Actors Whose Parents Were Murdered

Losing a parent to violence leaves a mark that never really fades, and a handful of well-known actors have lived with that reality since childhood or early adulthood. Their cases span decades and circumstances—from domestic homicide to armed robbery and racially charged attacks—and many have spoken publicly about the legal outcomes and aftermath. Below are notable examples, with essential details about each case and its resolution. This list focuses on verifiable facts about what happened and when.

Dylan McDermott

In 1967, when Dylan McDermott was five, his mother, Diane McDermott, was shot and killed in Waterbury, Connecticut. The death was initially ruled an accident, but a reopened investigation in 2012 concluded she was murdered by her then-boyfriend, John Sponza, a known gangster who himself died in 1972. McDermott had contacted authorities years earlier with questions that helped prompt the review; police cited witness statements and ballistics in changing the ruling. No charges could be filed posthumously against Sponza.

Patrick Duffy

On November 18, 1986, Patrick Duffy’s parents, Terence and Marie Duffy, were shot and killed during a robbery at the tavern they owned in Boulder, Montana. Two teenagers, Sean A. Wentz and Kenneth A. Miller, were arrested, convicted of the murders, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Miller was later paroled in 2007, while Wentz at one point recanted earlier statements about who fired the shots. Contemporary and later reports consistently document the incident and its legal outcomes.

Kelsey Grammer

Kelsey Grammer’s father, Frank Allen Grammer Jr., was murdered in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in April 1968. Reports describe an assailant, Arthur Bevan Niles, setting fire to Grammer’s car to lure him outside before shooting him; the killing occurred amid a period of racial tension on the islands. Accounts from archives and later summaries note related arson charges and witness testimony from Grammer’s stepmother about the events. Grammer was 13 at the time and has discussed the wider pattern of family tragedies in interviews and his memoir.

Jennifer Hudson

In October 2008, Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in Chicago; her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was later discovered shot in an SUV. In 2012, a Cook County jury found William Balfour—Hudson’s former brother-in-law—guilty on three counts of first-degree murder and additional charges. Prosecutors said the killings stemmed from domestic-violence motives linked to a relationship dispute. The conviction followed weeks of testimony and was covered extensively by national outlets.

Marty York

On October 12, 2023, Deanna Esmaeel—the mother of actor Marty York from ‘The Sandlot’—was found dead in her Crescent City, California home. Authorities swiftly identified her boyfriend (also known as Edward Patrick Davies / Daniel James Walter) as a suspect; he was arrested the next day across the state line in Oregon. Esmaeel served as a Del Norte County Sheriff’s deputy; officials publicly confirmed the homicide and the arrest soon after. York later spoke about the case’s aftermath as proceedings moved forward.

If you know other cases that belong here, share the names and details in the comments so we can keep the list accurate and complete.