The elderly daughter of famed filmmaker William Wyler and her husband were found dead in a hot car in Northern California.
A California Highway Patrol officer found Judith and Wylie Sheldon parked on the side of Interstate 5 north of Redding on Monday, according to SFGATE.
The art patrons, well known within San Francisco’s art community, were 84 and 86, respectively. Wyler’s father directed classic films including “Wuthering Heights,” “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “Roman Holiday,” “The Big Country,” “Ben-Hur” and “Funny Girl.” The Academy Award winner died in 1981.
The Sheldons were reportedly driving to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival on Monday afternoon.
Police Lt. Josh Smith told SFGATE a coroner would determine the couples’ cause of death, but he that suspected high temperatures may have been a factor.
“It was the hottest day of the year so far, or second hottest,” he said. “I’m sure there’s always a possibility that excessive heat played a role.”
The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the Northern California area Monday.
A longtime friend of the pair told The New York Times the victims had no liquids in their Jeep Compass, which didn’t have a working air conditioner. No signs of automotive failure or a crash were evident.
“They didn’t crash. They stopped,” David Smith said. “They both just died there.”
He knew the Sheldons for more than 40 years. Smith said he and other friends became concerned when the victims failed to check into their hotel room and couldn’t be reached by phone.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported their deaths were “medically related.”
San Francisco Silent Film Festival artistic director Anita Monga told SFGATE the Sheldons were an integral part of the Bay Area arts community.
“They were so dear and devoted to one another,” she said.
Judy was a board chairperson of the film festival’s committee.