Why Did Brynn Omdahl Kill Phil Hartman?

Content material warning: This text mentions home violence.

Homicide-suicides have a approach of capturing media consideration not like another crime. They have a tendency to contain individuals who knew one another and should have been intertwined, in addition to some degree of remorse. However in fact, some of the well-known and tragic examples was when Brynn Omdahl killed her well-known husband, Saturday Night time Reside alum Phil Hartman, a comic and actor whose likability was common.

Within the early hours of Might 28, 1998, Omdahl shot her husband 3 times whereas he was sleeping. After confessing to 2 pals, she took her personal life whereas police have been escorting her youngsters out of her and Hartman’s Encino mansion. However what occurred that fateful evening and why did Omdahl kill Hartman?

Hartman was a beloved public determine, whose time within the highlight cemented his legacy as considered one of his era’s biggest comedic minds. After finding out and performing with The Groundlings, he went on to work on Saturday Night time Reside for over a decade earlier than transferring on to different tasks, resembling The Simpsons, NewsRadio, and numerous movies.

Nevertheless, in line with numerous family and friends, his relationship with Omdahl was usually fraught with battle. They met on a blind date in 1986 and married shortly after in 1987. “They at all times appeared completely happy,” Buca di Beppo bartender Todd Purple advised Folks after the couple celebrated Omdahl’s fortieth birthday there. “They at all times held arms and laughed and appeared like they have been having a superb time.”

However all through the years, whereas some pals have been oblivious to the battle of their relationship, others knew there have been deeper points. “When Phil met Brynn, he could nicely have been at his most susceptible state in years—his second marriage’s ending had shaken him, and his performing profession wasn’t taking off,” writer Mike Thomas stated in his biography, You May Keep in mind Me.

“Omdahl was strikingly lovely, and the affections of a statuesque blonde could have bolstered Hartman’s deflated self-image. However their relationship was bumpy from the get-go.” To know this, one has to know Omdahl and Hartman’s personas. Omdahl was a former mannequin and aspiring actress, who could have thought Hartman may be capable of raise up her profession. She additionally notoriously struggled with cocaine and alcohol habit earlier than assembly him.

Hartman, however, was very closed off when not onstage, a reasonably frequent phenomenon amongst a number of the world’s funniest performers. Steve Small, Hartman’s good friend and divorce lawyer for his earlier two marriages, shared with Folks, “Phil was at all times very open with the general public, however at dwelling he retreated inside.”

This was corroborated by Hartman’s second spouse, whom he remained pals with after their divorce. Lisa Pressure defined, “He would disappear emotionally. Phil’s physique could be there, however he’d be in his personal world. That passivity made you loopy. And after I’d protest, he’d say, ‘You’re getting in the way in which of my profession, and that is who I’m and what it’s going to be like.’”

Whereas his and Pressure’s divorce was amicable, Hartman knew he wished to be with Omdahl perpetually. When his good friend and fellow actor, Cassandra Peterson, didn’t help his marriage to Omdahl, he stopped chatting with Peterson. His profession and busy schedule usually strained his relationship with Omdahl, who suffered from a number of insecurities, in line with her pals. Add a relapse to their relationship issues, and we now have a recipe for catastrophe.

Omdahl’s good friend, songwriter Linda Thompson, advised Folks, “She admitted she’d had a few episodes when she’d fallen off the wagon. I bear in mind her saying she didn’t wish to be an addict.” So Omdahl checked herself into rehab earlier in 1998 however within the days main as much as her deadly determination, she started utilizing cocaine and ingesting extra, blended with a “therapeutic” dose of Zoloft, in line with her post-mortem and numerous sources. The mix may cause violent outbursts.

“Generally she’d name me and he or she’d be actual harm,” Omdahl’s good friend, Jeannie Petersen, added. “He wouldn’t give her a divorce. For 2 years she was making an attempt to get it.” However Small was aware of a sample within the Hartman family. “She needed to get amped as much as get his consideration, and when she received amped up, he would merely fall asleep. He would withdraw. And within the morning he’d get up, and every thing could be high quality.”

However that wasn’t the case on Might 28, 1998. Hartman was sleeping after Omdahl had an evening out with a good friend. She was seemingly in good spirits when out, however no matter disagreement she had with Hartman at dwelling, whether or not about his busy schedule, their youngsters, her profession, or one of many many different strenuous aspects of their relationship, led her to escalate the state of affairs.

Weapons have been saved within the dwelling due to her concern of being alone in a big home so usually with out Hartman. Now, they have been available to a girl amped up on cocaine, alcohol, and Zoloft, whose husband wasn’t giving her the eye she desired. And so, she took his life with three bullets as he slept. Whether or not guilt set in or she panicked due to the police presence, Omdahl then took her personal life within the infamous murder-suicide.