From Oscar Pistorius to Don King: 10 Celebrities Accused of Homicide

Ultimate Fall From Grace

Celebrities oftentimes are placed on a pedestal by their fans. They are seen as idols who can do no wrong. But reality is not close to this assumption. Certain stars in their blanket of appeal, commit heinous crimes against their fellow beings. Many of them use their influence to achieve their wicked objectives. Celebrities try their best to keep their mistakes out of the public eye, and therefore when their actions come out in the open, the general populace gets to know the real personality. Here are 10 celebrities who shocked the world when they were charged with homicide.

1. Michael Jace

Michael Jace, an actor known for his appearances in popular shows like The Shield, was convicted of second-degree murder. He fatally shot his wife, April, in front of their two young children in Hyde Park in 2014, NBC Los Angeles reported. In 2016, he was handed a 40-year-to-life sentence which he is currently serving in a state prison. Deputy District Attorney, Tannaz Mokayef, during the trial, shared with the jurors that Jace was angry that his wife was trying to leave him and suspected that she was having an affair. The actor appealed the sentence in 2019, but the California Supreme Court rejected it.

2. Phil Spector

Phil Spector, known as a pioneer in the rock 'n' roll genre for producing continuous hits as a record producer in the 1960s was convicted for the murder of Lana Clarkson, a nightclub hostess. Spector had taken Clarkson to his home after a night of drinking in 2003, The New York Times reported. The Los Angeles Police found the woman dead in a chair in the foyer, dead from a single bullet wound to the head. Clarkson was a struggling actress and worked at the House of Blues, at the time of her death. She met the record producer at her workplace and agreed to go home with him. Spector's chauffeur shared in his testimony that the record producer appeared in front of him in the early hours of February 3, 2003, with a revolver in his hand, and said, “I think I killed somebody.” He was found guilty of second-degree murder in 2009 and received a sentence of 19 years to life. He died in 2020 due to Covid-19 complications.

3. Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius was celebrated as a highly-decorated double-amputee Paralympic and Olympic sprinter, when the news of him shooting his girlfriend sent shock waves into the world, CNN reported. Reeva Steenkamp was shot four times through a locked bathroom door in Pistorius' home on February 14, 2013. The prosecutor argued in his trial, that Pistorius shot his girlfriend in a fit of anger. Pistorius' defense claimed that the accused shot because he mistook the victim to be an intruder. In 2014, Pistorius was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years. A higher court upgraded the charge to murder in 2015 and increased the sentence to six years in prison. The sentence was again appealed by prosecutors who found it too lenient. South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal increased the sentence to 13 years and 5 months in 2017. Pistorius came out on parole in 2024. 

4. Jim Gordon

Jim Gordon was on his way to achieve immortal glory as the drummer in the blues-rock supergroup Derek and the Dominos, led by Clapton, NPR reported. The artist was enjoying a successful solo career collaborating with big names like Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, The Byrds, Judy Collins, Alice Cooper, and Crosby Stills & Nash when he fatally stabbed his 71-year-old mother, Osa Gordon in June 1983. He claimed to the authorities, that a voice forced him to commit the murder. After his arrest, the drummer was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Gordon was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He died of natural causes at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville in 2023. 

5. Eric Naposki

Eric Naposki, an ex-NFL player, killed a millionaire in collaboration with his romantic partner Nanette Johnston in 1994, Oxygen reported. William "Bill" McLaughlin, 55, was shot several times at his home in California. The victim's girlfriend Johnston was initially found guilty of forging checks and draining close to $500,000 from McLaughlin's account. She was charged with fraud and was sentenced to one year behind bars and released later. In 1998, a woman called the police and informed that Naposki wanted to kill McLaughlin. The authorities were unable to get the required breakthrough, with this lead. In 2008, Larry Montgomery, an investigator with the OC District Attorney’s Office was able to reach out to the woman, and she agreed to come forward. In 2009, Naposki and Johnston were charged with first-degree murder. Both of them were found guilty and received life sentences.

6. Bruno Fernandes de Souza

Bruno Fernandes de Souza, a famous footballer from Brazil was sentenced to 22 years in prison for killing Eliza Samudio, 25 in 2013, Daily Mail reported. The goalkeeper ordered the killing of the woman because she refused to abort their child in 2010. The victim worked as a model, at the time of the murder and met de Souza at a party. She was kidnapped, beaten up, and murdered by a gang hired by de Souza. Her body was fed to de Souza's pet Rottweilers. He was found guilty of ordering the murder, hiding her body, and kidnapping their baby son. In 2023, he was granted parole. 

7. Claudine Longet

Claudine Longet shot into infamy when she shot renowned skier Spider Sabich to death inside their Aspen, Colorado, home on March 21, 1976, ATI reported. Longet, an actress and singer, and Sabich were dating at the time of the murder. Though Longet claimed that the shooting was an accident, many believed that was not the case. Rumors were rife that Sabich was planning to leave Longet. Despite persistent questioning, Longet remained firm in her story that the gun misfired when Sabich was teaching her how to use it. In April of the same year, she was charged with a felony of reckless manslaughter. Ultimately, she was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 30 days in prison.

8. Rae Carruth

Rae Carruth was living his dream as the Carolina Panthers’ first-round draft choice in 1997, The Charlotte Observer reported. Just two years later, his whole life turned upside down when Carruth was found guilty of masterminding his pregnant girlfriend's murder. Cherica Adams was killed in a drive-in ambush by Van Brett Watkins. Watkins in his testimony claimed that Carruth hired him to murder Adams because he did not want to pay child support for another kid. He was already paying for one son, with another ex-girlfriend. The accused was sentenced to 19 years in prison, The New York Times reported. Carruth was released in 2018. 

9. Lillo Brancato Jr.

Lillo Brancato Jr. was a burgeoning superstar in Hollywood having had a breakthrough with his role in A Bronx Tale in the 1990s, CBS News reported. His life took a sharp turn when he got arrested in December 2005, for being an accomplice in a burglary and being involved in the death of Daniel Enchautegui, an NYPD officer in the Bronx. Brancato Jr. claims that it was his drug addiction that caused him to be in that situation. He and his accomplice Steven Armento, broke into a Bronx apartment looking for drugs, PIX reported. They were confronted by an off-duty Enchautegui, who lived next door. A shootout ensued in which Enchautegui lost his life. Brancato Jr. was found not guilty of murder but served eight years for attempted burglary. Armento got life in prison for shooting Enchautegui. Since being released from prison the former actor has gotten clean and helps others with their addiction struggles.

10. Don King

Don King remains a revered name in the world of boxing, the Washington Post reported. Before becoming one of the biggest boxing promoters, putting one spectacular match after the other, King was found guilty of murdering one of his former bookmaking employees in 1966. He stomped the victim to death in Cleveland. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, but the judge reduced the charge to non-negligent manslaughter at sentencing. He spent only four years in prison for the crime. In 1984, he was pardoned by then-Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes.