How did Sandra Herold die? ‘Chimp Crazy’ relives horrific moment when pet chimp turned on owner’s pal
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT: 'Chimp Crazy', in its latest episode, revisits the horrors of a "pet" chimp who turned violent against his owner's friend, scarring her for life. Travis was owned by a Stamford-based woman named Sandra Herold. The adorable and socially likeable chimp showed symptoms of agitation which Herold chose to ignore until the fatal incident that made national headlines in 2009.
15 months after losing her beloved pet in the tragic event, she died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, on May 24, 2010. Her sudden death brought shockwaves to her friend Charla Nash, who was the victim of the deadly attack by her pet chimp.
Sandra Herold faced several tragedies before her death
Sandra Herold's life was filled with personal losses. In the year 2000, she lost her only child, Suzan in a car accident. While she was still grappling with the loss, another tragedy hit her. Her husband Jerry Herold fell sick. Upon their hospital visit, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Jerry never made it back home. His sudden death deeply affected her, and their once-happy home was never the same again.
The final blow to her sorrows came with the death of her beloved pet chimp, who was like a child to her. Jerry's death had impacted the chimp as well, who spent his time in the cage while his owner, Sandra Herold was struggling to cope with the loss. As he grew older, Travis started to become more agitated.
On February 16, 2009, as Herold could not control Travis, her friend Charla Nash visited her home to help her out. However, Travis launched a brutal attack on her, biting her face. Nash lost her eyes, nose, lips and hands during the attack. Herold called the cops who fired gunshots at him, which claimed Travis's life.
Herold was 72 when she died from a ruptured aortic aneurysm, which involves internal bleeding. Her lawyer Robert Golger said in a statement, "Ms Herold had suffered a series of heartbreaking losses over the last several years, beginning with the death of her only child, then her husband, then her beloved chimp Travis, as well as the tragic maiming of friend and employee Charla Nash. In the end, her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more," as quoted by Huffington Post.
How did Charla Nash react to Sandra Herold’s death?
Charla Nash came to know about Sandra Herold's death via her twin brother, Michael Nash. He said in a statement, "I informed Charla that Sandra had died. Her first reaction was disbelief. 'What!' she said. I repeated the news and she was speechless for a few moments,” as per ABC News.
"Charla made a brief statement stating that Sandra was a troubled woman and may have some peace now. The Nash family expressed their condolences to Sandra's family and supported their privacy during this time of loss of a beloved family member," his statement further mentioned.
In 2009, Charla Nash's brother filed a lawsuit against Herold seeking $50 million for alleged negligence and recklessness. Nash, who suffered a brain injury, blindness and permanent facial disfigurement received only $4 million as part of a settlement in 2012, as per the Los Angeles Times.
How to stream 'Chimp Crazy'?
'Chimp Crazy' is directed by Eric Goode, known for his 2020 series 'Tiger King'. The four-part docuseries is available to stream on Max.
For US citizens, membership to Max comes at a minimum price of $9.99 per month / $99.99 per year (with ads). The ad-free version comes at $15.99 per month / $149.99 per year.
'Chimp Crazy' trailer
