:31,043
with Brittany in the middle
409
00:18:31,110 --> 00:18:33,446
book-ended by two
strong personalities.
410
00:18:34,514 --> 00:18:37,584
I can't go inside Brittany's
home because it's since been
rebuilt.
411
00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:39,686
But I can get a senseof what happened there
412
00:18:39,752 --> 00:18:42,088
from this bizarrefootage we've uncovered.
413
00:18:42,222 --> 00:18:44,157
It's Simon Monjacktaking a film crew
414
00:18:44,224 --> 00:18:46,559
around the housesoon after his wife's death.
415
00:18:47,059 --> 00:18:48,895
L. MONJACK: Their house
was very dark.
416
00:18:49,061 --> 00:18:50,830
Like a mausoleum.
417
00:18:50,897 --> 00:18:53,166
It didn't look like a happy
place
418
00:18:53,233 --> 00:18:55,202
where two youngpeople were living.
419
00:18:55,935 --> 00:18:58,605
There was extensivemold on the windows.
420
00:18:59,005 --> 00:19:02,209
It was doomy, gloomy,
miserable.
421
00:19:02,375 --> 00:19:03,976
Terrible atmosphere.
422
00:19:04,944 --> 00:19:06,746
FITZHARRIS: One roomI'm really interested in
423
00:19:06,813 --> 00:19:08,748
is where Brittany collapsed.
424
00:19:08,815 --> 00:19:10,483
S. MONJACK: You're the first
people to ever see
425
00:19:10,583 --> 00:19:12,652
the infamous bathroom.
426
00:19:13,386 --> 00:19:17,390
FITZHARRIS: You look atall
of those products she's got.
427
00:19:17,457 --> 00:19:19,992
There is stuff everywhere,there are shampoos,
428
00:19:20,059 --> 00:19:21,894
there's lots of makeup.
429
00:19:21,994 --> 00:19:25,898
It looks almost likea hoarders bathroom.
430
00:19:25,965 --> 00:19:28,535
The private sanctuaryof a woman insecure
431
00:19:28,635 --> 00:19:30,002
about the way she looks.
432
00:19:30,102 --> 00:19:31,170
(tense music)
433
00:19:37,944 --> 00:19:39,646
FITZHARRIS: From the
fully-fledged movie star
434
00:19:39,746 --> 00:19:42,048
to the wannabe actor
waiting tables,
435
00:19:42,148 --> 00:19:44,651
in Hollywood
image is everything.
436
00:19:44,751 --> 00:19:46,753
You might think that
we, in the 21st century,
437
00:19:46,819 --> 00:19:49,456
are uniquely obsessed
with our appearances.
438
00:19:49,522 --> 00:19:51,691
Yet people in the pastwere equally eager
439
00:19:51,791 --> 00:19:53,693
to turn back the clock.
440
00:19:53,860 --> 00:19:55,728
Elixirs for improvingyour appearance
441
00:19:55,828 --> 00:19:57,764
proliferated in the 18th
century.
442
00:19:57,864 --> 00:20:00,933
Everything from
hair-restoring creams to
slimming pills,
443
00:20:01,033 --> 00:20:03,202
each claiming to be a miracle
cure.
444
00:20:03,770 --> 00:20:05,572
Many remedies were inventedto conceal
445
00:20:05,672 --> 00:20:07,106
tell-tale signs of disease.
446
00:20:07,274 --> 00:20:10,109
For instance,
women covered skin lesions
447
00:20:10,176 --> 00:20:13,780
caused by syphilis withbeauty spots made of mouse
skin.
448
00:20:14,514 --> 00:20:16,015
The Victorians were no less
vain
449
00:20:16,082 --> 00:20:18,050
than their18th century counterparts.
450
00:20:18,150 --> 00:20:20,287
Late 19th centurynewspapers advertised
451
00:20:20,387 --> 00:20:22,489
tins of arsenic complexion
wafers.
452
00:20:22,655 --> 00:20:25,325
Which were just that,little white chalk wafers
453
00:20:25,425 --> 00:20:27,660
filled with arsenicfor delicate nibbling.
454
00:20:28,227 --> 00:20:30,530
The wafers made
the skin fashionably pale
455
00:20:30,630 --> 00:20:32,265
by destroying red blood cells.
456
00:20:32,932 --> 00:20:35,568
Advertising encouragedladies not to be nervous.
457
00:20:35,668 --> 00:20:38,004
But long term exposureto small doses of arsenic
458
00:20:38,104 --> 00:20:40,072
is extremely unpleasant,
459
00:20:40,139 --> 00:20:42,409
it can cause kidney damage,hair loss,
460
00:20:42,509 --> 00:20:44,977
growths called arsenical
keratosis
461
00:20:45,044 --> 00:20:47,314
and pigment loss called
vitiligo.
462
00:20:48,114 --> 00:20:50,049
Victorian productswere full of poison
463
00:20:50,149 --> 00:20:53,019
and even radium becamea fad in the beauty industry
464
00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:56,323
after it was discoveredby Marie Curie in 1898.
465
00:20:56,489 --> 00:20:58,057
It appeared in all
kinds of products,
466
00:20:58,124 --> 00:20:59,526
like cigarettes, lipsticks,
467
00:20:59,626 --> 00:21:02,995
and even toothpastes,right up until the 1950s.
468
00:21:03,095 --> 00:21:04,797
Radiation has an
indiscriminate,
469
00:21:04,897 --> 00:21:07,099
destructive effecton the human body
470
00:21:07,166 --> 00:21:10,937
but, luckily, these beauty
products had such low levels
of radioactivity
471
00:21:11,003 --> 00:21:13,440
that they neither worked
nor did much harm.
472
00:21:13,606 --> 00:21:16,576
It all makes Botox
seem like child's play.
473
00:21:16,676 --> 00:21:19,679
(tense music)
474
00:21:22,749 --> 00:21:25,818
Brittany Murphy's bathroomwould have been even more
crowded
475
00:21:25,885 --> 00:21:27,954
but it was reported thatstacks of pill bottles
476
00:21:28,054 --> 00:21:29,856
had been removed by the
police.
477
00:21:29,989 --> 00:21:31,558
Allegedly dozens of them.
478
00:21:33,292 --> 00:21:36,396
Brian has found us some
intel on the contents of
these bottles.
479
00:21:37,096 --> 00:21:38,498
HOOK: I've been doing
some research into
480
00:21:38,565 --> 00:21:40,132
the amount of
prescription medication
481
00:21:40,299 --> 00:21:42,168
Brittany was taking
prior to her death.
482
00:21:42,735 --> 00:21:44,671
This leaked report
shows she's been buying
483
00:21:44,771 --> 00:21:46,272
hundreds of pills each month.
