Phil Hartman was shot dead by his wife in 1998; their wills left $1.23 million to two children, and a 1999 suit blamed Zoloft

Brynn Hartman shot her sleeping husband three times at about 2:30 a.m. on 28 May 1998. About four hours later, with police in the house, she killed herself. Their children, Sean, nearly 10, and Birgen, 6, were in the home. Nearly identical 50-page wills, both signed 11 March 1996, were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on 2 June 1998. The estate was put at $1.23 million. The wills named Brynn's sister Katharine Wright and her husband Mike, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as guardians, and paid $50,000 from the estate to the first guardian who agreed to serve. Each child gets one-third at 25 or on earning a bachelor's degree, half the balance at 30 and the rest at 35. In late May 1999 the estate and the children sued Pfizer, maker of Zoloft, claiming the drug caused a rare side effect that led to the violence. The complaint also named psychiatrist Arthur Sorosky, alleging he was not really Brynn's doctor and never evaluated her. His lawyer said a doctor-patient relationship existed. Pfizer said no evidence links Zoloft to violence. One report says the case ended in a $100,000 private settlement^†. Brynn's brother is reported as the plaintiff^†.