In July 1988, this child superstar and her mother were killed in a double murder-suicide by her father, József Barsi, in their home.
Judith Eva Barsi was a talented American child actress who started her career in television. She appeared in various commercials and TV shows and had a role in the 1987 movie Jaws: The Revenge.
Judith is also known for voicing Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven, both of which were released after her tragic passing. In July 1988, Judith and her mother, Maria, were killed in a double murder-suicide by her father, József Barsi, in their home.
Let's take a look at her life
Early life:
Judith Barsi was born on June 6, 1978, in Los Angeles County, California. She was the daughter of József and Maria Barsi, both were immigrants from Hungary who fled their country after the 1956 uprising. They arrived in the U.S. at different times and met at a restaurant in California, where Maria worked as a waitress.
Career
Maria Barsi started preparing her daughter Judith for an acting career when she was just five years old. Judith’s first role was in Fatal Vision, where she played Kimberley MacDonald. She quickly became a busy actress, appearing in over seventy commercials and guest spots on various TV shows. Judith also acted in films like Jaws: The Revenge and provided the voices for Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven.
By the time Judith reached fourth grade, she was reportedly earning around $100,000 per year (approximately ₹2.1 crore in 2024), which helped her family buy a three-bedroom house in West Hills, Los Angeles. Because she was shorter than most kids her age, standing at 3 ft 8 in (112 cm) when she was ten, she began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to help her grow. Her petite stature often led casting directors to cast her in roles for younger characters. Her agent, Ruth Hansen, stated that at ten, Judith was still playing roles meant for 7- to 8-year-olds.
The trauma that she faced
As Judith Barsi's career took off, her father, József, an alcoholic, became increasingly angry and threatened to harm himself and his family. He was arrested three times for drunk driving. In December 1986, Maria, Judith's mother, reported his violent threats to the police, but no charges were filed due to a lack of evidence.
Although József allegedly stopped drinking afterward, he continued to intimidate Maria and Judith, making threats of violence. He even hid a telegram about a relative's death to prevent Maria from leaving the U.S. The abuse escalated, with Judith sharing that her father threw pots and pans at her, causing injuries. This trauma led Judith to gain weight and develop compulsive behaviors, such as pulling out her eyelashes. In May 1988, after a breakdown in front of her agent, Judith was taken to a child psychologist, who identified severe physical and emotional abuse and reported it to Child Protective Services.
Death:
The investigation into the abuse was closed after Maria told the caseworker that she planned to divorce József and move with Judith to a newly rented apartment in Panorama City for safety. Despite her friends encouraging her to go through with this plan, Maria hesitated, worried about losing their family home and possessions.
On July 27, 1988, a neighbor reported hearing gunshots at the Barsi home around 8:30 a.m. When police arrived, they found Maria and Judith dead inside the house, covered in a flammable liquid, possibly gasoline.
As per reports, the father tried to burn their bodies after killing his wife and daughter. Later, he reportedly killed himself too.
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 "Image credit: Instagram")
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