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The Los Angeles autopsy report for Katherine Short reveals her father Martin Short asked a friend to check on her after not hearing from her for 24 hours.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has released the autopsy report for Katherine Short, the 42-year-old daughter of comedian Martin Short, detailing how her father became concerned when he had not heard from her for more than 24 hours and asked a friend to check on her at her Hollywood Hills home.
Katherine was found on February 23. The friend, upon entering the home, found a note on her locked bedroom door and called 911. Police forced entry and discovered her deceased.
The cause of death was ruled suicide. The medical examiner’s report, summarized in Entertainment Weekly’s detailed coverage of the report’s release, also notes a previous suicide attempt in 2017 involving pills, and a documented history of mental illness and depression.
The Page Six report, drawing on the same medical examiner filings, included Martin Short’s earlier public reflections on his daughter’s mental health, drawn from his recent CBS Sunday Morning interview.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” the family said in a February statement. “The Short family is devastated by this loss, and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
Martin Short, 76, has spoken publicly about Katherine’s struggles. He drew a parallel between her death and the 2010 death of his wife Nancy Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer after 30 years of marriage to the Only Murders in the Building star.
“I don’t see any difference between mental illness as a disease and cancer as a disease,” Short told The New York Times, summarized in AOL’s aggregation of the autopsy details and Short’s public reflections. “In some cases, both are terminal. And in some cases, both are survivable.”
Short recalled his wife’s final words to him as paramedics arrived in 2010: “Martin, let me go.” Sixteen years later, he said, “Katherine was saying: ‘Dad, let me go.'”
Katherine had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, among other conditions. Her family has framed her struggle as a long fight she lost rather than a sudden departure.
Short is also father to two sons, Oliver and Henry. He has continued to speak publicly about Katherine, including in his May CBS Sunday Morning appearance.
The autopsy’s release reopens the public conversation about a death the Short family had handled relatively quietly since February. The report’s specific details have circulated rapidly across entertainment outlets since Tuesday.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988.