484
00:21:46,373 --> 00:21:48,007
It makes astounding reading.
485
00:21:50,242 --> 00:21:53,012
In the aftermath of film star
Brittany Murphy's sudden death,
486
00:21:53,179 --> 00:21:56,549
the Hollywood grapevine
buzzed with reports of drug
abuse.
487
00:21:57,450 --> 00:21:59,686
My chief investigator Brian
Hook has unearthed
488
00:21:59,852 --> 00:22:02,221
a leaked documentthat backs up those rumors.
489
00:22:02,321 --> 00:22:05,425
Look at this, 120
hydrocodone tablets
490
00:22:05,525 --> 00:22:07,727
prescribed eleven
days before her death.
491
00:22:08,260 --> 00:22:10,697
And the day she died,
there's only 11 pills left.
492
00:22:10,863 --> 00:22:13,633
That's 109 tablets gone.
493
00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:15,802
FITZHARRIS: Wow.In such a short period.
494
00:22:15,868 --> 00:22:18,738
HOOK: If she'd been taking
it according to the
prescription,
495
00:22:18,838 --> 00:22:20,807
she should have
only taken 44 pills.
496
00:22:20,873 --> 00:22:23,309
FITZHARRIS: Oh, wow, less than
half.
497
00:22:23,376 --> 00:22:24,577
And that's a powerful drug.
498
00:22:24,677 --> 00:22:26,178
HOOK: Yup. And it just goes on,
499
00:22:26,278 --> 00:22:28,347
hundreds of pills a month
are being prescribed,
500
00:22:28,448 --> 00:22:31,183
both in her name and,
for nearly two years
501
00:22:31,283 --> 00:22:34,487
before her death,
to a Lola Manilow Murphy.
502
00:22:34,554 --> 00:22:37,557
FITZHARRIS: Does that person
Lola Manilow Murphy exist?
503
00:22:37,624 --> 00:22:39,926
HOOK: No. That's gotta
be a pseudonym.
504
00:22:40,059 --> 00:22:41,561
And in one month that pseudonym
505
00:22:41,628 --> 00:22:46,232
was prescribed 200 hydrocodone,
100 clonazepam.
506
00:22:46,399 --> 00:22:47,700
Hundreds and hundreds of pills.
507
00:22:47,867 --> 00:22:49,268
FITZHARRIS: Even if half
of this is true,
508
00:22:49,335 --> 00:22:51,538
it's quite alarming,
wouldn't you say?
509
00:22:51,704 --> 00:22:54,140
HOOK: Drug abusers
will use pseudonyms,
510
00:22:54,306 --> 00:22:56,075
they'll go to
different pharmacies,
511
00:22:56,142 --> 00:22:58,911
they'll recruit family members
just to get their medication.
512
00:23:03,550 --> 00:23:05,985
FITZHARRIS: Within a mile
radius of Brittany's home in
Hollywood
513
00:23:06,052 --> 00:23:08,555
she has access to
dozens of pharmacies.
514
00:23:09,055 --> 00:23:12,091
Expand the net to 3 miles,there are even more.
515
00:23:12,592 --> 00:23:14,994
I've learned she plunderedone in particular,
516
00:23:15,061 --> 00:23:16,896
Eddie's on Beverly Boulevard.
517
00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:24,403
MONETTI: Brittany Murphypresented herself as clean
cut,
518
00:23:24,571 --> 00:23:25,905
the girl next door.
519
00:23:25,972 --> 00:23:28,608
But like a lot of Hollywood
stars, she had a secret.
520
00:23:29,642 --> 00:23:32,845
This pharmacy is whereBrittany Murphy got her
drugs.
521
00:23:32,945 --> 00:23:34,547
And lots of them.
522
00:23:34,614 --> 00:23:38,851
Brittany, Simon, and Sharonwould be seen here twice a
week.
523
00:23:39,486 --> 00:23:42,855
The owner was once quotedas saying of the Murphy's,
524
00:23:43,022 --> 00:23:45,291
"They might have more drugs
in their house
525
00:23:45,391 --> 00:23:48,260
"than I have
in the entire drugstore."
526
00:23:48,327 --> 00:23:49,696
Those are sobering words.
527
00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:53,432
FITZHARRIS: This revelationbacks up the autopsy findings
528
00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:55,535
that a major factorin Brittany's death
529
00:23:55,702 --> 00:23:57,770
was multiple drug
intoxication.
530
00:23:59,371 --> 00:24:01,508
I'm wondering what
drug intoxication might mean.
531
00:24:01,574 --> 00:24:02,775
Is that an overdose?
532
00:24:03,209 --> 00:24:05,645
I've given this to my regularscientific investigator,
533
00:24:05,812 --> 00:24:07,313
Dr. Raychelle Burks.
534
00:24:08,180 --> 00:24:10,149
Raychelle, what do the labs
tell us?
535
00:24:10,316 --> 00:24:13,486
BURKS: She had quite a cocktail
of substances on board.
536
00:24:13,553 --> 00:24:14,921
FITZHARRIS: Yeah, so would
these have caused
537
00:24:15,021 --> 00:24:16,489
the symptoms
that we're seeing with her?
538
00:24:16,556 --> 00:24:17,757
BURKS: It could have.
539
00:24:17,857 --> 00:24:20,326
All of these have
a huge list of side effects
540
00:24:20,392 --> 00:24:23,596
and it leads to how
it's so complicated to manage.
541
00:24:23,696 --> 00:24:26,198
FITZHARRIS: Yeah. It seems like
she was juggling so much here
542
00:24:26,298 --> 00:24:29,168
and that there's a lot
of potential for mistakes.
543
00:24:29,235 --> 00:24:32,471
She was self-medicating when
she was ill a few days before.
544
00:24:32,572 --> 00:24:34,406
BURKS: We all tend
to self-medicate as far as like
545
00:24:34,473 --> 00:24:35,942
"I'll take an aspirin
or acetaminophen"
546
00:24:36,008 --> 00:24:37,076
or something like that.
547
00:24:37,243 --> 00:24:40,012
But when you do that
with prescription drugs,
548
00:24:40,179 --> 00:24:41,781
it's very complicated
chemistry.
549
00:24:41,914 --> 00:24:43,950
FITZHARRIS: Are there any drugs
here that concern you?
550
00:24:44,050 --> 00:24:45,885
BURKS: There's one
in particular that concerns me
551
00:24:45,952 --> 00:24:47,687
and that's the hydrocodone.
552
00:24:48,655 --> 00:24:50,723
In the USthere's a huge opiate crisis
553
00:24:50,790 --> 00:24:54,260
and that is one of the most
abused prescription drugs.
