John Eleuthère du Pont
| John Eleuthère du Pont | |
|---|---|
du Pont in February 1992
|
|
| Born |
November 22, 1938 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 2010 (aged 72) State Correctional Institution – Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania |
| Cause of death | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
Haverford School (1957) University of Pennsylvania (1960) B.S., University of Miami (1965) Ph.D., Villanova University (1973) |
| Spouse(s) | Gale Wenk (m. 1983; annulled after 90 days; d. 1987) |
| Parent(s) |
William du Pont, Jr. Jean Liseter Austin |
John Eleuthère du Pont (November 22, 1938 – December 9, 2010) was an American murderer, who in 1996 killed Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Dave Schultz. A philanthropist and heir to the Du Pont family fortune, he had been a published ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist, conchologist, sports enthusiast, and self-styled wrestling coach. In 1972, du Pont founded and directed the Delaware Museum of Natural History and contributed to Villanova University and other institutions.
In the 1980s, he established a wrestling facility at his Foxcatcher Farm after becoming interested in the sport and the pentathlon events. He became a prominent supporter for amateur sports in the United States and a sponsor for USA Wrestling. In the 1990s, friends and acquaintances were concerned about his erratic and paranoid behavior, but his wealth shielded him. On February 25, 1997, he was convicted of murder in the third degree for the January 26, 1996, shooting death of Dave Schultz, an Olympic champion freestyle wrestler living and working on du Pont's estate. He was ruled to have been mentally ill but not insane and was sentenced to prison for 13 to 30 years. He died in prison at age 72 on December 9, 2010. He was the only member of the Forbes 400 richest Americans ever to be convicted of murder.
Du Pont is the subject of the Academy Award nominated film Foxcatcher, in which he is portrayed by Steve Carell who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as du Pont.
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