Why Did Peter Duel Kill Himself? by Sylvia Conrad; Modern Screen, April 1972 When a close friend heard the news that awful, black Friday morning, he said, his voice chocked by sobs, "I was afraid this might happen. Everyone thought Pete had so much to live for ... they saw his youth, his vitality, his career going great ... but he was terribly upset by the things he saw that were wrong. He was too sensitive; he had his own set of values. The things he had — the money, the fame, the adulation — meant little to him. It was the ... Read More

by Paulette Lee; Movie Life, April 1972 It's very difficult to talk about the sadness Hollywood felt over Peter Duel's suicide. Our colunmist, Paulette Lee, is one of the few competent to explore the whys and wherefores of Pete's final action for, over the years, she had interviewed him frequently and had come to be regarded as a friend. The first question that came to mind as Hollywood and his fans reeled from the shock of the death of Peter Duel was Why? Why would any young man of 31, a popular TV actor, engaged to be married and, in every way, ... Read More

by Funky Duke Lewis; Tiger Beat, April 1972 He was a tall, dark and handsome actor on the verge of superstardom, and he had money, security, fame, physical health, professional respect, he loved and was loved by his family and devoted fiance, Dianne Ray, yet he killed himself with his own gun in his own home. Peter Duel had everything, didn't he? — or did he? No, he certainly didn't have emotional balance, peace of mind, and mental health. Pete told a recent interviewer: "I've suffered personal tragedy, unhappiness, depression and frustrations that beat me down into the mud of despair because I ... Read More

by Gary Denton; TV Radio Mirror, April 1972 Why his friends feared murder! The Mystery girl he'd been seeing! His terrified plea for help! His last letter! At approximately 1:25 a.m., December 31, the beginning of the final day of 1971, a bullet ripped through Peter Duel's brain ending the life of one of Hollywood's most popular young actors. "I'll see you later," he told his girlfriend, and reportedly with his own gun — a .38 caliber revolver — in hand walked into the living room. Moments later Dianne Ray, 29, heard a sickening blast. She dashed out of the bedroom to discover a most ... Read More

by Morris Townsend; Silver Screen, April 1972 It was like a bizarre tableau from a horror movie. There was a shot. Dianne Ray sprang out of bed and ran to the living room. Her terror-filled eyes found nothing upright — except the still-standing Christmas tree. Then she saw Pete crumpled at the foot of the tree where only a few days earlier they had shared the pleasant laughter of opening presents and exclaiming over them. Christmas was nice, they had agreed. In fact, that was why the tree was still there on December 31. Throwing the tree out would be like turning ... Read More

"I Was Shocked at What ABC-TV Did After Pete Duel's Death" by Iain Calder; National Enquirer, April 26, 1972 TV star Ben Murphy says he was shocked at how quickly ABC replaced Pete Duel as his co-star on Alias Smith & Jones after Duel's suicide. "Pete's body was hardly cold when they had an identical costume fitted out for Roger Davis," said the 30-year old Murphy. "I don't know how to explain how shocked I was at that kind of action." "I kept asking myself, 'How could they do it?' But they could and they did. It was just standard TV practice and ... Read More

Pete Duel's Family Knows Who Really Killed Him! The "Twin" Son They Fear Will be Next by Al Crowley; Movie Mirror, April 1972 It was a cold Wednesday afternoon, but the Penfield Baptist Church was filled to the brink. The first week of the New Year found hundreds of friends and family in Penfield, a suburb of Rochester, New York, to mourn the death of its hometown boy who made it big in Hollywood — but couldn't live it big, who really couldn't live at all. Pete Duel was his name. A 31-year-old actor who had struggled to break into the Hollywood star ... Read More

by Melissa Mames; TV Star Parade, April 1972 As most of us were preparing to usher in the New Year last December 31st with singing, dancing, and partying, a young man out in Hollywood — a talented, intelligent television star with everything going for him — apparently decided that 1972 wasn't worth living. And so, Peter Duel, the co-star of the popular video series Alias Smith & Jones, allegedly put a gun to his head and fatally shot himself early in the morning of New Year's Eve day. Shot himself just moments after he took a revolver from the bedroom in which ... Read More

by Sue Cameron; TV Radio Mirror, April 1972 Word along the party circuit keeps cropping up about the late Pete Duel, who was a favorite among the Hollywood young set. Although no one will confirm anything, the story going around that won't die is that Pete was living with a well-known actress while her equally well-known husband was working in a movie in Europe. Supposedly, two weeks before Pete shot himself, the husband returned and Pete moved home. When word of Pete's alleged suicide reached the airwaves, there were a few people who thought that the husband might have found out and ... Read More

by Liz Dagucon; Tiger Beat Spectacular, April 1972 Everyone was saddened about the shocking news of Pete Duel's death. Hundreds of letters flooded into the office asking if it was true. How I wish the answer was that Pete is alive, well, and happy! But the truth is — on December 31, 1971, Pete died. Your letters asking why a handsome, talented, and successful young actor should choose death over life can never be completely answered. One fact that is absolutely positive is that Pete's family, friends, and fans will miss him very, very much. I interviewed Pete once. The afternoon of the ... Read More

Rona Barrett's Hollywood, April 1972 It could never have made it as a story on Alias Smith and Jones. The plot was too bizarre and there was nothing funny to soften the grisly horror. Prominent Hollywood actor Pete Duel, only 31-years-old, but apparently despondent over a drinking problem he couldn't solve, watched a segment of his TV series with his girlfriend Dianne Ray the night before New Year's Eve. The program depressed him even more, and the basketball game they watched together later didn't cheer him up. Dianne, who had spent the evening in what she thought was comfortable companionship with Pete, ... Read More