Daveigh Chase Autopsy: Heartbreaking Details on Former Child Star
A full autopsy report on actress Daveigh Chase, who voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, became available on November 10. It describes her 12 days in a Los Angeles hospital, the infections doctors found and the toxicology results before her death at 35 on June 16.
The full autopsy report on actress Daveigh Chase, released November 10, reveals heartbreaking details about the final days of the former child star, who died in Los Angeles on June 16, 2026, at age 35. Chase voiced Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch.
The report expands on findings first made public on June 29. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner named AIDS as the cause of death and listed chronic polysubstance use as another significant condition. It classified the manner of death as natural.
Twelve days in hospital
On June 4, Chase was found in the back seat of a car with a methamphetamine pipe nearby. She complained of a "headache, weakness, confusion" and pain in her right thumb. A bystander called emergency services, and paramedics took her to Los Angeles General Medical Center.
Hospital records documented advanced, untreated HIV/AIDS with wasting, meaning substantial involuntary weight loss. Doctors also listed cryptococcal infection without meningitis, MRSA and an infection in her right thumb.
Cryptococcosis is a fungal disease that most often affects people with weakened immune systems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MRSA is a type of staph bacteria resistant to several antibiotics.
Toxicology screenings came back positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl. Her health kept declining in hospital until she died, the report said.
Family and fundraiser disputes
Her father, John David Schwallier, had earlier attributed her death to complications involving bacterial meningitis and a bloodstream infection. Her mother, Cathy, said her daughter's struggles with addiction worsened after she was prescribed pain medication for a back injury from a 2016 motorcycle accident.
Shortly before Chase died, Roy Hernandez, described as her alleged boyfriend, set up a GoFundMe page to help her "find comfort and peace." He cited "a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family."
Her manager, John Ryan, disputed the claims and urged fans not to donate. He said "none of us friends or her family" had heard of the man. "I can confirm Daveigh has a trust account set up at SAG to cover all costs," Ryan said in June, adding that she had "millions" in unclaimed residuals.
A career that began at 2002
Chase rose to fame in 2002 as Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, a role she reprised in the franchise's TV series. That year she also played Samara Morgan in The Ring, which earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.
She voiced Chihiro in the English-language version of Spirited Away and played Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko. She later had a recurring role in HBO's Big Love. Her last film appearances, in American Romance and Jack Goes Home, were released in 2016.
On June 20, directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois honored her with an original illustration on Sanders' Instagram account. It showed Lilo's ritual of bringing Pudge a sandwich, posted without a caption.
