The death of Saoirse Kennedy Hill, a granddaughter of former US attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has become the latest tragedy for a political dynasty that has been shaken by assassination and scandal.
Saoirse died from an apparent overdose at her family's compound on Thursday afternoon.
Paramedics responding to a call of a suspected overdose just after 2.30pm on Thursday arrived at the scene and found the patient in cardiac arrest.
She was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Her death comes less than a month after the Kennedy family remembered two tragedies: the Chappaquiddick car crash and John F. Kennedy Jr's plane crash.
It has been 20 years since JFK Jr was killed after his plane crashed off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
July 18 marked the 50-year anniversary of the Chappaquiddick car crash when Senator Ted Kennedy drove his vehicle off of a bridge on Massachusetts' Chappaquiddick Island, killing Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old campaign strategist who worked for RFK.
But these are just some of the tragedies and scandals to have rocked a family that has been long said to be 'cursed'.
Deaths
Mary Richardson Kennedy: The philanthropist
Mary Kennedy was an interior designer, architect, and philanthropist.
She co-founded the Food Allergy Initiative, the largest fund for food allergy research in the US.
Mary was the ex-wife of Robert Kennedy Jr. She was found hanged in a barn on May 16, 2012. She was 52 years old.
Mary Kennedy was an interior designer and philanthropist. She co-founded the Food Allergy Initiative, the largest fund for food allergy research in the US. She was the ex-wife of Robert Kennedy Jr (both pictured in 2009). She was found hanged in a barn in May 2012. She was 52
A housekeeper found her body after she committed suicide at the family's Mount Kisco estate in Westchester County, New York.
Her official cause of death was asphyxiation due to hanging, according to an autopsy report.
But a medical examiner also found antidepressants in her blood system.
Mary had an ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol and on several occasions tried to seek help.
Kara Kennedy: The film and television producer
Kara was born to Sen Ted Kennedy and Joan Bennett Kennedy in February 1960.
She died on September 16, 2011, from a heart attack following a workout at a health club in Washington, DC.
Kara was 51 years old.
It's believed that the heart attack may have been brought on by the aggressive cancer treatment she underwent.
Kara Kennedy died on September 16, 2011, from a heart attack following a workout at a health club in Washington, DC. Then-president Barack Obama presented the Medal of Freedom to Kara on behalf of her father, Sen Ted Kennedy
It's believed that the heart attack may have been brought on by the aggressive cancer treatment she underwent. Kara (pictured in August 2009) was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002
Kara was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002. At the time, she was reportedly told that her diagnosis was inoperable.
But her father helped her find a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston who removed part of her right lung. She then went through chemotherapy and radiation.
Following her death, her brother, former Rhode Island Rep Patrick Kennedy said the grueling treatments had left his sister physically weakened.
'Her heart gave out,' he told the Associated Press. 'She's with dad.'
John F. Kennedy Jr: The lawyer and journalist
JFK's son, John F. Kennedy Jr, was killed in 1999 when his plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
He died alongside his wife, Carolyn and his sister-in-law Lauren just off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. JFK Jr was on his way to the wedding of his cousin Rory.
He had almost been alone that night after Carolyn threatened to skip the nuptials.
JFK's son, John F. Kennedy Jr, was killed in 1999 when his plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. He died alongside his wife, Carolyn and his sister-in-law Lauren just off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. JFK Jr was on his way to the wedding of his cousin Rory
He had almost been alone that night after Carolyn threatened to skip the nuptials. Carolyn had a change of heart at the last second however, and the two set off with her sister Lauren. An image from 1999 shows Carolyn (top right) leaving a building with her sister Lauren (left, front)
JFK Jr had taken off from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey, at 8.39pm that night, bound for the airfield in Martha's Vineyard. Beachgoers watch as the US Coast Guard searches the waters following the crash
Carolyn had a change of heart at the last second however, and the two set off with her sister Lauren.
JFK Jr had taken off from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey, at 8.39pm that night, bound for the airfield in Martha's Vineyard.
The air traffic controller at the island airport alerted the regional Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office in Connecticut just after 10pm when the plane had failed to arrive.
