The case of heiress Martha “Sunny” Von Bulow is a tragedy indeed. On December 22,1980 she was found passed out in her Clarendon court home. She slipped into an insulin coma that lasted for 28 years. Her husband was charged with attempted murder, suspicion fell upon him early on when it was discovered he was having an affair with actress Alexandra Isles.

Claus Von Bulow was accused by prosecutors as well as his step children. It was, as Dominick Dunne put it “the high society trial of the century.” Scandalous innuendo flew even more when it was found that Claus Von Bulow stood to inherit a fortune upon his wife’s death.

The prosecution believed there was plenty of motive, and let’s face it..the sad fact is..for many people money does a lot of talking. Many however,made the claim that Sunny had tried to kill herself with insulin. Clause was at first convicted in 1982.  

Alan Dershowitz, part of Claus’ defense, team re-evaluated the evidence and asked for a new trial.

My favorite journalist Dominick Dunne followed the case from beginning to end. He said on his show “power, privilege, and justice” he found Claus’ behavior “unsettling”. Ultimately however, the outcome of the trial would rest on lab tests on the evidence.

They were at best inconclusive. His conviction was overturned in 1985, I am still torn as to whether or not I believe he’s guilty.Some however will forever staunchly believe he got away with murder. Sunny recently passed away on December 6,2008 at a nursing home. She never regained consciousness and by all accounts died peacefully.