It’s always shocking to find out one of the addicts profiled has died as a result of their addiction. It shouldn’t be so shocking, given that they were in such bad shape that their their families felt like the would die without an intervention, but still, it is. Maybe it’s because we come to feel like we know them over an hour (I know, not possible, but it still feels that way) and we have hope that there will be a happy ending to their story, not a tragic one.
My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the people who have passed on since their intervention. Please know that there are many people out here that became emotionally invested in your story and are deeply sympathetic to the pain that addiction has caused in your lives. We are terribly sorry for your loss.
Bret Cansler
Episode 93. Season 7, Episode 7
Alcoholic
Died after successful treatment at 105 days sober
Cause of death: Esophageal cancer
Death revealed on first airing, June 2009
Lawrence Ryan
Episode 59. Season 4, Episode 9
Alcoholic
Left after 30 days of treatment and was sober another 3 weeks before relapsing. Died 2 months later after developing esophageal bleeding.
Cause of death: Esophageal bleeding as a result of cirrhosis of the liver.
Chris Brady
Episode 82. Season 6, Episode 10
Alcoholic
Completed treatment but relapsed
Cause of death: Suicide while under the influence of alcohol
Interview with Shawn in The Advocate
Note: On first airing, the followup was hopeful. It said that Chris was sober and he and Shawn were planning a commitment ceremony. When it re-aired, it was revealed the Chris had relapsed and had then taken his own life. It was a shocking thing to read on the screen. I think the show was a bit cruel to do that do the audience – they could have at least done some kind of brief memorial with some words about his life, similar to what they did with Bret, instead of just putting it up on the screen all nonchalantly. Do they not realize that this show’s audience gets a bit attached to these addicts and their families, and their deaths might be a bit hard on us?
Sandra (Sandy) Saunders
Episode 84. Season 6, Episode 13
Alcoholic
Completed treatment, sober 19 months before passing away in June 2011.
Cause of death: Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Sandy’s obituary
Dillon Brewer
Episode 40. Season 3, Episode 6
Meth addict
Left after 31 days of treatment, claimed to be sober
Cause of death: Suicide. “In November 2011, Dillon’s girlfriend called the police after he attemped to strangle her. Dillon fled the police and broke into his mother and stepfather’s home, where he beat his stepfather with a gun and then forced them out of the house. The police were called, and after a standoff, Dillon fatally shot himself.”
Article
Austin A. Powers
Episode 129. Season 10 Episode 3
Alcoholic
Left treatment after 2 months, claimed to be sober
Cause of death: Heroin overdose
Article 1
Article 2
Mike
Episode 70. Season 4 (Missing episode)
Obsessive Complusive Disorder
Completed treatment and was on medication for OCD until he couldn’t afford it any longer
Cause of death: Unknown. A re-airing of this episode revealed that Mike died in September 2011.
Thank you so much for these updates even though it is so tragic. I wish all of the documentary participants knew how much my friends and I cry for them and want them to do well. My condolences to all the families.
Posted by Lenae | January 31, 2012, 1:43 pmUpdate: Joseph Minozzi, Season 10 was found dead on the street in San Francisco. He was found stabbed . http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/crime/2012/01/san-franciscos-first-homicide-victim-was-reality-tv-show
Posted by Julia | February 8, 2012, 11:14 amThanks for posting Julia. Very sad news. I’m not going to include it in the official post-internvetion death list because he wasn’t the addict profiled in the episode and he didn’t have an intervention. (He was Rachel’s boyfriend – here’s the post on her episode)
Posted by Dizzy | February 14, 2012, 9:53 amIntervention Season 11 – Episode 10 “Courtney”
Does anyone know where she is currently or her family? Is she in treatment? Is she off heroin?
Posted by MMA | April 17, 2012, 3:28 amUpdate: Sandy Season 6 http://www.gloucestertimes.com/obituaries/x927315722/Sandra-M-Saunders-51
Posted by Grace Dog | May 20, 2012, 6:31 amAccording to the episode list on Wikipedia, Mike from the “Mike / Jenny” episode you have listed under your missing ones, died in Sept. 2011. » [ link ]
Posted by Jen | May 31, 2012, 4:07 pmWow, I missed that about Mike. Very sad.
Posted by Dizzy | June 1, 2012, 8:22 amCristy, the meth addict from Season 2 also died recently.
Posted by k | June 10, 2012, 7:28 pmReally? I’ve been hearing rumors of this for years but no proof. Do you have an obituary or news link to verify this? Thanks.
Posted by Dizzy | June 10, 2012, 7:37 pmYou’re right! I believed this based on the photograph of the newspaper article, but I looked through the LA Times obituaries and there’s no record. That’s good news, I always felt so sorry for her!
Posted by k | June 11, 2012, 8:39 amWhat photograph of the newspaper article are you talking about? I haven’t seen that.
Posted by Dizzy | June 11, 2012, 12:20 pmThis is actually false. A&E posted on their website that this is a rumor, and she is alive.
