A brilliant writer’s life has ended in a most tragic way.
New York Times bestselling true crime author Shanna Hogan died at her Phoenix home earlier this month following an accident in her backyard pool — right in front of her infant son, Zander.
According to People, the 38-year-old was swimming with her young child on August 27 when she slipped and hit her head. Her friend Kathleen Mayer told the outlet that Hogan was unconscious in the water when her husband of almost 20 years, Matt LaRussa, returned home and found her. Their 15-month-old son was found outside of the pool in a life vest.
Matt reportedly performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and rushed Shanna to a local hospital. She remained in the ICU in critical condition for several days — until she died on September 1.
Related: Love, Simon Creator Comes Out As Bisexual In Response To Criticism
Mayer noted that Hogan’s family donated her organs; her heart, liver and kidneys have already saved the lives of four people. She told the outlet:
“At a time where human kindness is so desperately needed, we’ve lost one of the people who gave that to our world, but Shanna’s writing will live on, the lives she saved will live on and her greatest creation — her little boy — will live on to inspire all of us.”
The mother-of-one was the author of four true crime books, including the 2013 New York Times bestseller, Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story.
Her literary agent, Sharlene Martin, called Hogan “a brilliant writer,” sharing in a statement:
“She had many fans and was also called upon often as a consultant for television news programs regarding the crimes she wrote about. At the time of her death she was working on the adaptation of her book, Secrets of a Marine’s Wife, which was optioned by Sony Television and Lifetime. Shanna was prolific and always looking toward her next project and was a dream client of mine as well as a friend. I will miss her terribly. Her book, The Stranger She Loved, was also optioned by Sony TV and Shanna had just turned in her outline for adaptation two days before her fatal accident. It was a stellar piece of writing and the last correspondence I had with her.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuWMQdzlz-a/
Mayer started a GoFundMe fundraiser in honor of Hogan, to help the author’s family pay for the “extensive medical treatments [she received] in ICU to attempt to save her life.” The fundraiser has since raised over $20,000 of its $100,000 goal.
Our hearts go out to Shanna’s loved ones at this devastating time.
[Image via Instagram]
Related Posts
-
Categories
