Wendy Orlean Williams, a 48-year-old White female, died on April 6, 1998, near her home in Storrs, Connecticut. Her death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. For many years, she had battled with deep depression and had made previous attempts to take her own life.
In the years leading up to her death, Williams had retired from the music industry where she was famously the lead singer of the punk rock band Plasmatics.
She and her long-time partner, Rod Swenson, had moved to a quiet life in Storrs. There, she embraced a different pace of life, working at a food co-op and dedicating her time to wildlife rehabilitation, a passion that stemmed from her childhood.
On the day of her death, Swenson discovered a package left for him by Williams. Inside were personal items and sealed letters, which prompted him to search for her in the woods surrounding their home. As evening approached, he found her body. Evidence at the scene suggested she had been feeding squirrels shortly before she died. The letters she left behind for Swenson included a love letter and a "living will." Her death was not treated as a homicide, and therefore, there were no arrests or suspects in the case.
