Daveigh Chase Died Homeless, but With Six-Figure Estate

Daveigh Chase's final years were marked by homelessness and addiction, but court filings now show she left behind a surprisingly sizable estate. Probate documents submitted in Los Angeles County list about $400,000 in personal assets for the former child actor, whose legal name was Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier, the Los Angeles Times reports. Her mother, Cathy Chase, is seeking to administer the estate; the filings note Chase died in June without a will and was survived only by her parents, who divorced decades ago.

Chase, 35, died June 16 in a hospital. While her family initially cited bacterial meningitis and a blood infection, the coroner ruled AIDS as the primary cause of death, with chronic polysubstance use listed as a significant factor. Once a steady presence on screens, Chase voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, played Samara in The Ring, and voiced Chihiro in the American dub version of Spirited Away. She also starred in Donnie Darko and its direct-to-video sequel, S. Darko. She later had recurring roles on Oliver Beene and HBO's Big Love before her career tapered off; her last credit is a 2016 video game.

Her mother says Chase developed an addiction to oxycodone and other drugs after a motorcycle crash in 2016. She says she tried, without success, to track her down on LA's Skid Row. John Ryan, Chase's former manager, says he and Chase's stepsister hired a private investigator to find her and get her some help, but she "disappeared" after he was able to speak to her last year. "We were so close to finding her," he told the Post. "Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can't believe this is real," he says. "Her legacy and work will live on forever." He says she died with "millions" in unclaimed residual payments. A probate hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.