Barbara Ann Thomason Rooney, also known professionally as Carolyn Mitchell, was an actress and the fifth wife of actor Mickey Rooney. On January 30, 1966, she was found dead at the age of 29 in Rooney's Los Angeles home. The tragic incident was a murder-suicide involving her lover, Milos Milosevic, a Serbian actor and bodyguard. Milosevic had shot Thomason under the chin with a .38 caliber revolver belonging to Rooney before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide by shooting himself
in the temple.
The official investigation concluded that Milosevic, who had been having an affair with Thomason while she was estranged from Rooney, was responsible for the murder-suicide. This conclusion was based on the evidence found at the scene, including the positions of the bodies and the gun. Despite the official ruling, there were persistent rumors and speculations that both Thomason and Milosevic might have been murdered in retaliation for their affair. However, these theories were never substantiated, and no further arrests or suspects were identified in connection with the case.
The incident garnered significant media attention, partly due to the high-profile nature of the individuals involved. Mickey Rooney, who was recovering from an infection at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica at the time of the incident, was devastated by the loss. The case remains a notable example of the tragic and often tumultuous lives led by some Hollywood celebrities during that era.
