Doris Duke and the Murder of Eddie Tirella | Morbid

On a cold October afternoon in 1966, billionaire heiress Doris Duke returned to her palatial Newport estate in the company of friend and interior decorator Eduardo Tirella, stopping her car just outside the large iron gate that barred entrance to the driveway. Having offered to open the gate, he stepped out of the car and walked toward the gate, when the car began rolling forward, knocking Eduardo to the ground and crushing him under the two-ton weight of Duke’s station wagon. Within four days of Tirella’s death, the Newport Police had closed the case, calling it an “unfortunate accident,” but the residents of Newport, Rhode Island weren’t as convinced.
Thank you so much to the remarkable David White for research assistance!
References
Duca, Rob. 2021. "Newport police closed Doris Duke case, again." Newport This Week, November 24.
Duke, Pony, and Jason Thomas. 1996. Too Rich: The Family Secrets of Doris Duke. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Lance, Peter. 2021. Homicide at Rough Point: The Untold Story of How Doris Duke, the Richest Woman In America, Got Away with Murder. Auburn, NH: Tenacity Media.-. 2021.
The triple 'murder' of Eduardo Tirella, gay confidant of Doris Duke. November 29. www.advocate.c.... 2021.
"The Doris Duke Cold Case Reopens: The Only Known Eyewitness Speaks for the First Time." Vanity Fair, August 5.
Mansfield, Stephanie. 1992. The Richest Girl in the World: The Extravagant Life and Fast Times of Doris Duke. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam Sons.New York Times. 1964.
"Divorce suit filed against Doris Duke."" New York Times, January 11: 14.-. 1935.
"Doris Duke is wed to J.H.R. Cromwell."" New York Times, February 14: 23.-. 1966. "Duke estate death ruled an accident."" New York Times, October 12: 25.
Newport Daily News. 1967. ""Crash victim's kin asks $2.5 million of Doris Duke."" Newport Daily News, December 8: 1.-. 1966.
"Death of Miss Duke's friend ruled 'unfortunate accident'." Newport Daily News, October 10: 1.-. 1966.
"Doris Duke kills friend in crash." Newport Daily News, October 8: 1.-. 1966.
"Press blasts police chief Radice on handling public information." Newport Daily News, November 3: 1.
Schwarz, Ted, and Tom Rybak. 1997. Trust No One: The Glamorous Life and Bizarre Death of Doris Duke. New York, NY: St. Martin's
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[@crystalnelson7761]

FYI a Pullman Car is a railroad car. It’s not a street car. So makes more sense about having a chef.

[@positivechic1463]

Thanks for clarifying I don’t think too many people were aware of this

[@JoobieLoobieSoobie]

😂 I stopped by just to say this!

[@melissaking6019]

Doris Duke was a very troubled woman. Her beloved father told her when she was a child that nobody would ever love her for herself, only for her wealth. If screwed up her approach to relationships. Her marriages were very unhappy, her only child, Arden, died shortly after her birth. Doris was a savvy business woman and greatly expanded her huge financial holdings. But she had fears of abandonment all her life. When her interior designer friend Eduardo Tirella told her he was moving on with his career and leave her, Doris lost it and killed him with her car at her Newport estate, Rough Point. Newport had for centuries been a town of very rich people and the police department never intended to prosecute Duke for Tirella's death. She got away with murder by founding the Newport Restoration Foundation and fixing up dozens of 18th century houses in downtown Newport. My godparents lived in one of these homes. I visited them once and the house was beautifully restored. But there was blood money behind it.

[@evakenworthy7308]

I loved this episode! This woman's life and crimes sounded like if the movies Sunset Boulevard and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? had a baby!

[@andipandy6183]

Love your videos

[@thatmombielife]

Pretty sure everyone hates Monopoly 😂

[@rogersmith3295]

Whole Lotta money is bia not cardi lol

[@TheOldandslow]

Yay! New episode!

[@moonlight..]

it's soooo annoying having to skip and skip until the podcast actually starts, they talk SO much about nonsenses

[@TheOldandslow]

And some of us like the banter, so...? Just skip ahead?

[@moonlight..]

@@TheOldandslow the talking is so fucking long that i don’t even know the minute to skip to. It’s just no the most professional thing to do, it’s ok to make and introduction but this is a whole off topic LONG conversation

[@ashleystrang8563]

Well, their shenanigans literally are why I love them so much. I have been laughing out loud by myself and in front of everyone at work because of them. Their my shit

[@moonlight..]

@@ashleystrang8563 nice for you.

[@AubreyWasHerName]

I’m here for the banter and the chat. It’s a PERFECT mix of silly goofy and spooky ooky. Ladies, NEVER CHANGE 🖤💀🤘✨

[@denniscraig465]

These two fools were mad the mother didn't want Doris to marry a gay man? WTF?