Death of Starr Faithfull

Starr Faithfull
Born
Marian Starr Wyman

January 27, 1906
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Diedc. June 6, 1931 (age 25)
Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathDrowning; undetermined whether homicide, suicide or accident
Parent(s)Frank Wyman (father)
Helen Pierce MacGregor Wyman Faithfull (mother)
Stanley E. Faithfull (stepfather)

Starr Faithfull (born Marian Starr Wyman, January 27, 1906 – c. June 6, 1931) was an American socialite and a model for the Walter Thornton Modeling Agency[1] whose mysterious drowning death in 1931 became a much-covered tabloid story. Newspapers published allegations that she had been sexually abused as a child by Andrew James Peters, a wealthy, prominent politician and former mayor of Boston (1918–1922). Peters was reportedly suspected of murdering her. Investigators were unable to determine whether her death was a homicide or a suicide, and her death remains unsolved.[2]

Faithfull was found dead on the beach at Long Beach, New York, on the south shore of Long Island, on the morning of June 8, 1931.[3] An autopsy found that she had died by drowning, but also bore many bruises, apparently caused by beating or rough handling, and a large dose of a sedative in her system. Investigators initially thought Faithfull's death was a homicide and that she had either been pushed into deep water or forcibly held under shallow water.[2] Her stepfather accused Peters of having her killed to prevent her from revealing the sexual abuse.[2] However, the homicide theory was called into question by letters that Faithfull had written shortly before her death which suggested she planned to take her own life.[2] A grand jury convened to hear evidence returned an open verdict, and the case was closed with no definitive conclusion as to whether Faithfull's death was a homicide, suicide, or an accident.[3][4]

Faithfull's death made national and international news due to its many sensational aspects, including her youth, beauty, promiscuity, and flapper lifestyle, as well as the allegations about Peters. The evidence included Faithfull's diary, which contained explicit descriptions of her sexual liaisons with nineteen different men, including one she called "AJP," who was thought to be Peters.[2] Time magazine called the story a "sexy death mystery" with a "perfect front-page name."[5]

Faithfull's story has inspired several fictional works, the best known of which is John O'Hara's 1935 novel BUtterfield 8.[2][4][6] The case has been explored in numerous non-fiction books, including British crime historian Jonathan Goodman's 1990 true crime book The Passing of Starr Faithfull,[7] which won a Gold Dagger award.

  1. ^ "Why Our Most Glamorous Models Fade Out After 2 Years". Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota). May 19, 1935. p. 65.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The Mysterious Death of Starr Faithfull Reveals a Boston Mayor's Sordid Secret". newenglandhistoricalsociety.com. New England Historical Society. 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Murder Mystery Investigator Dies". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. July 16, 1946. p. 13. Retrieved February 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Wilner, Paul (October 2, 1977). "Sandra Scoppettone Relates How She Came to Write Her Book About the Rise and Tragic Fall of a Flapper". The New York Times. p. BK75 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ "The Press: Five Starr Faithfull". Time. June 29, 1931. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  6. ^ O'Hara, John (1935). BUtterfield 8. New York City: Harcourt, Brace & Co. ISBN 978-0-09-165170-1.
  7. ^ Goodman, Jonathan (1990). The Passing of Starr Faithfull (1996 reprint ed.). London/ Kent, Ohio: Judy Piatkus Publishers/ Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87338-541-1.