Robin Williams Dies; Suicide Suspected

Comedian and actor Robin Williams, who had fought substance abuse and depression, was found dead in his California home August 11. The Marin County sheriff’s office said the cause of death was suspected to be “suicide due to asphyxia.” Mr. Williams, 63, had been “battling severe depression,” his publicist said in a statement. After starring in the TV show “Mork and Mindy” in the 1970s, Mr. Williams had an honored film career. He created memorable characters in “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Aladdin,” “Dead Poets’ Society” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” among others. He won an Oscar in 1998 for playing a therapist in “Good Will Hunting.”  Mr. Williams struggled at times with addictions to cocaine and alcohol. In 2006, he checked himself into a rehab center to be treated for alcohol addiction. He said at the time that he had fallen off the wagon after 20 years of sobriety.