554
00:24:54,326 --> 00:24:56,829
This is in the same class
as heroin or morphine
555
00:24:56,929 --> 00:25:00,399
which really sets off alarm
bells because it's extremely
addictive.
556
00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:03,469
So again, how is she
managing all of this
557
00:25:03,536 --> 00:25:05,705
and that really powerful
opiate?
558
00:25:05,872 --> 00:25:07,406
That's what really concerns me.
559
00:25:08,641 --> 00:25:10,109
FITZHARRIS: We've discoveredthat Eddie's Pharmacy
560
00:25:10,276 --> 00:25:11,844
actually cut off the family's
supply
561
00:25:11,911 --> 00:25:14,781
4 months before Brittany's
death.
562
00:25:14,947 --> 00:25:17,116
And they weren't the only ones
who were seriously worried
about
563
00:25:17,183 --> 00:25:18,618
how they were affecting her.
564
00:25:20,419 --> 00:25:22,154
Nearing the end of 2006,
565
00:25:22,221 --> 00:25:24,390
around the time she startsdating Simon Monjack,
566
00:25:24,456 --> 00:25:27,126
the big studio offersstop coming in.
567
00:25:27,193 --> 00:25:30,196
Brittany is forced to acceptlow budget B-movie roles.
568
00:25:31,097 --> 00:25:35,067
MONETTI: If the hits keep
coming, people will put up
with a lot,
569
00:25:35,167 --> 00:25:37,937
but if the movies
aren't as successful,
570
00:25:38,037 --> 00:25:40,607
then the drawbridge
can go up very quickly
571
00:25:40,673 --> 00:25:42,274
on a Hollywood career.
572
00:25:42,975 --> 00:25:47,379
Brittany started to showa lot of erratic behavior
573
00:25:47,479 --> 00:25:50,617
and the dream to work
with that she was,
574
00:25:50,717 --> 00:25:53,586
was suddenly
a nightmare experience
575
00:25:53,686 --> 00:25:56,723
and so people weren't
as keen to hire her
576
00:25:56,789 --> 00:25:58,524
as they were before.
577
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:01,661
FITZHARRIS: 2009's "Across
the Hall"
578
00:26:01,828 --> 00:26:03,696
was yet another small Indie
movie.
579
00:26:03,863 --> 00:26:07,333
Director Alex Merkin himselfwas a first time director.
580
00:26:07,433 --> 00:26:09,335
But he reveals in ourexclusive interview
581
00:26:09,435 --> 00:26:12,772
how even he was exasperatedby Brittany's erratic
behavior.
582
00:26:13,906 --> 00:26:15,708
MERKIN: Things were becoming
increasingly
583
00:26:15,775 --> 00:26:17,343
more difficult and bizarre.
584
00:26:18,177 --> 00:26:20,312
She might do one performancethat was great
585
00:26:20,379 --> 00:26:24,684
and the next take it's a
completely different emotional
output.
586
00:26:25,551 --> 00:26:28,020
The turn always feltlike it happened
587
00:26:28,087 --> 00:26:32,124
after she spent some
time with Simon, alone,
588
00:26:32,224 --> 00:26:33,225
and then returned.
589
00:26:33,726 --> 00:26:37,529
From my understanding,she
didn't have internet service
590
00:26:37,630 --> 00:26:40,933
or a cell phone
and he controlled information
591
00:26:41,033 --> 00:26:44,370
that was coming her way
in order to keep her
592
00:26:44,470 --> 00:26:48,574
from spiraling downsome sort of dark hole.
593
00:26:48,741 --> 00:26:50,442
When you get intothe major mood swings,
594
00:26:50,542 --> 00:26:53,445
or paranoia moments,
595
00:26:53,545 --> 00:26:56,883
you can only speculate
about what could be behind
596
00:26:56,983 --> 00:26:58,484
something like that.
597
00:26:58,584 --> 00:27:01,387
FITZHARRIS: Alex does recallone deeply troubling
incident.
598
00:27:02,554 --> 00:27:06,158
MERKIN: One day on set,somebody wandered into
599
00:27:06,258 --> 00:27:09,161
Brittany's green room
and there was a mirror
600
00:27:09,261 --> 00:27:12,431
that was sitting on top
of her director's chair,
601
00:27:12,531 --> 00:27:16,202
and it very oddly it had
a streak of white powder
602
00:27:16,302 --> 00:27:17,737
and a cut straw.
603
00:27:19,271 --> 00:27:22,408
I have to say, very clearly,that this was not
604
00:27:22,474 --> 00:27:26,445
a locked set that onlyshe had access to.
605
00:27:26,512 --> 00:27:28,715
But it was certainly
an alarming thing
606
00:27:28,815 --> 00:27:30,482
and we definitely
took it very seriously
607
00:27:30,649 --> 00:27:33,152
and we had to makea report of it.
608
00:27:33,252 --> 00:27:34,620
FITZHARRIS: With no
witnesses,
609
00:27:34,754 --> 00:27:37,056
the studio report was
inconclusive.
610
00:27:38,691 --> 00:27:40,893
But because Hollywood starslive their lives
611
00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:42,494
under a relentless spotlight,
612
00:27:42,561 --> 00:27:44,797
we've been able to finddisturbing footage of
Brittany
613
00:27:44,897 --> 00:27:46,899
just 19 days before she died
614
00:27:46,966 --> 00:27:49,736
attending the premiereof "Across the Hall."
615
00:27:49,869 --> 00:27:50,970
INTERVIEWER:
Do you find it easier to film
616
00:27:51,037 --> 00:27:52,371
comedies or thrillers?
617
00:27:52,538 --> 00:27:54,173
MURPHY: It all
has to do with the story
618
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,977
and the director
and that's really
619
00:27:58,044 --> 00:28:01,213
where the decisions
are made on my behalf.
620
00:28:02,681 --> 00:28:04,717
Have a nice day.
621
00:28:04,884 --> 00:28:06,385
FITZHARRIS: Alex confirmed
Brittany didn't appear
622
00:28:06,485 --> 00:28:08,187
to be her normal self that
night.
623
00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:10,222
MERKIN: At the premiere,
624
00:28:10,322 --> 00:28:12,624
she seemed like she had
lost a little weight.
625
00:28:14,626 --> 00:28:17,163
You know she was alwaysa small, petite person,
626
00:28:17,229 --> 00:28:20,432
but when she was
holding my hands, I just,
627
00:28:20,499 --> 00:28:23,502
I just have a memory
of a little bit of shakiness.
628
00:28:23,602 --> 00:28:25,805
She seemed more fragile than
usual.
