Phil Hartman Killed in Murder-Suicide

May 28, 1998

Comedian Phil Hartman is murdered by his wife. During a heated argument earlier that evening, he had threatened to leave her if she began using drugs again. After he went to bed, she shot him while he slept at about 3 am, killing herself later that morning as police were removing the children from the home.
Hartman was known for his extensive television and film work, such as: Saturday Night Live, Pee-wee’s Playhouse (Captin’ Carl. He and Paul Reubens co-created the Pee-wee Herman character), and The Simpsons (voice of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz). He also designed album covers for bands such as Poco.