Autopsy reveals AIDS as cause of death for Daveigh Chase, star of The Ring and Lilo & Stitch

Official cause of death

The Los Angeles County coroner's office released the autopsy report on June 29, determining that Daveigh Chase died from complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The report also cited chronic use of multiple substances as a significant contributing factor and classified the death as natural. The finding contradicts initial statements made by her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, and her manager, John Ryan Jr., who had said she died of sepsis following meningitis.

“She died of sepsis in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering from meningitis.”

Her father, John David Schwallier, told the New York Times that she had been homeless and living with her boyfriend in Los Angeles before her death. He also mentioned that she suffered from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection, along with severe malnutrition. Schwallier, who had been estranged from his daughter for over 15 years, managed to reach the hospital shortly before she died.

Career highlights

Born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Chase began acting at age four and landed her first television role at seven on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She gained recognition in 2001 as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko, a role she reprised in 2009's S. Darko. In 2002, at age 11, she played the haunting Samara Morgan in the horror film The Ring, a role that earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003, beating out Mike Myers, Colin Farrell, and Daniel Day-Lewis. That same year, she voiced Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, winning an Annie Award for voice acting. She also provided the English voice of Chihiro in Spirited Away. Chase retired from acting in 2015.

Addiction and homelessness

Her mother, Cathy Chase, told the Daily Mail that her daughter's addiction began after a motorcycle accident in 2016, when doctors prescribed oxycodone and other painkillers. "She was looking for drugs and partying with the wrong people," Cathy Chase said. She last saw her daughter in 2019, when Daveigh was in jail on burglary charges. After her release, Cathy could not find her and spent years searching the streets and online.

“I desperately tried to get help for her, but legally you can't force someone who doesn't want that help.”

Chase had multiple legal issues, including drug possession and reckless driving in a stolen vehicle. In her final months, she was living on Skid Row, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for its high homeless population, and was severely malnourished.

Contradicting initial reports

Shortly after her death on June 16, Roy Hernandez launched a GoFundMe campaign, claiming she died from meningitis and sepsis. Her former manager, John Ryan Jr., warned fans not to donate, stating that Chase had sufficient funds for her funeral and that her family was not involved in the fundraiser. The autopsy findings now confirm that AIDS, not meningitis, was the primary cause.

“She had the means to finance her own funeral and her family was absolutely not involved in Roy Hernandez's initiative.”