Sunny von Bulow: Heiress Whose Coma Led to a Famous Trial Dies at 76

Martha Sunny von Bulow was an American heiress and socialite. Born Martha Crawford on September 1, 1932, in Pittsburgh, she inherited a fortune from her father, a utility executive.

In December 1980 she fell into an irreversible coma at the family's Newport, Rhode Island, mansion, and she remained in that state until her death. Her husband, Claus von Bulow, was convicted of attempted murder in 1982 but was acquitted at a retrial in 1985. The case inspired the film Reversal of Fortune.

Sunny von Bulow had three children from two marriages. She died on December 6, 2008, at age 76, in a New York nursing home after nearly 28 years in a coma.

Achievements: Subject of the book and film Reversal of Fortune (1990).

Birth: September 1, 1932 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Profession: Heiress.

Interesting Facts: She was in a coma from 1980 until 2008.