Judith Sheldon, daughter of Oscar-winning director William Wyler, and her husband Wylie Sheldon were found dead Monday in a car parked off Interstate 5 north of Redding.
The California Highway Patrol said an officer found a Jeep Compass at 5:46 p.m. on June 15, still running while stopped on the right shoulder of northbound I-5, north of the Fawndale Road exit. Inside, the officer found the driver, Judith Sheldon, 84, and the passenger, Wylie Sheldon, 86, unresponsive.
A second CHP officer arrived, and the two officers “rendered medical aid to the parties along with medical personnel.”
Judith and Wylie Sheldon died at the scene in what authorities, who were summoned to the area, said appeared to be medically related, according to a CHP statement released on Wednesday.
The CHP said the circumstances and cause of death are still under investigation.
The CHP also said authorities notified the couple’s next of kin.
No other information was released at this time.
Wyler, Judith Sheldon’s father, was a prolific film director who won best directing Oscar awards for his films “Mrs. Miniver,” “The Best Years of Our Lives,” and “Ben Hur,” all of which also won best picture at the Oscars.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Judith Sheldon was a cherished figure in the San Francisco film community who served as the president, and later chair, of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival board.
Judith Sheldon had numerous screen acting credits, including roles in the 1950s TV series “BBC Sunday-Night Theatre,” “The Errol Flynn Theatre” and “The Buccaneers.”
Judith Sheldon’s mother was actress Margaret Tallichet, best known for acting opposite Peter Lorre in the 1940 film “Stranger on the Third Floor.”
Drew Askeland covers Redding and Shasta County government issues, as well as anything else that needs reporting for the Record Searchlight and USA Today Network. Reach him at drew.askeland@redding.com or (530) 225-8247. Please subscribe today to support our newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Daughter of Oscar-winning director found dead in car near Redding
Reporting by Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
