Police press conference sheds no new light

Robert Macy

Tuesday, March 23, 1999 | 4:41 a.m.

Police shed no new light Tuesday on the apparent suicide of actor David Strickland, who was found hanged in a motel room near the Las Vegas Strip.

"There was nothing there to indicate any foul play," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lt. Wayne Petersen told a news conference.

Asked why Strickland committed suicide, Petersen said he had no answer.

No note was found at the scene, there was no indication of drugs and Strickland did not place any long-distance calls from his room, Petersen said, releasing few details.

"We respect the family's right to privacy, so we are not going to give you any gory details about how the crime scene was found," Peterson added. "We won't say who we've talked to. We found nothing to indicate anything but a suicide.

Strickland, 29, played the role of Todd, a music critic in NBC's "Suddenly Susan," and was in "Forces of Nature," the No. 1 box office movie the past weekend.

He was found dead Monday morning in a room at the Oasis Motel, located in an area known as the naked city because of crime problems. The motel advertises adult movies and fantasy rooms on its signs.

Warner Bros. and NBC said they were shutting down production of "Suddenly Susan" indefinitely.

"I am devastated by the loss of my best friend whose talent and humor graced all who knew him," series star Brooke Shields said in a statement. She urged the media not to pry into the death, adding "I pray to God David's pure heart is now at peace."

The time of death has not been established, Petersen said.

Clark County Coroner Ron Flud said an autopsy would be conducted but it would be two weeks before toxicology tests could determine if anything was in his system.

Petersen said police have "some ideas" as to when Strickland arrived in the city and his activities before he checked into the motel at 4 a.m. Monday. He refused to elaborate.

Asked if anyone else had been in the room at any point, Petersen said "as far as we know he was there alone."

Authorities and the actor's acquaintances provided no clues on possible motives behind the suicide. His publicist, Marisa McGrath, announced his death in a short statement.

Shortly after checking into the $58-a-night room using his own name, Strickland went to a nearby convenience store and was seen returning to his room unaccompanied, said motel owner Peter Napoli.

When the actor failed to check out by 10:30 a.m., an employee went to the room and discovered Strickland hanging by a bed sheet from a wooden ceiling beam.

Petersen said an empty six-pack of beer was found in the room.

Strickland appeared cheerful and spoke of his future during an interview just a few weeks before his death.

"I'm just trying to do a bunch of different things," he told AP Network News. "I'd love to direct an episode next year of 'Suddenly Susan.' I think that's the best part about the entertainment business. I'd even like to try to get into a garage band."

"I'd like to be 30, 38, 39 and doing something really great and sort of have this look back and say, 'He's worked consistently,"' he said. "There's something nice about that."

NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said: "We are deeply saddened by the news of David Strickland's death and our condolences and support go out to his family and friends." She said it was too early to determine the impact on the show.

Warner Bros. Television, "Suddenly Susan's" production company, issued a similar statement.

The show's co-star, Judd Nelson, said in a statement that Strickland was "truly a gifted comic actor. It's not the show's loss, but everyone's loss."

Strickland also appears in the new DreamWorks film "Forces of Nature," starring Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck. Strickland played the ex-boyfriend of Affleck's fiancee.

Strickland was born in Glen Cove, N.Y., and moved to Pacific Palisades near Los Angeles while he was in high school. After graduation, he pursued an acting career with a theater company.

He worked on a number of student films and guest-starred in episodes of "Roseanne" and "Dave's World." He also had recurring roles on "Sister, Sister" and "Mad About You," playing Paul Reiser's co-worker.

He also had a role in the 1998 independent film "Delivered."