Posted by Kelly | September 25, 2012, 11:49 amThanks for the update….. I actually saw 4 out of the 6 show the people that passed above. It’s very sad and tragic…. Of the 4 I watched I would have to say Sandy and Chris had me crying like a baby. I send all of their families my condolences and prayers
Posted by keola | August 13, 2012, 8:21 pmI really worry for Nichole, on a recent Season 12 episode. Two relapses already. If you have an update on her, I would be interested! thx
Posted by Veronica | August 23, 2012, 7:32 amMike was from episode 72 (season 5, episode 12)
Posted by Casandra | September 18, 2012, 9:53 pmNo I have it right, Episode 70, Season 4. http://www.aetv.com/intervention/episode-guide/season-4/mike-and-jenny-70#70
Posted by Dizzy | September 26, 2012, 6:24 pmSo sad
Posted by Jen | September 21, 2012, 12:56 amI am a recovering addict and I cry for these people on the show. I have a little shy of two years and I just pray that they are able to have what I have now. Its not long but my life has changed so much. On July 8th 2011 I put a shotgun in my mouth and pulled the trigger. Through the grace of something unknown the gun jammed. I checked immediately into rehab and have turned my life around. I know this has nothing to do with these addicts that have passed but I guess I just wanted to say, may you find the peace in death that you could not find in life. And to all other addicts, you CAN change. Ive done it and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck and God bless.
Posted by peter | November 12, 2012, 4:17 pmWho was this Cristy who died recently from season 2?
Posted by Hillary | December 3, 2012, 6:51 pmCristy, the meth addict from season 2 didn’t die. Her sister posted some videos of her this year 2012 to disprove this rumour. She did continue to dance and apparently do drugs until about 2011(not sure) you can see pictures of her as a brunette in dance attire on her myspace http://www.myspace.com/ange1es which has been inactive for a year or so. Her sister, jaymee celaya, commented on a clip of cristy’s intervention on youtube “Cristy is my sister.. She is not dead.. But alive and well..even if not by choice..She is in a permanent rehab facility until further notice..so put that in your pipe and smoke it!
”. Further more, her youtube account jaycelay85 has at least 3 recent videos of her, short, but clearly her. In this one you can even recognise her dad Armando, right at the beginning of the vid http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=dKjCXZ5YrJ8 It was posted april 18 2012. Nice to see her alive, plus she really toned down her appearance. Seems like it will take quite a bit of therapy for her to get really well… Hopefully she will stay on this path. 
Mojo
Posted by Mojo | December 19, 2012, 2:22 pmAnyone heard how the ex military guy Adam is?
You’d think the American military would be all over this.
Posted by Sal | January 9, 2013, 7:31 amI’m in Utah and I heard that a famous skier with anxiety problems killed himself. I dunno if it’s Adam because the internet says nothing about it and the people who told me didn’t know his name.
Posted by josh | March 11, 2013, 3:12 amHas anyone heard anything about Courtney from miami? She was in Season 11. Her story touched me for a lot of reasons… I hope shes ok.. It seems .she never gave herself enough time walking through the darkness without heroin to get to the light. Its hard to blame her, she would have had to feel the years of pain that built up…i guess it hurt too much in the end
i believed in her.
Posted by JAH | March 4, 2013, 9:11 pmCourtney’s mother has commented on her post here: http://interventiondirectory.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/episode-161-courtney/
Posted by Dizzy | March 5, 2013, 8:03 amIt’s so heart breaking the damage that this illness does to these people and do many others out there.. And that they feel that taking their life most of the time is the only way out because of the powerful control it has upon them.. My thoughts and prays go out to all involved..
Posted by Shannon Cummings | April 5, 2013, 9:10 pmSebastian- the Herion addict brothers passed yesterday from a stroke. According to Facebook he had been clean for a year but due to chronic Herion use/damage he had a stroke and fell into a coma. After no brain activity his family made the decision to remove him off life support.
Posted by Megan | April 12, 2013, 11:38 pmThanks for letting us know Megan. Very, very sad news. If you find a copy of the obituary or anything written up in a newspaper, please link here so I know for sure before I include it in the official listing above. Thank you.
Posted by Dizzy | April 15, 2013, 2:41 pmMy mother is Sandy from Episode number 84 season 6 …she was sober for 19 months before she passed away on June 21st 2011 from Diabetic Ketoacidosis……thankyou all for your love and prayers my mother got to attend my wedding sober and my sister Alleas wedding sober….she got to spend a lot of time and make many memories with our children….god bless her soul I miss her more than anything her journey inspired me to go to nursing school and I will be graduating in 7 weeks!
Posted by Brieana Saunders Militello | May 11, 2013, 6:14 pmThanks for commenting Breiana, I’m so glad you’re doing well and that you got to spend time with your mom sober. Congratulations on nursing school!
Posted by Dizzy | May 20, 2013, 7:50 amJohn from season 4 died in January. Anyone have any information? He seemed like he was doing better.
Posted by Sarah | May 20, 2013, 2:21 amAre you talking about John T? http://interventiondirectory.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/episode-57-john-t/
I hope this is just a rumor and not true. Please keep us updated if you find out more. Thanks.
Posted by Dizzy | May 20, 2013, 7:52 am