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Sunny von Bülow Dies in Coma at 76

Heiress' husband accused twice of trying to kill her

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 6, 2008 3:17 PM CST

(Newser) – Sunny von Bülow, the heiress whose second husband was twice accused of trying to kill her, died today after lying in a coma for nearly 28 years, the New York Times reports. Von Bülow’s first marriage to an Austrian playboy prince ended in divorce, and she became tabloid fixture in the ‘80s when Claus von Bülow was convicted of attempted murder. He appealed and was acquitted in a second trial.

The high-profile trials, which painted Claus as a greedy, philandering husband, caused a rift among Sunny’s children. They also inspired a book by Alan Dershowitz, which Hollywood turned into the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune, starring Glenn Close. Von Bülow, who wasn’t on life support and whose brain showed no signs of activity, was 76.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (2)]

In this Feb. 9, 1982 file photo Claus von Bulow, is seen in a courtroom while standing trial for allegedly having attempted to twice kill his wife Martha "Sunny" von Bulow with injections of insulin. (AP Photo/pool)

In this Aug. 12, 1981 file photo, Martha "Sunny" von Bulow is seen in Providence, R.I. A family spokeswoman says heiress Martha "Sunny" von Bulow has died after almost three decades in a coma that prosecutors... (AP Photo/Providence Journal)

After surviving 28 years in a persistent vegetative state, Von Bulow died in a New York City nursing home, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008. She was 76. (AP Photo)

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"Reversal of Fortune," starring Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons, is based on the rocky marriage of Claus and Sunny von Bulow. (SMMC4lyfe)

Claus von B?low (Jeremy Irons, in his Oscar winning performance) explains to his attorney Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) how his wife Sunny (Glenn Close) fell into a coma. (martini1123)

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Sunny von Bülow Dies in Coma at 76