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| Brynn Hartman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vicki Jo Omdahl |
| Status | Deceased (suicide) |
| Cause of death | Murder-suicide |
| Other names | Brynn Omdahl |
| Spouse | Phil Hartman (1987–1998) |
| Children | Sean Edward Hartman (b.1989) Birgen Hartman (b.1992) |
| Parent(s) | Donald Gene Omdahl and Constance Faye Arnold |
| Motive | erratic behavior |
| Criminal charge | Murder of actor/comedian Phil Hartman |
Brynn Hartman (born Vicki Jo Omdahl) (April 11, 1958 – May 28, 1998) was the wife and murderer of actor and comedian Phil Hartman. She committed suicide after killing her husband.
Background
Brynn was born Vicki Jo Omdahl in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, to Donald Gene Omdahl and Constance Faye Omdahl (née Arnold). She had a brother, Gregory, and two sisters, Katherine and Debbie. On November 25, 1987, she married Phil Hartman. They had two children: Sean Edward Hartman (born 1989) and Birgen Hartman (born 1992). Both children were raised by their aunt Katherine and uncle Mike Wright in Eau Claire, Wisconsin after their parents' death.
Murder of Phil Hartman and suicide
On May 28, 1998, Brynn killed her husband in his sleep, shooting him three times with a revolver. Around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., she drove to her friend Ron Douglas' house, and confessed, but he did not believe her. At 6:20 a.m., the two of them drove back to the Hartman home where Douglas discovered the body. Douglas subsequently called the police, who arrived on the scene to escort the two children out of the house. Before the police attended to her, Brynn went back into the bedroom and killed herself with a second revolver, shooting herself in the right eye. Her ashes were scattered over Santa Catalina Island's Emerald Bay.
Hartman's divorce attorney, Steven Small, stated in a CNN article that Brynn's anger management problems may have contributed to the murder/suicide. In a 1998 People Online article, Small also stated that the couple argued over her alcoholism, her addiction to cocaine and the impending divorce. Each was unhappy and accused the other of not allowing a divorce. According to an article on the website FranksReelReviews.com, she combined cocaine, alcohol, and Zoloft at the Hollywood restaurant Buca di Beppo the night of the murder/suicide.
Hartman's friend and colleague Jon Lovitz claims that Brynn had been sober for 10 years until five months before she killed her husband, when comedian Andy Dick reintroduced her to cocaine, which apparently spiraled downward into the eventual murder/suicide.
References
External links
- Brynn Hartman at IMDb
- A CNN account of the death
- A CNN article about the reasons behind her actions
- Findadeath account of her death
- Photo