Who Killed Superman?

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman!

George Reeves was the first actor to bring DC Comics character Superman to life on TV. Yet, Reeves felt uneasy accepting the job, thinking that motion pictures were more prestigious than TV. The actor would hold those feelings of failure and doubt about his career until he died.

Despite his popularity as a moral hero, Reeves’ private life differed from the man he portrayed on screen. Friends would say that Reeves drank, smoked, and enjoyed parties. After his divorce from his first wife, Reeves started a relationship with Toni Mannix, a rich and generous woman who gifted him with a home, a car, and clothes. However, Toni was married to MGM Vice President Eddie Mannix, who had known ties to the mafia. Eddie and Toni lived a wild lifestyle and enjoyed an “open” marriage.

Toni fell for Reeves, and they dated for several years. However, in 1958, they had a falling out, and Reeves left Toni. Within months, Reeves took up with the uninhabited society girl, Lenor Lemmon, known for fighting in nightclubs. The news left a foul taste in Eddie Mannix’s mouth, who didn’t like to see Toni hurt.

Lemmons and Reeves were in a relationship for one year when rumors circulated they were engaged. But Reeves had doubts about the relationship. Lemmons desired to live the good life and wanted things that Reeves could not afford. To make matters worse, Reeves received news that the studio executives canceled Superman. Now, his bills were accumulating, and without the financial help of Toni, he became depressed. 

On the night of June 16, 1959, Reeves and Lemmon had a party at his home. Around midnight, the guest left, leaving Lemmon and a writer, Robert Cohen, to finish the last bottles of alcohol. A knock came to the door, and Lemmons’ friends arrived to revive the party once again. Reeves rejected the women and slammed the door behind them. Insulted, Lemmons and Reeves argued, and she learned Reeves had no intention on marrying her.

Some reports say that Lemmons returned to the party and told Cohen not to tell anyone that she was upstairs with Reeves arguing. It was also at that point that Lemmons predicted Reeves would commit suicide. “He’s going to shoot himself. He’s opening the drawer now and pulling out the pistol.” When they heard the gunshot, she said, “See, I told you!”

It would be 45 minutes before Lemmon and her friend would call the police to report the death. The police called it a suicide and did not pursue a lengthy investigation.

But they should have. When the police arrived, they found Reeves naked and lying on his back on the bed. His bedroom, with no windows, had three gunshot holes, one in the ceiling and two on the carpet. Between his feet lay the gun, and they found a bullet casing underneath Reeves’ body.

The police would find three bullet holes in the bedroom. One in the ceiling thought to be from the bullet that claimed Reeve’s life, and two others on the carpet near his feet. All three shots came from Reeves’ gun.

Lemmons and Cohen would tell the officers that they heard only one gunshot. When asked about the other two holes in the carpet, Lemmon said that she and Reeves argued, and she shot a bullet in the carpet. What was her excuse for the third bullet hole? Records also show that Reeves left everything in his will to Toni, not Lemmons. Soon after, Lemmons moved out of California and never returned.

But things get weirder. An autopsy revealed that Reeves had extensive bruising on his body. Reeves’ trainer stated he detected no evidence of bruising on his body earlier that day. Also, the coroner noted that someone washed the body and removed all gun residue from his hands and head.

Forensics also questioned the gun’s location after the shooting. Based on their investigation, Reeves tilted his head to the right and shot into his right temple. The trajectory of the bullet exited one inch above his left ear and lodged in the ceiling. This position would have left his body hunched forward on the floor, not lying back on his bed. Also, the gun would have remained in his hands or on the bed next to him and not on the floor between his feet. The gun casing would have been on the floor as well, not underneath Reeves’ body.

Reeves’ mother refused to believe her son committed suicide. She hired a lawyer to investigate the case. However, six months later, the lawyer dropped the case for unknown reasons. The Los Angeles Police Department closed the case and never investigated the bizarre findings.

Three theories are floating on the web: 1. Reeves committed suicide based on his feelings of failure and his mounting debt. 2. Eddie Mannix had Reeves killed because he hated the pain his wife underwent after the breakup. The theory suggests that Eddie hired someone to enter the home during the party and hid until Reeves went to bed. 3. Lemmon and her friends killed Reeves because he did not want to marry her.

So, did Reeves commit suicide? Or did he meet his fate based on a lousy relationship gone awry?

What are your thoughts?

Harper