629
00:28:27,139 --> 00:28:29,909
FITZHARRIS: Do we know when
Brittany starts taking
opioids?
630
00:28:30,076 --> 00:28:31,343
HOOK: I might have come
up with a reason
631
00:28:31,443 --> 00:28:34,246
that's not in her official
biography.
632
00:28:34,313 --> 00:28:37,549
1995, Brittany's allegedly
involved in a car crash.
633
00:28:37,716 --> 00:28:42,554
She suffered broken jaw,
broken collar-bone, cracked
ribs.
634
00:28:42,621 --> 00:28:44,423
She would've have
been in constant pain.
635
00:28:44,590 --> 00:28:46,058
FITZHARRIS: So we're talking
about a serious car crash here.
636
00:28:46,158 --> 00:28:48,427
HOOK: Yes, and it may well
be that before she died
637
00:28:48,527 --> 00:28:50,997
she was still suffering that
pain.
638
00:28:52,231 --> 00:28:54,000
FITZHARRIS: We know from pill
bottles found in her home
639
00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:55,401
that Brittany was later
prescribed
640
00:28:55,467 --> 00:28:58,737
a particularly strongpainkiller, Vicoprofen.
641
00:28:58,838 --> 00:29:01,607
It was likely herfirst exposure to opioids,
642
00:29:01,673 --> 00:29:04,410
an appetite for whichwill come back to haunt her.
643
00:29:06,946 --> 00:29:09,448
(tense music)
644
00:29:13,285 --> 00:29:15,654
As a species, we've always
faced the challenge
645
00:29:15,754 --> 00:29:17,289
of how to medicate illness.
646
00:29:17,389 --> 00:29:19,291
Treatments for pain and
sickness
647
00:29:19,391 --> 00:29:22,895
have a long history of being
more likely to kill than cure.
648
00:29:23,629 --> 00:29:24,864
In the ancient world,
649
00:29:24,931 --> 00:29:27,699
surgeons, from the Greek
word, Kheirourgia,
650
00:29:27,766 --> 00:29:30,102
meaning handiwork,had an unique way
651
00:29:30,269 --> 00:29:33,772
of dealing with headaches,
epilepsy and mental health
conditions.
652
00:29:33,873 --> 00:29:35,141
Trepanation.
653
00:29:35,307 --> 00:29:36,608
In what can only be described
654
00:29:36,708 --> 00:29:38,811
as a crude versionof brain surgery,
655
00:29:38,911 --> 00:29:41,713
a surgeon would makeone, or a series of holes
656
00:29:41,780 --> 00:29:44,250
in the skull ofthe still-conscious patient.
657
00:29:44,750 --> 00:29:47,019
It was thoughtthat, for
some, the cranial holes
658
00:29:47,086 --> 00:29:50,056
would release demonsfrom
the body of the afflicted.
659
00:29:50,222 --> 00:29:52,524
In ancient Peru,
the patients may have gotten
660
00:29:52,624 --> 00:29:54,660
some pain relief
during this procedure.
661
00:29:54,827 --> 00:29:56,328
While the surgeon cut the
hole,
662
00:29:56,428 --> 00:29:58,130
often using an obsidian
knife,
663
00:29:58,230 --> 00:29:59,899
he would chew coca leaves,
664
00:29:59,966 --> 00:30:02,734
spitting numbing mixturefrom his mouth into the
wound.
665
00:30:02,902 --> 00:30:05,171
As any modern doctor
will tell you,
666
00:30:05,271 --> 00:30:06,805
having a hole drilled
into your head
667
00:30:06,973 --> 00:30:09,341
is not recommendedfor pain relief.
668
00:30:09,408 --> 00:30:13,179
Unsurprisingly, many patientsdied following the procedure.
669
00:30:13,345 --> 00:30:16,448
But there were exceptions,some survived for years
after,
670
00:30:16,548 --> 00:30:19,285
their skulls eventuallyhealing over the holes.
671
00:30:19,385 --> 00:30:21,087
It's even said that
trepanning,
672
00:30:21,187 --> 00:30:24,623
immediately after a head
trauma, can relieve pressure
on the brain
673
00:30:24,790 --> 00:30:26,658
and save a patient's life.
674
00:30:27,426 --> 00:30:30,329
(tense music)
675
00:30:32,932 --> 00:30:37,503
On February 4th, 2010,6
weeks after Brittany's death,
676
00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:40,372
the coroner's office releases
the toxicology report.
677
00:30:40,472 --> 00:30:42,174
And the result is shocking.
678
00:30:42,708 --> 00:30:46,378
No illegal drugs,but a
catalog of prescription meds.
679
00:30:46,445 --> 00:30:48,981
14 powerful substances.
680
00:30:50,649 --> 00:30:52,051
This is the full horror
681
00:30:52,151 --> 00:30:54,453
of what was coursingthrough Brittany's veins.
682
00:30:54,620 --> 00:30:56,889
And Brian has turned up a
bombshell,
683
00:30:57,056 --> 00:30:59,625
an interview with noneother than Brittany's father
684
00:30:59,691 --> 00:31:03,095
who claims the drugsin her
system were no accident.
685
00:31:03,729 --> 00:31:05,932
BERTOLOTTI: The fact
is that she was poisoned
686
00:31:05,998 --> 00:31:08,800
and she was murdered,
as far as I'm concerned.
687
00:31:11,003 --> 00:31:13,672
For months after the
mysterious death of Brittany
Murphy,
688
00:31:13,772 --> 00:31:16,075
attention was focusedon her drug habit,
689
00:31:16,175 --> 00:31:18,510
but there was stilla suspicion of foul play.
690
00:31:18,677 --> 00:31:22,048
Now, her father makes
a full blown accusation.
691
00:31:22,214 --> 00:31:25,151
BERTOLOTTI: She was murdered,
as far as I'm concerned.
692
00:31:25,317 --> 00:31:27,286
FITZHARRIS: We've tracked
down this contemporary
interview
693
00:31:27,353 --> 00:31:30,322
in which Angelo Bertolottidemands that his ex-wife,
694
00:31:30,389 --> 00:31:32,558
Sharon Murphy, is
investigated,
695
00:31:32,658 --> 00:31:35,061
questioning why shealone has inherited
696
00:31:35,127 --> 00:31:36,662
all of Brittany's estate.
697
00:31:37,629 --> 00:31:39,498
Then he's askedif he suspects Sharon
698
00:31:39,565 --> 00:31:41,100
was involved in her death.
699
00:31:41,167 --> 00:31:43,635
He replied "Yes, I do."
