Jenny Maxwell was a promising actress who had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as Frank Sinatra, James Stewart, and Elvis Presley. However, her life and career were cut short when she and her husband were shot and killed in a mysterious incident in 1981. What was the motive behind this brutal crime? Who was responsible for it? And why did it take so long to solve it? This article will explore the facts and theories surrounding Jenny Maxwell’s cause of death.
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Jenny Maxwell’s Early Life and Career
Jenny Maxwell was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 3, 1941. Her parents were Norwegian immigrants who changed their family name from Myksvoll to Maxwell when they arrived in America. Jenny was an only child who was spoiled by her parents and developed a strong-willed and independent personality. She also had a talent and passion for acting from a young age. She attended a local drama school and soon caught the attention of Hollywood director Vincente Minnelli, who invited her to do a screen test for his film Some Came Running, starring Frank Sinatra. Although she did not get the part, she impressed Sinatra and other filmmakers with her beauty and charisma.
Jenny Maxwell started to get steady work on television shows, such as Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, and The Joey Bishop Show. She also appeared in several movies, such as Blue Denim, Take Her, She’s Mine, and Shotgun Wedding. Her most famous role was as Ellie Corbett, a spoiled heiress who gets spanked by Elvis Presley on the beach in Blue Hawaii. Jenny Maxwell had a natural chemistry with Elvis and became one of his favorite co-stars.
Jenny Maxwell’s Personal Life and Relationships
Jenny Maxwell married her first husband, Paul W. Rapp, an assistant director, when she was only 17 years old in 1959. They had a son named Brian, but their marriage soon fell apart due to Rapp’s jealousy and possessiveness. They divorced in 1963 after a bitter custody battle that Jenny won. She later married Ervin M. Roeder, a successful lawyer who was 21 years older than her, in 1970. Roeder had connections to the Mafia and was involved in some shady deals and cases. He also had a violent temper and abused Jenny physically and emotionally. They separated in 1981 after Jenny filed for divorce and demanded half of his fortune.
Jenny Maxwell’s Mysterious Death
On June 10, 1981, Jenny Maxwell had a minor surgery scheduled at a hospital in Beverly Hills. She needed a ride home afterwards and asked her friend Tip Tipton, a former FBI agent turned private investigator, to pick her up. Tipton agreed and they stopped for lunch at a restaurant on their way back. As they were leaving the restaurant, they were approached by two men who demanded their money and jewelry. Tipton tried to resist but was shot in the chest. Jenny screamed and ran towards the restaurant door but was also shot in the back. The gunmen fled without taking anything from the victims.
Tipton died at the scene while Jenny was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. She was 39 years old. The police initially suspected that it was a botched robbery but later changed their theory to a planned assassination. They believed that Roeder had hired a hitman to kill Jenny and make it look like a robbery gone wrong. Roeder himself was supposed to be wounded by the hitman as a cover-up but he died from his injuries as well. The police never found any conclusive evidence or witnesses to prove this theory and the case remained officially unsolved.
The Truth Behind Jenny Maxwell’s Death
In 2018, Buddy Moorehouse, a journalist and a cousin of Jenny Maxwell, started to investigate her murder after finding some old documents and photos related to the case. He interviewed several people who knew Jenny and Roeder and uncovered some shocking details that had been overlooked or ignored by the police. He discovered that Roeder had been involved in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme with his Mafia clients and that he had been blackmailing them with incriminating tapes that he had hidden in his condo. He also learned that Roeder had been cheating on Jenny with another woman who was pregnant with his child.
Moorehouse concluded that Roeder had orchestrated the murder of Jenny to avoid paying her alimony and to get rid of any evidence that could implicate him in his crimes. He hired two hitmen from Chicago who were supposed to kill Jenny and Tipton and then go to his condo and retrieve the tapes. However, things went wrong when Tipton fought back and wounded one of the hitmen who then shot Roeder instead of wounding him. The hitmen then panicked and fled without completing their mission. Moorehouse also identified the hitmen as Frank Cullotta and Tony Spilotro, two notorious mobsters who were later killed by their own bosses.
Moorehouse published his findings in a book titled Murder of an Elvis Girl: Solving the Jenny Maxwell Case in 2021. He claimed that he had solved the mystery of Jenny Maxwell’s cause of death and exposed the corruption and cover-up that had prevented justice from being served. He also paid tribute to Jenny Maxwell as a talented and beautiful actress who deserved a better fate.
Conclusion
Jenny Maxwell was a star who shone brightly in Hollywood but was extinguished by a brutal and senseless crime. Her murder remained a mystery for decades until a relative of hers revealed the truth behind it. Jenny Maxwell’s cause of death was not a random robbery but a cold-blooded murder orchestrated by her own husband who wanted to silence her and protect his secrets. Jenny Maxwell’s story is a tragic reminder of the dark side of fame and fortune and the evil that lurks in the hearts of some people.
