Death of Starr Faithfull
| Starr Faithfull | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Marian Starr Wyman January 27, 1906 Evanston, Illinois |
| Died | c. June 6, 1931 (age 25) Long Beach, New York |
| Cause of death | Drowning; undetermined whether homicide, suicide or accident |
| Parent(s) | Frank Wyman (father) Helen Pierce MacGregor Wyman Faithfull (mother) Stanley E. Faithfull (stepfather) |
Starr Faithfull (born Marian Starr Wyman, January 27, 1906 — c. June 6, 1931) was an American socialite notable for her mysterious drowning death at age 25 in 1931. After her death, a scandal resulted when newspapers published allegations that she had been sexually abused as a child by Andrew James Peters, a wealthy, prominent politician and former Mayor of Boston, and that he was suspected of murdering her. Investigators unsuccessfully attempted to determine whether her death was a homicide or a suicide. Her death remains unsolved.
Faithfull was found dead on the beach at Long Beach, New York on the morning of June 8, 1931. An autopsy found that she died by drowning, but she also had many bruises apparently caused by beating or rough handling, and a large dose of a sedative in her system. Investigators initially thought her death was a homicide, and that she had either been pushed into deep water or forcibly held under shallow water. Her stepfather accused Peters of having her killed to prevent her from revealing the sexual abuse. However, the homicide theory was called into question by letters that Faithfull had written shortly before her death, expressing her intentions to commit suicide. A grand jury convened to hear evidence returned an open verdict, and the case was closed with no definitive conclusion as to whether her death was homicide, suicide, or an accident.
Faithfull's death made national and international news due to its many sensational aspects, including her youth, beauty, promiscuity, and flapper lifestyle, as well as the allegations about Peters. The evidence included her diary containing explicit descriptions of her sexual liaisons with 19 different men, including one she called "AJP" who was thought to be Peters.Time magazine called the story a "sexy death mystery" with a "perfect front-page name". Her story has inspired several fictional works, the best known of which is John O'Hara's 1935 novel BUtterfield 8. The case has also been discussed in a number of non-fiction books, including British crime historian Jonathan Goodman's 1990 true crime book The Passing of Starr Faithfull, which won a Gold Dagger award.
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