700
00:31:44,336 --> 00:31:45,938
To try and prove his
allegation,
701
00:31:46,005 --> 00:31:48,607
Brittany's father paysfor a new toxicology report
702
00:31:48,774 --> 00:31:51,243
conducted on a strand of her
hair.
703
00:31:51,410 --> 00:31:52,911
What was he looking for?
704
00:31:53,012 --> 00:31:55,481
BURKS: He requested heavy
metals, different metal toxins
705
00:31:55,581 --> 00:31:56,782
and a variety of poisons.
706
00:31:56,848 --> 00:31:58,417
Really get a second look.
707
00:31:58,550 --> 00:32:01,753
-FITZHARRIS: What did they
find? -BURKS: Chromium, zinc,
iron.
708
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,056
-FITZHARRIS: What does that
tell us? -BURKS: Not a lot,
I'm afraid.
709
00:32:04,223 --> 00:32:06,258
Some of these things
we just need to survive.
710
00:32:06,358 --> 00:32:08,594
And some of them, we're just
exposed to in our environments.
711
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:09,928
FITZHARRIS: Anything alarming?
712
00:32:10,062 --> 00:32:11,663
BURKS: There was one thing
that was reported
713
00:32:11,763 --> 00:32:13,265
in the second tox screen
that was alarming.
714
00:32:13,365 --> 00:32:15,101
It was
the high levels of barium.
715
00:32:15,201 --> 00:32:19,271
It's an element, but it's also
found in rat poison.
716
00:32:19,438 --> 00:32:21,307
FITZHARRIS: But is there any
evidence of poisoning though?
717
00:32:21,940 --> 00:32:22,941
BURKS: Not a whole lot I'm
afraid.
718
00:32:23,109 --> 00:32:24,743
Barium, like a lot of chemicals
719
00:32:24,910 --> 00:32:26,445
has multiple uses.
720
00:32:26,512 --> 00:32:28,580
Rat poison, hair dye.
721
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,682
FITZHARRIS: So what's
the takeaway here?
722
00:32:30,749 --> 00:32:33,185
BURKS: As a scientist
I'm not dismissing it,
723
00:32:33,352 --> 00:32:36,088
but I don't find the second
report super suspicious.
724
00:32:38,457 --> 00:32:40,259
FITZHARRIS: Bertolotti'stox report produces
725
00:32:40,359 --> 00:32:43,329
no conclusive evidenceof
foul play in Brittany's
death.
726
00:32:43,395 --> 00:32:45,464
But doesn't rule it out
either.
727
00:32:45,564 --> 00:32:47,466
And there's plentyof other suspicious factors
728
00:32:47,566 --> 00:32:49,001
I still need to look at.
729
00:32:49,568 --> 00:32:52,038
HOOK: Let's put up people
that are of interest here.
730
00:32:52,204 --> 00:32:53,472
Husband, Simon.
731
00:32:54,473 --> 00:32:57,009
FITZHARRIS: It seems like ever
since she married Simon
732
00:32:57,143 --> 00:32:58,577
things start to go wrong.
733
00:32:58,677 --> 00:33:00,946
HOOK: He owed a lot of money
to a lot of people
734
00:33:01,047 --> 00:33:03,649
but when he married Brittany,
those money troubles went away.
735
00:33:04,216 --> 00:33:06,052
FITZHARRIS: So we candiscount that as a motive?
736
00:33:06,152 --> 00:33:07,253
HOOK: Yes.
737
00:33:07,353 --> 00:33:08,487
FITZHARRIS:
And the prescription drugs,
738
00:33:08,587 --> 00:33:09,555
what's going on there?
739
00:33:09,621 --> 00:33:10,856
HOOK: Well, I'm going to add
740
00:33:10,922 --> 00:33:12,524
Brittany's mother to the board
now.
741
00:33:12,624 --> 00:33:14,993
FITZHARRIS: Okay, and how does
she fit into this?
742
00:33:15,427 --> 00:33:17,829
HOOK: A lot of the drugs
that were seized as evidence
743
00:33:17,963 --> 00:33:19,431
are in her name.
744
00:33:19,498 --> 00:33:20,832
FITZHARRIS: Could Sharonhave been enabling
745
00:33:20,899 --> 00:33:23,169
her own daughterin a prescription drug habit?
746
00:33:23,269 --> 00:33:26,004
HOOK: I think Sharon
is a little bit more complex.
747
00:33:26,105 --> 00:33:30,076
I'm thinking along the lines
of Munchausen syndrome by
proxy.
748
00:33:34,613 --> 00:33:37,449
FITZHARRIS: Munchausen
syndrome by proxy is a
bizarre condition
749
00:33:37,549 --> 00:33:40,152
where a carer fakesan illness in the very person
750
00:33:40,219 --> 00:33:42,788
they are looking after,harming their victim.
751
00:33:42,854 --> 00:33:44,690
I want to talkto an expert to see
752
00:33:44,790 --> 00:33:48,094
if this could have been a
factor in Brittany and
Sharon's relationship.
753
00:33:48,260 --> 00:33:49,828
Dr. Marc Feldmanhas been unraveling
754
00:33:49,895 --> 00:33:52,364
this tangled formof abuse for many years.
755
00:33:52,531 --> 00:33:56,968
Dr. Feldman, you're an expert
in Munchausen syndrome by
proxy.
756
00:33:57,136 --> 00:33:58,370
Can you tell me what that is?
757
00:33:58,470 --> 00:34:00,172
DR. FELDMAN: Yeah,it refers to a situation
758
00:34:00,272 --> 00:34:03,942
in which a caregiver,almost always a mother,
759
00:34:04,443 --> 00:34:06,645
either claims that her child
is sick
760
00:34:06,712 --> 00:34:09,381
or actually makes the child
sick,
761
00:34:09,448 --> 00:34:13,119
and her motive seemsto be to get attention,
762
00:34:13,219 --> 00:34:16,288
care, concern for herself.
763
00:34:16,355 --> 00:34:19,591
FITZHARRIS: How do you tell
whether the child
764
00:34:19,691 --> 00:34:23,362
is actually suffering
from a real condition,
765
00:34:23,462 --> 00:34:27,999
versus being manipulated
or abused by someone else?
766
00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:29,435
DR. FELDMAN: You're facedwith the conundrum
767
00:34:29,535 --> 00:34:32,404
of trying to distinguishbetween what's real
768
00:34:32,471 --> 00:34:33,772
and what's been lied about.
769
00:34:34,373 --> 00:34:37,976
But you know the best lies,and I'm using best
ironically,
770
00:34:38,110 --> 00:34:39,678
are those that mix some truth
771
00:34:39,778 --> 00:34:42,448
and add some fictionand that's what happens
772
00:34:42,514 --> 00:34:45,451
in a lot of theseMunchausen by proxy cases.
