Bizarre Celebrity Deaths You've Probably Never Heard Of

Sonny Bono was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. On January 5, 1998, Bono was killed in a skiing accident at Heavenly Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe, California. He was 62 years old. Bono was skiing on a beginner slope when he struck a tree and died instantly. The accident was ruled an accident.

Linda Darnell was an American actress and model. Darnell died on April 10, 1965, in a fire at her apartment in Glenview, Illinois. She was 41 years old. The fire started in the early morning hours, and Darnell was found dead in her bed. The cause of the fire was never determined, but it is believed to have been accidental.

Sam Cooke, a popular American soul singer and songwriter, was shot and killed on December 11, 1964, at the age of 33, at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. The official police report found that Cooke's death was justifiable homicide, as he had allegedly assaulted the motel manager, Bertha Franklin, with a bottle. There have been many conspiracy theories surrounding Cooke's death, with some people believing that he was murdered by the CIA or the FBI. This is due in part to Cooke's activism in the civil rights movement. 

William Holden is remembered as one of the most talented and charismatic actors of his generation. He died on November 20, 1981, at the age of 63, from accidental alcohol poisoning. He slipped with a rug and hit his head with his night stand. He bled to death due to the fall. According to the autopsy he was alive for at least half an hour after the fall; his body was discovered four days after his passing. 

Tennessee Williams, an American playwright, died on February 24, 1983, at the age of 71, in his suite at the Hotel Elysée in New York City. The official cause of death was asphyxiation due to choking on a bottle cap. Williams had been struggling with alcoholism and drug abuse for many years, mainly sedative meds. It's believed he accidentally swallowed the bottle cap while trying to take some pills.

Natalie Wood, an American actress, died on November 29, 1981, at the age of 43, by drowning. Her body was found off the coast of Catalina Island, California, the morning after she had been on a yacht with her husband, Robert Wagner, and their friend, Christopher Walken. The official cause of death was accidental drowning, but there have been many conspiracy theories surrounding Wood's death, with some people believing that she was murdered. Natalie was afraid of water and many think it's unlikely she would've gotten close to the edge of the boat by her own.

Carl Switzer, who is best known for his role as Alfalfa in the 'Little Rascals' short films, was shot and killed on January 21, 1959, at the age of 21. He was killed during a fight over a $50 debt owed to him by Moses Samuel Stiltz, who was suspected of being a pimp. Stiltz was acquitted of murder, but was later convicted of manslaughter. Switzer's death was a tragic end to a short and turbulent life.

John-Erik Hexum, an American actor, died on October 18, 1984, at the age of 26, from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was on the set of the CBS television series 'Cover Up,' filming a scene in which he was supposed to play Russian roulette with a revolver. Hexum loaded the revolver with a single blank cartridge and placed it to his head. He then pulled the trigger, but the blank cartridge produced enough force to propel the wadding from the cartridge into his brain, killing him instantly.

Isadora Duncan, an American dancer and choreographer, died on September 14, 1927, at the age of 49, in Nice, France, after her scarf became entangled in the rear axle of the car she was riding in and strangled her.

David Carradine, an American actor, was found dead on June 4, 2009, at the age of 72, in his hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand. He was found hanging naked in a closet, with a rope around his neck and his wrists tied behind his back. The official cause of death was ruled to be asphyxiation due to autoerotic asphyxiation.