The tragic death of former child star Daveigh Chase shocked fans who grew up watching her on the big screen.
Newly obtained medical examiner records reveal shocking and disturbing details about the actress’s final days, including the gritty circumstances in which she was found. Just 12 days before her death, Chase, 35, was discovered in the back seat of a car with a meth pipe nearby, per an autopsy report obtained by Los Angeles.
The former “Lilo & Stitch” and “The Ring” star was suffering from confusion, weakness, a headache and pain in her right thumb when someone (unnamed) called 911. Paramedics rushed her to a Los Angeles hospital, where doctors then discovered several serious infections and advanced HIV/AIDS.
Chase, 35, who famously voiced Lilo in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and played the terrifying Samara Morgan in “The Ring,” was discovered in the vehicle June 4, 2026, according to the report from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Doctors also found that she was suffering from a cryptococcal infection and MRSA as well, while toxicology screenings were also positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Chase’s condition continued to deteriorate, and she died June 16. The medical examiner determined that AIDS was the cause of death, with chronic polysubstance abuse listed as another significant condition. Her death was ruled natural, not an overdose.
Her father, John David Schwallier, initially told reporters that his daughter died from complications involving bacterial meningitis and a bloodstream infection. However, the medical examiner’s findings identified AIDS as the cause of death.
Credit: Los Angeles Medical ExaminerThe report listed that Chase’s body was identified by her mother.
As Los Angeles previously reported, Schwallier said he was not surprised by the AIDS diagnosis, citing his daughter’s years of addiction and homelessness. He also revealed that he had not seen her in person since she was approximately six years old, although they had stayed in contact by phone. Chase’s mother, Cathy Chase, has said her daughter’s struggles with substance abuse worsened after a motorcycle accident and back injury. She maintained that she repeatedly tried to help her daughter.
Chase rose to fame in the early 2000s, voicing Lilo in Disney’s animated hit “Lilo & Stitch” and winning an MTV Movie Award for her chilling performance as Samara in “The Ring.” She also voiced Chihiro in the English-language version of “Spirited Away” and appeared in “Donnie Darko” and HBO’s “Big Love.”
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