French Starlet Who Shot U.S. Skier Spider Sabich, Dies at 84

Claudine Longet, a French-born singer and actress, died May 14 at age 84. Her name remained closely tied to the March 21, 1976 shooting death of American skier Spider Sabich at her Aspen, Colorado, home. Sabich, an Olympic skier and prominent professional racer, was shot in the abdomen and died on the way to the hospital at age 31. Longet said the shooting was accidental and claimed the gun discharged while Sabich was showing her how to use it. Prosecutors initially charged her with felony reckless manslaughter, but legal problems weakened the case. In 1977, she was convicted of misdemeanor negligent homicide and sentenced to 30 days in jail, probation, and a small fine. Andy Williams supported her publicly and paid for her legal defense.

"Sabich, a former Olympic skier and dominant force on the professional ski circuit in the early 1970s, was shot in the abdomen by his girlfriend Longet at his Aspen, Colorado, home on March 21, 1976. Longet claimed the shooting was accidental, saying the gun discharged while Sabich was showing her how to use it. He died on the way to the hospital at age 31."

"Prosecutors initially charged Longet with felony reckless manslaughter, but legal missteps during the investigation - including improperly obtained evidence - weakened the case. In 1977, she was ultimately convicted of misdemeanor negligent homicide and sentenced to 30 days in jail, probation, and a small fine. Her ex-husband Williams publicly supported Longet throughout the trial and paid for her legal defense."

"The shooting stunned Aspen and the broader ski world during what many consider the golden era of American skiing. Sabich was widely viewed as skiing's first true celebrity superstar: blond, fearless, magnetic, and deeply tied to Aspen's fast-living 1970s culture of racing, parties, fame, and excess."

"The trial became part of American pop culture history. Saturday Night Live aired a parody sketch about the case, and The Rolling Stones famously recorded a song titled "Claudine" inspired by the shooting, though it was initially withheld from release because of legal co"

Read at SnowBrains