15 Mysteries Surrounding Brittany Murphy's Death

The death of a celebrity is always the subject of significant scrutiny, particularly if that death comes as a complete surprise. Just look at all of the websites and blogs devoted to understanding the deaths of people like Michael Jackson, Tupac, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, etc. and you'll realize that people attempt to explain what often seems inexplicable in a wide variety of ways. The same phenomenon can be observed over the allegedly "accidental death" of actress Brittany Murphy, who was only 32 when her life came to an untimely end.

According to the official L.A. County Coroner's report of Murphy's death, she perished as a result of pneumonia, anemia and a dangerous mix of prescription drugs, all which conspired to bring about an "accidental death" that resulted from "natural causes." Murphy's father, from whom Murphy had been estranged, raised suspicions over the cause of death, and has even went so far as to say he believes "there was definitely a murder situation" surrounding Murphy's death. Whether that is true remains a mystery that the world waits with baited breath to uncover. Until then, speculations abound.

It was Edgar Allan Poe who once said, "The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world." Murphy certainly fits the bill as she was undeniably beautiful, bubbly and charismatic, and her mysteriously premature death can surely be the subject of a captivating tragedy and in fact has been the subject of several movies.

Here are 15 mysteries surrounding the death of Brittany Murphy.

15 Murphy's Autopsy Missed Some Details

While "natural causes" is the official cause of death on the coroner's report, a toxicology report later revealed that Murphy had a significant amount of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in her system at the time of her death. Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, was also skeptical of the coroner's report and requested independent testing of Murphy's hair samples, which showed traces of 10 potentially toxic heavy metals, including barium, which is used in rat poison, according to E! News. The quantities were well above the World Health Organization's high exposure level, the report indicates. L.A. County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter attempted to explain away the chemicals in Murphy's hair samples as remnants of Murphy's hair coloring. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht claims that the independent lab test is "reputable" and should have warranted further investigation. Wecht also questions why the autopsy did not detect the presence of the heavy metals.

14 Murphy's Husband Died Five Months After She Did

Murphy's husband Simon Monjack died just five months after Murphy from the same alleged combination of pneumonia, prescription medications and anemia. Dr. Wecht contends that it is possible for two people who lived together to die of pneumonia, but that it is "pretty darned rare." Ed Winter from the L.A. Coroner's Office contends that Murphy's death could have ultimately been prevented had she visited a proper doctor for pneumonia rather than attempting to treat the problem with over-the-counter medications. In contrast, Monjack, according to Winter, visited numerous doctors and received a variety of prescription meds, which was his downfall. Winter determined that Monjack simply abused his body by overusing prescription meds to treat his conditions. In fact, the coroner revealed that almost 90 pill bottles were removed from Murphy's bedroom, all of which were in Monjack's name and aliases.

Despite the similarity of the two deaths, LAPD never publically indicated that they considered the deaths as criminal.

13 Monjack's Alleged References to the Illuminati

A report by Hollywood Reporter in 2011 featured an interview with Alex Ben Block, a friend of the Murphy family, who says that Murphy's husband Monjack had been focused on a theory that a secret Hollywood group, the Illuminati, was intent on destroying Murphy's career. Block told Hollywood Reporter that Monjack wanted a book to be written about Murphy's death because he too was unconvinced about the coroner's report, and believed instead that Murphy "literally died of a broken heart caused by the shoddy way she had been treated in Hollywood." Monjack asserted that studios, producers, and talent reps had circulated rumors about Murphy, claiming she was often late, unable to remember her lines, and was a drug user, all to destroy her career.

“It wasn't about the money,” Monjack explained. “She wasn't going, 'Oh, I'm not being offered $10 million to do a movie.' It was: 'I'm not getting offered anything where I can really show what I can do. I can sing. I can dance. I can do all these things I was put on Earth to show the world,' and somehow she was being blocked from doing it.”

12 Should Murphy's Death Case Have Been Reopened When Monjack Died?

According to forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, LAPD detectives should have reopened the case of Murphy's death after Monjack was found dead, particularly given the results of the private lab testing that Murphy's father had performed. Wecht said, "You have two people, a husband and a wife five months of each other, and, not engaging in any wild speculation, two young people dying five months apart. You've got to check it out."

But Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told Us Weekly that the case would not be reopened unless something extreme, like a confession, was uncovered.

Despite the independent lab findings which showed the presence of heavy metals in Murphy's system, Winter contends that the metals could be attributed to hair dye. "It was not at the level that would warrant reopening the case because Brittany did dye her hair," he said.

Ultimately, despite the other theories that have been considered, Winter contends that Murphy's death rests on the fact that she did not get medical attention in a timely manner and therefore a reinvestigation is not necessary.

