The death of child actress Judith Barsi has become one of the most infamous pop culture tragedies over the last three decades, and it’s not hard to see why. The Land Before Time star died in 1988 in a murder-suicide by her father, József Barsi. Here’s what we know about this heartbreaking true story.
Judith was born on June 6, 1978 to József and Maria Barsi, both immigrants from Hungary. They left the country separately and met in California where Maria worked as a waitress. They had Judith in Los Angeles County, and they hoped to make her an actress from a young age, according to a report by The Los Angeles Times. She made her screen debut in the 1984 TV miniseries Fatal Vision, and went on to appear in other TV shows and commercials.
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Judith is best known for her movie roles, starting with Jaws: The Revenge where she played Thea Brody in 1987. In 1988, she provided the voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time, and her last role was in All Dogs Go to Heaven where she played Anne-Marie. That movie was released after her passing.
Judith’s work became lucrative quickly – she was earning an estimated $100,000 per year, which would equate to $258,000 per year in 2023 if adjusted for inflation. The Barsi family was able to buy a home in Los Angeles thanks to her work, and her small stature allowed her to continue playing the same children’s roles as she grew. However, her father reportedly perceived her success as a threat and an insult to his own work. There were several documented instances when József went into drunken furies and threatened his daughter, his wife and threatened to take his own life as well. Maria reported that he was physically abusive, but police said they could find no signs of injury on her or her daughter.
After that, József stopped drinking according to some sources, but that didn’t slow his threats against his family. Judith even told a friend about the abuse on the set of Growing Pains, according to a report by The National Enquirer. She began to show signs of the stress including compulsive behaviors, hair loss and weight gain. Finally, in May of 1988 Maria took Judith to a child psychologist, who reported the situation to Child Protective Services.
Maria assured CPS that she was in the process of divorcing József, and even showed that she had rented an apartment that she and Judith could move into. With that in mind, CPS closed the case, but Maria’s friends told The L.A. Times that she hesitated to make the move or to file divorce paperwork. She was concerned about losing the family home, and all the belongings there. In the end, Maria and Judith were killed before they could follow through with the move.
On July 27, 1988, a neighbor called the police saying they had heard a gunshot at the Barsi home at around 8:30 a.m. Police discovered Maria and Judith dead in the house and covered in a flammable liquid – possibly gasoline. They found József in the garage, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It’s unclear when exactly Maria and Judith were killed, which is why their time of death is often reported as July 25. They were buried side by side in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Judith’s death was a shock to her colleagues in Hollywood, even after such a short time in the business. The directors of both The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven gave interviews saying that they were looking forward to working with Judith more in the future. The incident also prompted more discussion about child actors in general, with pundits calling for stronger protections for young workers in Hollywood, and more robust channels where they could report abuse.
Barsi remains an icon for the work she did accomplish and the potential she left unfulfilled. Her story has been discussed in some crime podcasts, but has never gotten a thorough on-screen documentary. However, fans still revisit her iconic movies to this day.
