The Vicious Death of Nancy Spungen
Fatally stabbed in New York’s Chelsea Hotel in 1978, to date no one knows who killed Nancy
“I won’t live to be 21. I’m never going to be old. I don’t ever want to be ugly and old. I’m an old lady now anyhow. I’m 80. There’s nothing left…” — Nancy Spungen
When Nancy Laura Spungen was born on February 27, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her mother, Deborah, instantly knew that something was different about her baby. During the delivery, Nancy’s umbilical cord prolapsed, which deprived the infant of oxygen. She came out blue and limp, with persistently elevated bilirubin levels. After an eight-day hospital stay, Deborah and Frank excitedly brought their daughter home.
The mood in the Spungen home shifted from excitement to apprehension when Nancy didn’t stop crying. According to Deborah’s memoir, And I Don’t Want to Live this Life, Nancy didn’t merely cry, she screamed. And she didn’t stop.
Deborah brought her baby, several times, to the pediatrician. They tried various soothing and coping mechanisms, including the “cry it out” method, but nothing worked. Then, when Nancy was three months old, the doctor prescribed Phenobarbital. Just a few…
