The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner has now confirmed the cause of Benji Gregory’s death to be “environmental heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis” three months after his passing. The child actor was found dead in his car on June 13, with his service dog, Hans, also lying lifeless.
Only 46 at the time of his death, Benji is best known for playing Brian Tanner as a child actor in the ‘80s NBC sitcom, ALF. Further reports suggest that Benji’s demise was caused by an accident, as some residuals were found in his vehicle.
What happened to Benji Gregory?
Benji’s sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, broke the news of his passing on Facebook, stating that he intended to dispose of the residuals discovered in his car but never got out because he slept off. She added that he likely died from vehicular heatstroke. “It is with a heavy heart that my family has suffered a loss way too early,” she wrote.
Rebecca accompanied the announcement with a heartwarming family photo, adding that Benji was a great son, uncle, and father. “He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often. Still, going through his things, I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying,” the grieving sibling confessed.