#1 Michelle Thomas
Starring in popular sitcoms The Cosby Show and Family Matters Thomas' early unfortunate death occurred in 1998 a year after she was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer. Thomas was only 30 years old.
#2 River Phoenix
Best remembered as a child star in Stand by Me, Phoenix died of an overdose in 1993. While preparing to perform at the Viper Room in Hollywood with his good friend Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers Phoenix accidentally took a lethal dose of a mix of morphine and cocaine (street name speedball).
#3 Sammi Kane Craft
This child star, best known for her tomboy role in the remake of Bad News Bears, Craft's unfortunate death occurred in October of 2012 from injuries sustained in a car crash. Craft was a passenger when the car she was riding in was rear ended by a semi.
#4 Heather O’Rourke
Best known for her role in Steven Spielberg's 1982 chilling movie trilogy Poltergeist, O'Rourke passed away after becoming seriously ill in 1988. At just 12 years old she died of cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by a misdiagnosis, doctors did not treat her intestinal stenosis.
#5 Sawyer Sweeten
Or Geoffrey Barone from the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Sweeten passed in April of 2015 from a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
#6 Brittany Murphy
Making her debut as a teenager in Blossom and Drexel's Class. She was best known for later roles in 8 Mile, Clueless, and Just Married. Unfortunately Murphy died at only 32 from cardiac arrest. Suspiciously her husband died only 5 months later of cardiac arrest as well. The family is investigating potential foul play.
#7 Matthew Garber
Starring in the original Mary Poppins at only eight years old, Garber's unfortunate death occurred in 1976. Unknowingly Garber contracted hepatitis while traveling in India. Likely contracting it from the drinking water, the disease had spread rapidly before he returned to England and started to notice the symptoms. By the time he received treatment it was too late.
#8 Judith Barsi
The voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time as well as the young daughter in Jaws, Barsi's premature death was truly a tragedy. In 1988, at only 10 years old Barsi was the victim of a murder suicide. Her father killed her and her mother before killing himself.
#9 Gary Coleman
Best known for his role as Arnold Jackson on the popular 70's sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and his famous line, "Whatchu talking 'bout Willis?" Coleman died in 2010 at age 42. After suffering a seizure Coleman fell down a flight of stairs, he died shortly after he made it to the hospital.
#10 Dana Hill
Most notably staring in National Lampoon's European Vacation, Fallen Angel, and Shoot the Moon; Hill passed away in 1996 at only 32. Struggling with type-one diabetes since she was 10 Hill eventually slipped into a Diabetic coma and passed a couple months later.
#11 J. Madison Wright Morris
This child star was made famous by her roles in popular 90's movies Shiloh and Grace Under Fire. Tragically Morris died in 2006 at age 21 from a fatal heart attack. Because of medical complications Morris had received a heart transplant at age 15, she lived her life normally until 6 years later when the unexpected heart attack took her life. Unfortunately the heart attack occurred one day after she returned from her Hawaii honeymoon.
#12 Lee Thomas Young
A Disney star, Young starred in the popular movie The Famous Jett Jackson, also known for his role in Friday Night Lights. In 2013 Young died from self-inflicted gun shot wounds. It was later reported that Young suffered from several mental illnesses.
#13 Skye McCole Bartusiak
Best known for her role as Mel Gibson's youngest daughter in The Patriot. Bartusiak died in 2014 at 21 from what was originally believed to be an epileptic seizure but was later ruled an accidental overdose from a combination of pain pills.
#14 Carl Switzer
The original Alfalfa, Switzer died in 1959 from a gunshot wound. He was shot in the groin after a money related altercation with a friend. Switzer was only 31 at the time.