773
00:34:45,617 --> 00:34:47,886
FITZHARRIS: Do you see it
sometimes between
774
00:34:47,953 --> 00:34:50,756
a mother and daughter
in an adult relationship?
775
00:34:50,856 --> 00:34:53,592
DR. FELDMAN: I've beenincreasingly concerned
776
00:34:53,692 --> 00:34:56,395
about adult victimswho don't recognize
777
00:34:56,495 --> 00:34:57,963
that they're being
victimized,
778
00:34:58,029 --> 00:35:00,399
and may in a sense even
collude,
779
00:35:00,566 --> 00:35:03,402
that is they trust the
perpetrator,
780
00:35:03,469 --> 00:35:05,404
and so they do what they're
told
781
00:35:05,471 --> 00:35:08,106
and they saywhat they're told to say,
782
00:35:08,207 --> 00:35:10,309
and that can be very
baffling.
783
00:35:10,476 --> 00:35:12,844
FITZHARRIS: Dr. Feldman,
thanks so much for joining me.
784
00:35:12,978 --> 00:35:15,847
DR. FELDMAN: Oh, I'm glad to
do it, thank you for
inviting me.
785
00:35:18,417 --> 00:35:20,186
FITZHARRIS: I find thisa fascinating syndrome
786
00:35:20,286 --> 00:35:21,520
but there's really no
evidence
787
00:35:21,587 --> 00:35:22,721
Sharon wanted to cause
788
00:35:22,788 --> 00:35:24,223
her daughter deliberate harm.
789
00:35:24,323 --> 00:35:26,992
On the flip side,she also
appears to have done little
790
00:35:27,058 --> 00:35:29,060
to prevent Brittany'sworsening health.
791
00:35:29,161 --> 00:35:31,997
Which for a mother, is notexactly normal behavior.
792
00:35:32,798 --> 00:35:34,065
But there's more.
793
00:35:35,567 --> 00:35:38,704
This clip from "The Larry King
Show" from February 2010,
794
00:35:38,804 --> 00:35:40,439
a month or soafter Brittany's death,
795
00:35:40,506 --> 00:35:42,741
but before the official
tox report revealed
796
00:35:42,841 --> 00:35:44,843
she was loaded
full of prescription meds,
797
00:35:44,910 --> 00:35:46,845
is I think very revealing.
798
00:35:47,879 --> 00:35:49,715
KING: What happened
the day she died?
799
00:35:49,781 --> 00:35:51,583
S. MONJACK: She woke up,
she couldn't breathe.
800
00:35:51,683 --> 00:35:55,221
She went out to get some air.
Sharon followed her out.
801
00:35:55,387 --> 00:35:58,056
I'll say this
because I know you can't,
802
00:35:58,156 --> 00:36:00,459
she said, "Mom, I'm dying.
I love you."
803
00:36:01,593 --> 00:36:03,094
KING: "Mom, I'm dying. I love
you?"
804
00:36:03,195 --> 00:36:05,096
She knew she was dying?
805
00:36:05,264 --> 00:36:08,334
S. MURPHY: From when she
collapsed, I was with her in
the bathroom,
806
00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:13,739
and she said, "Mom, please hug
me"
807
00:36:13,805 --> 00:36:15,374
and I went to get up
808
00:36:15,474 --> 00:36:18,577
and she just collapsed
like right there.
809
00:36:18,644 --> 00:36:21,813
KING: Okay, TMZ reported
medications found included
810
00:36:21,913 --> 00:36:25,150
anti-seizure migraine
medication, Topamax,
811
00:36:25,217 --> 00:36:28,654
anti-anxiety meds,
Klonopin and Ativan,
812
00:36:28,754 --> 00:36:32,258
pain relievers, Vicoprofen
and hydrocodone,
813
00:36:32,324 --> 00:36:34,893
depression medication,
fluoxetine,
814
00:36:34,993 --> 00:36:37,028
and a hyper medication,
propanol.
815
00:36:37,095 --> 00:36:38,063
S. MONJACK: Yes.
816
00:36:38,530 --> 00:36:39,465
KING: Why?
817
00:36:39,531 --> 00:36:40,499
S. MONJACK: Well, number one,
818
00:36:40,566 --> 00:36:42,834
I suffer from seizures and
migraines.
819
00:36:42,901 --> 00:36:44,536
So they weren't in her name.
820
00:36:44,603 --> 00:36:46,204
-KING: They were for you?
-S. MONJACK: They were for me.
821
00:36:46,372 --> 00:36:47,806
KING: Do you fear the
toxicology
822
00:36:47,906 --> 00:36:50,676
might say an overdose
of prescription medication?
823
00:36:50,742 --> 00:36:52,043
-S. MONJACK: No.
-KING: Is that possible?
824
00:36:52,143 --> 00:36:53,345
BOTH: No.
825
00:36:55,414 --> 00:36:57,349
FITZHARRIS: Sharon and Simon
certainly appear to be
826
00:36:57,416 --> 00:37:00,051
in complete denial
about Brittany's pill intake.
827
00:37:00,151 --> 00:37:02,020
Autopsy evidence clearly
details
828
00:37:02,087 --> 00:37:04,290
that she'd been prescribedthe anti-seizure meds
829
00:37:04,356 --> 00:37:07,493
Simon claimed were for himin the Larry King interview.
830
00:37:07,993 --> 00:37:09,995
I can't work out
if they are deluded,
831
00:37:10,095 --> 00:37:11,963
still in shock
at Brittany's death,
832
00:37:12,030 --> 00:37:13,365
or covering something up?
833
00:37:13,899 --> 00:37:16,635
They certainly never dealwith Larry King's big
question,
834
00:37:16,735 --> 00:37:18,570
who were all the drugs for?
835
00:37:18,737 --> 00:37:20,639
I really need to get
to the bottom of this.
836
00:37:23,008 --> 00:37:26,512
Brian, what do we know about
Simon's health, was he well?
837
00:37:26,612 --> 00:37:28,246
HOOK: Simon had
some serious health issues,
838
00:37:28,314 --> 00:37:30,282
he was taking medication
for epilepsy.
839
00:37:30,449 --> 00:37:34,252
Also Brittany and Simon
booked a trip to Puerto Rico.
840
00:37:34,420 --> 00:37:36,855
They came back early
because Simon was ill.
841
00:37:36,922 --> 00:37:39,291
On the return journey,
he had a suspected heart attack
842
00:37:39,458 --> 00:37:41,293
-and had to be given oxygen.
-FITZHARRIS: Right on the
plane?
843
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,762
HOOK: Right on the plane.