11 Did Monjack Control Murphy Through His Hollywood Paranoia?

According to a 2011 Hollywood Reporter article, Monjack was believed to have manipulated Murphy through his paranoia about Hollywood, even convincing her to move away from Hollywood because he contrived a conspiracy against her by former agents and managers. Murphy's family friend Block told Hollywood Reporter that Monjack was the reason that Murphy rarely saw her family and friends because Monjack created so much paranoia that he used it to separate Murphy from anyone who would challenge his claims. Monjack even kept Murphy away from his mother, with whom he allegedly had a close relationship, by telling Murphy tales about his mother that made her look bad. According to Monjack's mother Linda, she met Murphy just once at a dinner in New York in 2007, though she communicated with her son daily.

Likewise, Murphy was reportedly paranoid that the industry would learn of her medical problems, and Hollywood Reporter writes that her fears "played into Simon's conspiracy theories about people being out to get her."

10 Monjack's Character is Called Into Question

Those close to Murphy speculated on Monjack's intentions and influence on the young actress. George Hickenlooper, director of the movie Factory Girl , has labeled Monjack a "con man and a bad guy." In fact, after Murphy's death, Hickenlooper went so far as to write, "I only hope that this creep wasn't instrumental in her sad demise." E! News reports that Monjack had a shady record, including alleged credit card theft and fraud, a judgment against him by a British investment firm over $500,000, and evictions from multiple homes.

Rumors ran rampant that Monjack was using Murphy for her money. Shortly after the two were married, Murphy had to pay a casting director $10,000 to cover a bad jack Monjack had written. Monjack's mother indicated that he had ran through his inherited family money long before he met Murphy, but after Murphy's death, Monjack attempted to dispel rumors that he had in fact been living off of Murphy, stating that he was the one paying the bills because Murphy resorted to making such bad films that they went straight to DVD.

9 Monjack Adamantly Opposed an Autopsy on Murphy

After Murphy's death, Monjack created significant controversy when he opposed an autopsy on Murphy. He claimed that the thought of his wife's body being cut open was too disturbing to him and he reportedly contacted the coroner numerous times without success. This behavior naturally provoked internet rumors that Monjack was somehow involved in Murphy's death.

Monjack did not help matters when he launched a charitable fund in Brittany Murphy's name with an event in which guests were asked to donate thousands of dollars. Shortly after, however, it was discovered that the charity had not been registered as a not-for-profit and the Brittany Murphy Foundation offered to return contributions made by donors. This also casts some shadow on Murphy's mother's character.

One would think that Monjack would be interested in learning the true cause of the death of his beloved wife. His resistance, particularly since it was persistent, is certainly worthy of at least some curiosity and speculation.

8 Psychic Revelations

When Murphy's friend Jaimie Pressly contacted a clairvoyant named Tyler Henry for a psychic session after Murphy's death, Henry claimed that a spirit told him that Murphy had been deeply troubled before her death and was being manipulated by someone close to her.

Interestingly, the psychic encounter took place on an episode of Hollywood Medium. During the show, Henry claimed he was contacted by a "younger woman who's stepping forward who feels she passed away too soon." Henry then offered the name "Britney," to which Pressly said the name "Brittany Murphy." Henry then continued by saying the spirit felt she was manipulated and badly influenced by someone in her life.

This, of course, added fodder to claims that Murphy was being manipulated by her husband Monjack. However, Murphy's father also offered a theory that it may have been Murphy's mother, Sharon, who had been manipulating Murphy, as Murphy had nominated her mother to inherit her estate after her death and not Monjack.

7 Murphy's Ties to a Government Whistleblower

A film about Murphy's death by filmmaker Asif Akbar entitled Top Priority: The Terror Within shows that Murphy was friends with a Department of Homeland Security whistleblower, who allegedly experienced retaliation by the Department of Homeland Security. The whistleblower, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Julia Davis, reportedly revealed that a national security breach allowed the entry of 23 suspected terrorists into the United States. Akbar claims that former head of the DEA, Robert Bonner, feared the media scrutiny that would result from this revelation because he was proven incompetent after the NASA Challenger disaster, and so targeted Davis, her family, and friends. A review of the film by Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times reads, "When Ms. Davis reported security concerns to the FBI from her post at the Mexican border in July 2004, she was inexplicably labeled a 'domestic terrorist' by Homeland Security and, the film claims, subjected to a jaw-dropping campaign of government harassment and intimidation. Official attempts to discredit her and her husband… would raise questions about the deaths of four people (including the actress Brittany Murphy) and eventually involve multiple agencies and tactics, most shockingly a daylight raid on the Davises' California home by armed operatives in a Black Hawk helicopter."

6 Did Mold Play a Role in Murphy's Death?

A 2010 TMZ report suggested that toxic mold could have played a role in the deaths of Murphy and Monjack, though Assistant Chief Coroner Winter said autopsies of both showed mold "was not a factor in their deaths." Still, Winter said Murphy's mansion was reported to the Department of Public Health as a precaution because when two people living in the same residence die of respiratory illness within just a few short months of one another, it is always worth examining.

