Police suspect that the parents of Alicia Witt, a Dune actress and The Walking Dead actor, may have died from hypothermia. Their bodies – one covered in a coat – were found at their Massachusetts home on Wednesday.
Robert Witt (87) and Diane Witt (75) were found unresponsive Monday after their daughter, 46, asked for a relative who would perform a welfare check. She was unable reach them.
According to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, police said that they received information from Witt’s parents about ‘furnace issues’ and had used a space heater in their home to heat it.
Boston 25 was informed by investigators that they believe the deaths could have been caused by hypothermia, a serious drop in body temperature due to prolonged cold exposure.
According to one of the parents, one was found wearing an indoor coat. The bodies showed no obvious trauma signs and there were no trace of carbon monoxide or poisonous gases during the subsequent inspection.
There were no indications of foul play. After the bodies were discovered in the Sussex Lane house on Monday, police stated that they are investigating the matter.
Parents of actress Alicia Witt were discovered dead at their Massachusetts home on Monday. Authorities believe Robert Witt, 87 and Diane Witt 75 may have died from hypothermia.
The bodies were discovered by a relative in Worcester. According to one of the relatives, one of the parents had been wearing a jacket indoors.
Boston 25 received a report from a neighbor that Robert Witt was suffering from cancer. Diane Witt, her wife, has recently been diagnosed and treated for Parkinson’s.
According to a neighbor, “She was fragile little thing. A good wind would blow away.”
The neighbor also said that Alicia had been involved in her parents lives and would drive a car to collect them whenever she was in the vicinity. Robert and Diane used to visit the house of a neighbor to see the film, as they didn’t own a colour TV.
Tuesday was a difficult day for the actress in mourning.
“I called my cousin, who lived near me to see if they were okay,” Witt said. Witt explained that it was impossible to imagine the end result.
“I request privacy during this difficult time of grief and for me to process this surreal loss and the events that have occurred.”
A neighbor described the couple as being ill and had used a space heater for heat after having ‘furnace issues’.
Witt is seen in Dune 1984 by David Lynch, having been discovered at eighteen years of age by the director.
Responding firefighters checked the home’s air quality, and they found no toxic gases.
‘There were no signs of carbon monoxide,’ Worcester Fire Chief Deputy Adam Roche said.
The exact cause of death has not been confirmed by authorities.
A autopsy will take place.
‘I can confirm that police were dispatched to the residence and discovered a male and a female deceased,’ Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha said.
Witt with her father, Robert Witt, 87, pictured left, and mother, Diane Witt, 75, pictured right
Pictured is Witt from horror series The Walking Dead
Reports indicate that the couple was living in Worcester for many decades.
After being found by David Lynch at eight, their daughter started her career. He cast her as Dune in 1984.
Witt appeared in a host of successful television series including the Sopranos and Two and a Half Men and The Walking Dead.
Witt is also an accomplished pianist. She made her Los Angeles debut on the stage in 2001.