At 1:59 a.m. on June 16, 1959, a gunshot rang out from the upstairs bedroom of George Reeves’s Benedict Canyon home. Guests at a small party downstairs — including Reeves’s fiancée, Leonore Lemmon — later told police they heard the shot and rushed upstairs to find the 45-year-old actor dead on his bed, a .30 caliber Luger in his hand. A single bullet had entered beneath his right temple.

George Reeves was Superman. And somebody had killed him — or he had killed himself. The Los Angeles Coroner ruled it suicide. Not everyone agreed.

The Coroner’s Ruling

The autopsy confirmed a single contact gunshot wound to the right temple, consistent with a self-inflicted wound. Powder burns on the skin supported the finding that the gun had been pressed against his head. The coroner recorded the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head and the manner as suicide.

But the physical evidence raised questions from the start:

  • No fingerprints were found on the gun
  • The shell casing was found beneath Reeves’s body, not beside it — an unusual position for a suicide
  • There were fresh bruises on Reeves’s head and body
  • Two additional bullet holes were found in the bedroom floor, never satisfactorily explained
  • Reeves’s hands were never tested for gunpowder residue

The Suspects

Toni Mannix — The wife of MGM executive Eddie Mannix had been Reeves’s longtime mistress. When Reeves ended the relationship to pursue Leonore Lemmon, Toni Mannix was reportedly devastated. Her husband Eddie Mannix had deep connections to organized crime and a reputation for making problems disappear.

Leonore Lemmon — Reeves’s fiancée was in the house when the shot was fired. Witnesses reported that she and Reeves had been arguing that evening. Most troublingly, one guest recalled Lemmon saying “He’s going to shoot himself” before the gunshot — a detail she later denied.

Eddie Mannix — The MGM fixer had the motive (jealousy over his wife’s affair), the means (mob connections), and the temperament. He was never formally investigated.

The Superman Curse

Reeves had grown increasingly frustrated with his career. Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in America as the star of Adventures of Superman, he was typecast and unable to land serious roles. The show had been cancelled, and his film prospects were dim.

Supporters of the suicide theory point to his professional despair and heavy drinking. But friends insisted Reeves was in good spirits — he had signed a contract to direct a film and was planning his wedding.

A Case Reopened and Closed

The LAPD briefly reopened the investigation in 1999 after renewed public interest, but no new conclusions were reached. The case remains officially closed as a suicide, though the coroner’s original ruling has never fully silenced the doubters.

George Reeves lies in the Pasadena Mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery. His death remains one of Hollywood’s most debated — a case where the coroner’s verdict and the court of public opinion have never agreed.