I Don't Know Why: Phil Hartman’s Murder

I Don't Know Why: Phil Hartman’s Murder

From Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History by Dark Poutine / Curiouscast

August 3, 2026 · 1h 12m · Episode 430

About this episode

This episode discusses the murder of Phil Hartman by his wife Brynn and the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.

Episode 430: On the morning of May 28, 1998, police were called to a home on Encino Avenue in Encino, California. Inside the master bedroom, they found Phil Hartman — one of the most versatile performers in the history of North American television — shot three times at close range while he slept. His wife, Brynn, had pulled the trigger sometime around 2:30 in the morning, then driven to a friend's house and confessed. By the time police arrived, she was back in the bedroom. She never came out. Phil Hartman was 49 years old and born in Brantford, Ontario. He had just wrapped his fourth season of NewsRadio. He had a film opening in July. Behind the public face of a thriving career was a marriage under years of sustained pressure — addiction, relapse, escalating volatility, and a final argument that ended in the worst possible way. The motive was listed as unknown. It remains unknown. Sources: Los Angeles County Coroner Case Report, Investigator's Report, Autopsy Report & Toxicology — Case No. 98-03785 Hartman's Death: The Police Version — Time, June 3, 1998 Reaction & Sanctions — NPR, May 28, 1998 Disturbing Details Found In Phil Hartman's Autopsy…

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Host: Dark Poutine

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Los Angeles County Coroner, NPR, ABC News, People Magazine, CBS News, Salon, The Hollywood Reporter

Places: Encino, California

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