In the end, it was the conditions that evening most likely caused the tragedy.
The air traffic controller at the island airport alerted the regional Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office in Connecticut just after 10pm when the plane had failed to arrive. Members of the Kennedy and Bessette families gather for JFK Jr's burial at sea
Tuesday marks the 20th anniversary of the fatal plane crash that killed John F Kennedy Jr, his wife Carolyn and his sister-n-law Lauren just off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. A file image shows Massachusetts State Police searching for wreckage in July 1999
Three days later, parts of the plane were detected on the ocean floor.
On July 21, 1999, five days after the plane went missing, the three bodies were found and removed from the underwater wreckage.
The ashes of John, 38, his wife Carolyn, 33, and Lauren, 34, were scattered at sea on July 22 just off of Martha's Vineyard by friends and family.
Michael Kennedy: The lawyer and activist
Michael Kennedy, a lawyer and activist, was in Aspen, Colorado, when he was killed in a skiing accident on December 31, 1997.
He was 39 years old.
More than 10 years later, David's brother, Michael Kennedy, was killed in a skiing accident
Michael, who was a lawyer and activist, was in Aspen, Colorado, when the accident occurred on December 31, 1997. He was 39 years old. Congressman Joe Kennedy (right) helps carry the body of his deceased brother Michael, along with others on January 1, 1998
David Kennedy: The aspiring journalist
David Kennedy died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984. He overdosed in a hotel near a family vacation home in Palm Beach, Florida.
He was 28 years old at the time.
David was the son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy.
David Kennedy (pictured) died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984. He overdosed in a hotel near a family vacation home in Palm Beach, Florida. He was 28 years old at the time
Robert F. Kennedy: The second presidential Kennedy
Robert F Kennedy, who was also known as RFK, was assassinated during his run for president in 1968, nearly five years after his brother JFK was shot dead in Dallas.
RFK was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in California on June 6, 1968.
He was shot following his victory speech in the California primary election in front of his wife, Ethel.
Robert F Kennedy (pictured in 1968), who was also known as RFK, was assassinated during his run for president in 1968
RFK (pictured) was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in California on June 6, 1968
Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of shooting RFK while he and a group of people were walking through the pantry at the Ambassador Hotel on the way to a news conference.
His daughter, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, and his son, Robert F Kennedy, Jr, last year called for a new investigation into their father's assassination because they don't believe Sirhan is responsible for his death.
After personally reviewing evidence and visiting the convicted killer Sirhan in prison in California, Kennedy, Jr argued that the wrong man was put behind bars.
John F. Kennedy: A nation mourns the 35th president
JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald in downtown Dallas, Texas. He was 46 years old.
He was born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr and Rose Kennedy on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, an area outside of Boston in Massachusetts.
JFK, who went on to become the 35 president of the United States, was one of nine children.
John F. Kennedy (pictured in the Oval Office) was assassinated on November 22, 1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald in downtown Dallas, Texas. He was 46 years old
JFK, his wife and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie Connally ride together in a convertible limousine in Dallas in 1963. Several stops later JFK and Gov Connally were shot
JFK (left, with his wife and first lady Jackie before assassination) become the 35 president of the United States in 1961
He married Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1953. The couple had three children, John F. Kennedy Jr, Caroline Kennedy and Patrick Bouvier Kennedy.
Under his administration, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended after almost pushing the two superpowers – the US and the then Soviet Union – to the brink of nuclear war in October 1962.
That same year Kennedy had furthered US involvement in Southeast Asia while both the Cold War and the Space Race were heating up.
First Lady Jackie Kennedy leans over to assist her husband just after he is shot as the Presidential motorcade passes through Dealey Plaza on Elm Street in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963
Jackie Kennedy, Edward Kennedy and Robert Kennedy stand as the coffin of President JFK passed them during his funeral on November 25, 1963
He had asked Congress for millions to put a man on the moon before the 1960s ended to beat the Russians, who had their own program. That US accomplishment would happen when Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, but one that Kennedy did not get to witness.
The day after JFK was assassinated, the newly sworn-in Lyndon B. Johnson issued his first presidential proclamation.
