Daffney Unger, the WCW and TNA wrestler from the late 1990s and early 2000s, died last week. She was only 46, and her behavior before her death worried fans. Now, authorities have released some details from the scene of her death, confirming many of her fans’ fears.
Unger, whose real name is Stephanie Spruill, died from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest, authorities said Sunday. Medical examiners haven’t released an official cause of death. But police found a gun near her body, the police report obtained by TMZ said.
Police found the body of Daffney Unger on September 2, a day after she posted a disturbing video on Instagram live. In it, she cries and talks about being lonely. She’s holding what appears to be a small pistol that she cocks early in the video.
“Do you guys not understand that I am all alone? Do you not understand that?” she said. Later she added, “Remember, my brain goes to Boston.”
She’s referring to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center. She wanted her brain donated to the research center for study. She said she believed she was suffering from CTE, a severe brain injury linked to repeated concussions and hits to the head. Researchers say CTE can cause severe depression and other mood disorders.
San Diego Chargers legend Junior Seau committed suicide in 2012 by shooting himself in the heart. Subsequently, doctors announced he suffered from severe CTE likely from his years playing football. He was only 43.
Instagram removed her video, but several people made archive copies
Family, Friends Mourn Death of Daffney Unger
Daffney Unger starred in the WCW from 1999 to 2001. She was most known for wearing black outfits and makeup during her matches.
Her video sent fans and former wrestlers scrambling to find her help. WWE great Mick Foley tweeted that all of his calls to her were going to voice mail. He asked anyone near her home in Georgia to reach out and check on her. He announced her death the next day.
Daffney Unger’s mom called the police to do a welfare check on her daughter on September 3 the morning after she posted her video. They couldn’t get in on their first try, but several hours later a maintenance worker at her apartment complex unlocked the door. It was deadbolted from inside, so firefighters had to kick it in.
Her mom was with police and firefighters when they broke through her apartment door.
“It is with great sadness I have to let you know that my daughter Shannon Spruill … Scream Queen Daff passed away suddenly last night,” Unger’s mother Jean Tookey Spruill wrote on Facebook. “Absolutely heartbroken.”
Fellow wrestler and good friend Lexi Fyfe called Unger a “sister from another mister.” She asked fans to give the family privacy as they maneuver their grief.