"It is unusual to have two people die of similar circumstances with pneumonia. We've been looking at it and saying, 'Something isn't right.' I'm not saying you can't get pneumonia from mold, but we did all the tests on it -- mold did not come up in the toxicology reports," he says.

There were suspicions of a mold leak in the home, but Monjack had ordered a full house inspection that came back mold-free.

5 Was Sharon Murphy Involved?

Murphy's father Bertolotti was suspicious of the cause of Murphy's death and made his suspicions public by ordering his own independent tests. When the tests indicated that rat poison could have potentially been involved, Bertolotti began to advance his own theories, including one that claimed Murphy was murdered by her own mother, Sharon. In an interview with Examiner, Bertolotti outlined reasons behind this theory:

"Sharon Murphy should be interviewed and investigated, first and foremost. Let her explain why she had my daughter execute a will, leaving everything to her mother and specifically excluding Simon."

Bertolotti went on to explain that Sharon's request for Murphy to execute a will followed an announcement by Murphy and Monjack that they were going to move to New York and have a baby. Bertolotti also noted that Sharon auctioned her daughter's underwear, passport, and her clothes. He contends that it's highly suspicious that she is the only person in the household to have survived pneumonia and stood to benefit financially from doing so.

4 Murphy Reportedly Was Living in Squalor Just Before Her Death

According to a book by Bryn Curt James entitled, A Case for Murder: Brittany Murphy Files, Murphy had been living in squalor in the days leading to her death. James writes that the bed in which Murphy spent her final days had been surrounded by "mountains of clothes, make-up, perfumes, an oxygen machine and medical supplies. It was a ready-made drug store." James also indicated that her bed was stained and her sheets were drenched in sweat. He added that her nightstands were covered in half-drunk bottles of water, medication bottles, some of which were empty, and used tissues.

Perhaps it was Murphy's and Monjack's increasing paranoia that prevented them from allowing housekeeping to maintain their bedroom quarters and ensure that the area is clean. Of course, this is merely speculation, but it is bizarre for people with substantial amounts of money to live in such living conditions when they easily had the money to pay someone to keep the home clean.

3 Murphy's Relationship with Her Father

Murphy was reportedly estranged from her father, Angelo Bertolotti, at the time of her death, but he claimed that just before her death, she told him that she was excited to move to the East Coast and leave behind her harmful influences.

"Brittany wanted a different kind of life and she was going to move to New York before her death," Betrtolotti revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"She was so excited to start a new life and have a baby."

However, Murphy's mother, Sharon, says that Bertolotti has admitted to not seeing her at all in the final three years of her life.

Bertolotti has advanced a number of theories about the death of his daughter, but Sharon has dismissed his claims as mere bids for attention and money, stating that he was not much of a father to Brittany while she was alive.

Sharon Murphy said that Bertolotti appeared "out of the woodwork when Brittany was a teenager and found success in a number of TV shows just before she was in Clueless."

2 Did Sharon Murphy Have a Relationship with Her Daughter's Husband?

An article in 21st Century Wire reports that the dynamic in the Murphy household was "odd to say the least, as there appeared to be something amiss among the trio that lived there." While Brittany Murphy was the one earning the primary income, both Monjack and Murphy's mother Sharon were reportedly enjoying "their own prescription filled haze at the residence," the article reads.

In the final hours of Monjack's life, he phoned his mother to tell her that he was not feeling well. In the background, his mother could hear Sharon saying that she should inform Monjack's doctor that he had a temperature of 104 degrees. Linda reportedly begged Sharon to call for an ambulance or get him to a hospital, but she did not, states Linda.

However, when the coroner came to investigate Simon's death, it was revealed that Sharon had been reportedly sharing Monjack's bed, since her personal belongings were found in the bedroom on the opposite bed end table.

1 Was the Pathologist Trustworthy?

The chief medical examiner-coroner who determined Brittany Murphy's death to be accidental is Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, a well-known pathologist in the L.A. County office. What's significant about that is that he is the same pathologist called in to oversee the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murder case. An article by 21st Century Wire cites evidence put forth by conspiracy theorists that Lakshmanan is believed to have botched the Simpson/Goldman investigation by disturbing the crime scene. Additionally, the article claims that Lakshmanan and his team reportedly never checked a vital blood sample believed to belong to Simpson's killer, according to leading forensic scientist Henry Lee. Furthermore, Lakshmanan's team is believed to have mixed DNA samples from the Simpson/Goldman investigation with that from another crime scene.

During testimony at the Simpson trial, Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran did concede that the Deputy Medical Examiner Irwin Golden, who performed the Simpson and Goldman autopsies, had "made some mistakes," but that those errors did not undermine the coroner's conclusions. Still, some conspiracy theorists wonder why Dr. Sathyavagiswaran was able to oversee such a high-profile case as Murphy's.