‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Dune’ Actress Alicia Witt’s Parents Found Dead

Dune and The Walking Dead actress Alicia Witt is mourning the loss of her parents. On Monday, the actress shared that her parents, Robert Witt, 87, and Diane Witt, 75, were found dead in their Worcester, Massachusetts home after a relative performed a welfare check after she had not heard back from them for several days. At this time, their causes of death remain unclear.

Witt confirmed the tragic news in a statement, obtained by the New York Post, late on Monday, sharing that she “reached out to a cousin who lives close to my parents to check on them.” Witt went on to share, “sadly, the outcome was unimaginable.” Witt did not provide further details. She concluded her heartbreaking post by asking “for some privacy at this time to grieve and to wrap my head around this turn of events, and this surreal loss.”

Robert and Diane’s deaths were also confirmed by local police, who said in a statement that they were called to the home, located on Sussex Lane, shortly after 9 p.m. by a relative requiring assistance, according to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. When authorities arrived at the home, they discovered the couple deceased. Lt. Sean Murtha of the Worcester police said in a statement, “I can confirm that police were dispatched to the residence and discovered a male and a female deceased.” Murtha added that “there were no signs of foul play” and the Robert and Diane’s deaths “under investigation.”

The Telegram and Gazette reported that prior to their deaths, the couple had been experiencing issues with their furnace and were using a space heater. Firefighters were called to the scene to check the air quality inside of the home, though Worcester Deputy Fire Chief Adam Roche said, “there were no signs of carbon monoxide.” A neighbor told the outlet that Witt’s parents had been ill for “some time.” Police confirmed that amid the investigation, the state medical examiner will perform autopsies to determine a cause of death. The couple had lived in Worcester for decades, and the actor grew up in the city with her brother Ian.

In addition to being a pianist who made her stage debut in Los Angeles in 2001, Witt has a decades-long acting career that began in the ’80s. She is well-known for her portrayal Alia in 1984’s Dune as well as her more-recent appearance as Paula in several episodes of The Walking Dead in 2016. Her other credits include starring as Nola Falacci in Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2007), Cheryl in Friday Night Lights (2009-2011), Autumn Chase in Nashville (2016), Nicole in The Exorcist (2017), and Zelda in Orange Is the New Black (2019), among many others.