When they arrived,
844
00:37:43,862 --> 00:37:44,896
the paramedics went on board
845
00:37:45,030 --> 00:37:46,432
and he was actually
unconscious.
846
00:37:47,132 --> 00:37:49,935
FITZHARRIS: Simon's collapseis a sign of things to come.
847
00:37:51,970 --> 00:37:53,639
In the months following
Brittany's death,
848
00:37:53,739 --> 00:37:55,941
Simon shuts himself
off from the world,
849
00:37:56,007 --> 00:37:58,710
rarely leaving the house he
now shares with Sharon Murphy.
850
00:37:59,511 --> 00:38:01,647
Simon's mother, Linda,reveals to us
851
00:38:01,713 --> 00:38:03,949
how she was becomingincreasingly concerned
852
00:38:04,049 --> 00:38:05,517
for his well-being.
853
00:38:05,584 --> 00:38:07,553
L. MONJACK:
Simon was putting on weight
854
00:38:07,619 --> 00:38:10,422
like I've never seen anyone
put on weight ever before.
855
00:38:11,390 --> 00:38:14,125
He was getting moreand more wild in his hair,
856
00:38:14,192 --> 00:38:15,761
in his manner.
857
00:38:15,927 --> 00:38:19,698
And I felt something was
really, really wrong at that
point.
858
00:38:20,766 --> 00:38:23,402
I spoke to Sharon,I said I really think
859
00:38:23,469 --> 00:38:26,805
you need to get the doctor out.
"No, no, we'll be fine."
860
00:38:27,439 --> 00:38:31,076
I said, "Sharon he's not
fine, he really, really
isn't fine,
861
00:38:31,242 --> 00:38:33,745
"I'm his mother, and he's not
fine.
862
00:38:33,845 --> 00:38:34,946
Ring the doctor."
863
00:38:35,113 --> 00:38:37,248
And she said,"No, no he's sleeping now,
864
00:38:37,315 --> 00:38:40,185
he's sleeping now". I said,
"He could be in a coma, Sharon,
865
00:38:40,352 --> 00:38:41,720
ring 911."
866
00:38:43,689 --> 00:38:44,756
She didn't.
867
00:38:47,759 --> 00:38:50,228
FITZHARRIS: Linda's worst
nightmare is about to come
true.
868
00:38:50,962 --> 00:38:52,030
Two days later,
869
00:38:52,097 --> 00:38:54,366
in an unbelievable twistto the tale,
870
00:38:54,433 --> 00:38:57,035
it's Simon who facesthe same fate as Brittany,
871
00:38:57,102 --> 00:38:58,637
dying in the same house,
872
00:38:58,704 --> 00:39:01,440
with an eerily similarmedical diagnosis,
873
00:39:01,507 --> 00:39:04,376
and in almostidentical circumstances.
874
00:39:06,812 --> 00:39:09,214
While the world's movie
capital was still coming to
terms
875
00:39:09,314 --> 00:39:10,749
with Brittany Murphy'sstrange death,
876
00:39:10,916 --> 00:39:13,785
her husband, Simon Monjack,collapses and dies
877
00:39:13,952 --> 00:39:15,954
sending shockwavesthrough Hollywood.
878
00:39:16,087 --> 00:39:18,790
REPORTER: Five months after
the death of actress
Brittany Murphy
879
00:39:18,924 --> 00:39:21,226
another tragedy strikes that
family.
880
00:39:21,393 --> 00:39:23,695
Brittany's husband,Simon Monjack, has died.
881
00:39:25,697 --> 00:39:28,033
FITZHARRIS: This is the
autopsy report for Simon
Monjack
882
00:39:28,099 --> 00:39:30,068
and this is the mind-blowing
bit.
883
00:39:30,135 --> 00:39:32,938
The cause of death is almost
identical to Brittany's.
884
00:39:33,104 --> 00:39:33,939
Pneumonia.
885
00:39:35,474 --> 00:39:37,976
And here, multiple
medications.
886
00:39:38,744 --> 00:39:40,311
It's not surprising that
the Hollywood rumor mill
887
00:39:40,378 --> 00:39:41,513
went into overdrive.
888
00:39:43,014 --> 00:39:45,484
MONETTI: Having reportedon Hollywood for many years,
889
00:39:45,651 --> 00:39:48,253
I think that there's nothing
that can shock me.
890
00:39:48,687 --> 00:39:51,423
But, when Simon Monjack dies
891
00:39:51,490 --> 00:39:54,025
in identical circumstances
892
00:39:54,092 --> 00:39:56,194
to the way Brittany Murphy
died,
893
00:39:56,261 --> 00:39:58,029
that was one of the
most surprising things
894
00:39:58,096 --> 00:39:59,364
in Hollywood history.
895
00:40:01,366 --> 00:40:03,068
FITZHARRIS: So, Brian,
what's going on here?
896
00:40:03,234 --> 00:40:05,370
Where did he die?
Walk us through that.
897
00:40:05,471 --> 00:40:07,005
HOOK: It's Deja vu.
898
00:40:07,172 --> 00:40:10,208
Sharon made the 911 call,
listen to this.
899
00:40:11,510 --> 00:40:12,944
OPERATOR: What's the problem?What happened?
900
00:40:13,011 --> 00:40:15,847
S. MURPHY: My son-in-law,he's stopped breathing
901
00:40:15,947 --> 00:40:18,650
OPERATOR: Lay him flat on his
back on the ground, no
pillows.
902
00:40:18,750 --> 00:40:21,787
S. MURPHY: I can't geton the ground, he's gigantic.
903
00:40:21,853 --> 00:40:22,954
OPERATOR: He's gigantic?
904
00:40:23,021 --> 00:40:23,955
S. MURPHY: Yes.
905
00:40:24,456 --> 00:40:26,024
OPERATOR: We're goingto do compressions.
906
00:40:26,091 --> 00:40:28,794
We're going to docompressions now.
907
00:40:28,860 --> 00:40:32,864
Pump the chest hard and fastat least twice per second.
908
00:40:32,931 --> 00:40:35,100
S. MURPHY: One, two, three,
four,
909
00:40:35,166 --> 00:40:38,003
five, six, seven, eight,
nine.
910
00:40:38,103 --> 00:40:39,771
HOOK: By the time
the paramedics arrived,
911
00:40:39,938 --> 00:40:41,206
Simon is dead.
912
00:40:41,907 --> 00:40:43,074
But here's the twist.
913
00:40:43,141 --> 00:40:45,511
Later Sharon is telling
everybody
914
00:40:45,577 --> 00:40:47,713
Simon and Brittany have died
915
00:40:47,779 --> 00:40:49,815
as a result of the mold
that's in the house
916
00:40:51,282 --> 00:40:53,985
FITZHARRIS: The killer mold
theory caught the public
imagination.
