"Happy Days" star Erin Moran was found dead on Saturday and fans of the iconic sitcom are searching for her cause of death. Although authorities have not confirmed what killed the 56-year-old television star, there is speculation that she died from a heroin overdose.
According to the Daily Mail, Erin Moran was found unresponsive in her Salisbury, Indiana home on Saturday afternoon. She lived in a trailer park in an area that is noted to have a heroin epidemic with the News and Tribune reporting that the Salisbury area has seen a marked increase in deaths from the drug.
The report indicates that a local Salisbury hospital recorded 182 heroin overdoses (non-fatal) in 2016, up from 51 overdoses in 2015. The number keeps climbing, with the News and Tribune noting that there were 25 non-fatal heroin overdoses in February of this year — that's six times the number of cases treated in February 2016.
Life after "Happy Days" was rocky for Erin Moran
The actress who played Joanie Cunningham, Erin Moran, in the hit sitcom 'Happy Days' has died at the age of just 56. #ErinMoran #7News pic.twitter.com/6vL0gpdDpK
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) April 23, 2017
Although she found great success on "Happy Days," Erin Moran's recent years were filled with struggles. She spent almost a decade playing the role of Joanie Cunningham on the popular ABC sitcom from 1974 to 1982 and then returned to the show for its final year in 1984.
During her hiatus from "Happy Days," Erin starred on the short-lived spinoff, "Joanie Loves Chachi" with her co-star, Scott Baio.
Erin appeared in a number of other shows as a guest star, reports indicate that Erin's good fortune started to unravel around 2010. She is rumored to have suffered with depression and had financial problems as well.
Erin's downward spiral
The Daily Mail reports that in 2010, Erin Moran lost her home in California to foreclosure. She then moved to a trailer park in Indiana that was owned by her husband's mother.
Moran and her husband, Steven Fleischman, didn't last long in the trailer park. The couple was reportedly kicked out for partying and remained homeless for quite sometime before they moved back to the trailer park.
Celebrities offer condolences
Erin Moran's husband has yet to issue a public statement about his wife's death. However, many of her co-stars have been posting messages on social media about the "Happy Days" star's passing including her "Happy Days" and "Joanie Loves Chachi" co-star, Scott Baio.
My sincere condolences. #ErinMoran #HappyDaysFamily pic.twitter.com/5b0AbioZEc
— Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) April 23, 2017
Henry Winkler, who played the infamous Fonzie on "Happy Days" also sent out a touching tweet about Erin Moran's passing.
"OH Erin... now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth ...Rest In It serenely now.. too soon," Winkler tweeted.
