Claus von Bülow, the British socialite whose sensational trials for the attempted murder of his wife captivated the US in the 1980s, has died at the age of 92. His son-in-law, Riccardo Pavoncelli, confirmed to the New York Times that he passed away at his home in London on Saturday.
Von Bülow was convicted in 1982 of trying to kill his American wife, Martha 'Sunny' von Bülow, by injecting her with insulin to induce a coma and inherit her fortune. The conviction was overturned on appeal, and he was acquitted at a second trial in 1985. The case inspired the film Reversal of Fortune, starring Jeremy Irons as von Bülow and Glenn Close as Sunny.
Prosecutors alleged von Bülow made two attempts on his wife's life, motivated by a desire to access her wealth and marry his mistress. The defence argued that Sunny, who suffered from low blood sugar, was an alcoholic and drug abuser who caused her own coma. She remained in a vegetative state for 28 years until her death in 2008.
The case divided the family: Sunny's children from her first marriage accused their stepfather, while the couple's daughter maintained his innocence. Von Bülow never testified at his criminal trials but denied wrongdoing in a civil case. A 1987 settlement required him to relinquish all claims to his wife's fortune, divorce her, and refrain from discussing the case.
After his acquittal, von Bülow moved to London and lived a private life. His lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, said he 'lived a good happy life' out of the spotlight, enjoying time with his daughter and grandchildren, and attending the opera and theatre. Von Bülow once said, 'I want to be forgotten and live peacefully.'