917
00:40:54,052 --> 00:40:57,088
Ever since the press have runand run with the story.
918
00:40:58,824 --> 00:41:00,325
But was Sharon right?
919
00:41:00,425 --> 00:41:02,994
Could Brittany have been
killed by toxic mold?
920
00:41:03,461 --> 00:41:05,931
Maybe Dr. Melinek can helpme solve the mystery?
921
00:41:07,398 --> 00:41:10,301
So, these are the two most
common molds found in a
household.
922
00:41:10,368 --> 00:41:11,603
Could this kill someone?
923
00:41:11,770 --> 00:41:13,071
MELINEK:
Yes, they can kill someone
924
00:41:13,171 --> 00:41:15,841
by causing an inflammatory
or allergic reaction.
925
00:41:15,941 --> 00:41:17,543
FITZHARRIS: Did it kill
Brittany Murphy?
926
00:41:17,676 --> 00:41:19,911
MELINEK: No, it didn't.
What we saw at her autopsy
927
00:41:20,011 --> 00:41:22,814
was that she had
pneumonia from bacteria.
928
00:41:22,981 --> 00:41:24,415
FITZHARRIS: So a lot
of people think
929
00:41:24,482 --> 00:41:25,717
that it was the mold in the
house
930
00:41:25,817 --> 00:41:27,853
because her husband
dies five months later
931
00:41:27,919 --> 00:41:30,856
with pneumonia in the same
house.
932
00:41:31,022 --> 00:41:32,691
MELINEK: I reviewed
his autopsy as well.
933
00:41:32,758 --> 00:41:35,360
And both Brittany Murphy
and her husband
934
00:41:35,460 --> 00:41:37,663
died of pneumonia from
bacteria.
935
00:41:37,796 --> 00:41:41,533
Molds are a fungus, they're not
a bacteria. Different organism.
936
00:41:42,934 --> 00:41:45,436
(tense music)
937
00:41:46,738 --> 00:41:48,073
FITZHARRIS:
So, it wasn't the mold.
938
00:41:48,173 --> 00:41:49,074
Nor was it the poison.
939
00:41:50,175 --> 00:41:51,376
And nothing suggests to me
940
00:41:51,442 --> 00:41:53,311
that she deliberatelytook her own life.
941
00:41:53,845 --> 00:41:56,114
So what killed Brittany
Murphy?
942
00:41:56,281 --> 00:41:57,983
Overall, there's more
speculation
943
00:41:58,049 --> 00:41:59,685
than conclusive facts and
arguments.
944
00:42:00,251 --> 00:42:03,354
Certainly the family set-upis no ordinary one.
945
00:42:04,189 --> 00:42:05,857
She's living witha controlling husband
946
00:42:05,957 --> 00:42:07,458
who monitors her cell phone
947
00:42:08,594 --> 00:42:11,229
and a neurotic motherwho
doesn't stop her massive use
948
00:42:11,329 --> 00:42:12,564
of prescription drugs.
949
00:42:13,198 --> 00:42:15,066
They appear to havebecome normalized
950
00:42:15,166 --> 00:42:16,835
inside the Murphy household.
951
00:42:17,603 --> 00:42:20,606
Listen to what Linda sayshappened at Simon's funeral.
952
00:42:20,739 --> 00:42:23,675
L. MONJACK: She put a pill
in my mouth without asking me.
953
00:42:23,842 --> 00:42:27,679
Sharon is so used to taking
pills, and I am not,
954
00:42:27,846 --> 00:42:30,048
and of course,had I have
swallowed that pill
955
00:42:30,115 --> 00:42:31,717
I would have been out of it.
956
00:42:31,883 --> 00:42:34,119
I felt it was a very
bizarre thing to do,
957
00:42:34,185 --> 00:42:36,588
but probably she thought
that was a normal thing to do.
958
00:42:39,024 --> 00:42:40,926
HOOK: It wouldn't be easyafter all this time
959
00:42:40,992 --> 00:42:42,628
to build a case against
Sharon.
960
00:42:43,061 --> 00:42:44,996
Although she may have
helped to procure the drugs
961
00:42:45,063 --> 00:42:47,866
that ultimately
brought Brittany down,
962
00:42:48,033 --> 00:42:52,303
she faced no investigation
into her daughter's or
Simon's deaths.
963
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:54,405
Both were classed as
accidental.
964
00:42:54,472 --> 00:42:57,042
So I can't find the killer
evidence.
965
00:43:00,245 --> 00:43:02,948
FITZHARRIS: I've considered
the facts my experts have
brought to light
966
00:43:03,114 --> 00:43:06,351
and thoroughly investigatedall the sensational stories.
967
00:43:07,452 --> 00:43:09,187
Now it's time for a verdict.
968
00:43:12,057 --> 00:43:13,825
Brittany Murphy was yet another
969
00:43:13,892 --> 00:43:16,227
prescription drug abuser
hidden in plain sight.
970
00:43:17,095 --> 00:43:20,231
Crippled by pneumonia,the more medication she took,
971
00:43:20,365 --> 00:43:21,867
the weaker she became.
972
00:43:22,033 --> 00:43:24,035
In a city full of great
hospitals,
973
00:43:24,169 --> 00:43:26,137
for reasons we'll never quite
know,
974
00:43:26,204 --> 00:43:29,307
those closest to her didn't
get her the help she needed.
975
00:43:29,374 --> 00:43:30,942
That's the eternal mystery.
976
00:43:31,409 --> 00:43:33,378
But one thing I'm fairly
certain of,
977
00:43:33,544 --> 00:43:35,446
she dies a preventable death.
978
00:43:35,613 --> 00:43:38,249
Had she been treatedwith antibiotics early enough
979
00:43:38,349 --> 00:43:40,285
she most likelywould have recovered.
980
00:43:41,052 --> 00:43:43,054
She was scheduledfor a doctor's appointment
981
00:43:43,154 --> 00:43:46,257
on Monday, December 21st,
2009,
982
00:43:46,324 --> 00:43:48,193
the day after she collapsed.
983
00:43:48,727 --> 00:43:50,195
She never made it.
984
00:43:51,329 --> 00:43:54,766
The silver screen is famousfor its romances and
comedies.
985
00:43:55,533 --> 00:43:57,335
After examining the evidence,
986
00:43:57,435 --> 00:44:01,006
I think Brittany Murphy's story
was a more rare genre,
987
00:44:01,106 --> 00:44:03,541
a tragedy, played out for
real
988
00:44:03,675 --> 00:44:06,177
under Hollywood'smerciless spotlight.
81017
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