In a statement that was broadcast on both television and radio, he declared November 25, 1963, the day of JFK's funeral, a national day of mourning.
Patrick Bouvier Kennedy: JFK's youngest son
Patrick was the youngest son of JFK and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O.
He was born prematurely on August 7, 1963, and died on August 9, 1963. He lived less than 40 hours.
Patrick was the youngest son of JFK and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O. His headstone is pictured
Patrick was born prematurely on August 7, 1963, and died on August 9, 1963. He lived less than 40 hours. At Arlington National Cemetary, mourners walk past the grave of JFK who was buried beside his son Patrick
Kathleen Cavendish: The free-spirit
Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy was the daughter of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and a younger sister to JFK. She was also killed in a plane crash on May 13, 1948.
She died at the age of 28 while on a flight from Paris to the French Riviera alongside her married lover.
Kathleen was the family's free-spirit whose life was filled with rebellion and cross-continent love.
Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy (left) was the daughter of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and a younger sister to JFK (right). She was also killed in a plane crash on May 13, 1948
Kathleen (left and right) was the family's free-spirit whose life was filled with rebellion and cross-continent love
She died at the age of 28 alongside her married lover when her plane crashed (pictured) while they were traveling from Paris to the French Riviera
The unpublicized story of Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy is a haunting tale that ends with her funeral in which the only Kennedy to attend was her father.
She was known as a rebellious yet charming woman who defied her family for love and lost her brother and husband to war.
Because of JFK's blossoming political career and the scandalous circumstances surrounding her death, the family kept Kathleen's death quiet.
She was buried in a small churchyard in Edenser, England.
The gravestone identifies her as Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington.
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr: The WWII pilot
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr (left and right) was the eldest child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and the eldest sibling of John F. Kennedy. Joseph was killed in a plane crash while serving as a land-based bomber pilot with the United States Navy in World War II
He was the eldest child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and the eldest sibling of John F. Kennedy.
Joseph was killed in a plane crash while serving as a land-based bomber pilot with the United States Navy in World War II.
He was 29 years old when his plane exploded mid-air on August 12, 1944.
Joseph was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.
Scandals
Ted Kennedy: The Chappaquiddick Incident
On July 18, 1969, Edwards 'Ted' Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile sedan off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island and into a pond.
The island is located off the famous resort island of Martha's Vineyard.
His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned in the crash and he was unable to pull her out of the water.
On July 18, 1969, Edwards 'Ted' Kennedy (left) drove his Oldsmobile sedan off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island and into a pond. His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne (right), drowned in the crash and he was unable to pull her out of the water
Frogmen dive into the water as they try to raise the car belonging to Ted Kennedy in which he was seriously injured and his passenger was killed
But instead of alerting authorities, Kennedy returned to a party he and Kopechne had attended and sought out the late Paul Markham, who had recently resigned as US Attorney for Massachusetts.
During his testimony at an inquest months later, Markham remembers the moment he first arrived at the scene at Dike Bridge just after midnight.
'Up to this time I didn’t know what the accident really was and I remember saying, "Holy God",' he said.
Markham later testified that the two dove into the waters numerous times in an unsuccessful attempt to locate Kopechne, who'd been a campaign worker for Kennedy's older brother, RFK, before his assassination the previous year.
The following day, Markham went with Kennedy to provide a statement to police on Martha's Vineyard.
Ted pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended sentence of two months in jail. He was never indicted, but the incident mars his legacy.
Instead of alerting authorities, Kennedy returned to a party he and Kopechne had attended and sought out the late Paul Markham. Markham later testified that the two dove into the waters numerous times in an unsuccessful attempt to locate Kopechne
Ted Kennedy died on August 25, 2009, at the age of 77 following a yearlong battle with brain cancer. He actually had a near-death experience in June 1964 after his plane crashed (pictured) in Northamton, Massachusetts
The Massachusetts senator died on August 25, 2009, at the age of 77 following a yearlong battle with brain cancer.
In his book, True Compass, that was released posthumously, Kennedy said his actions on Chappaquiddick were 'inexcusable'.
He said he was afraid and 'made terrible decisions' and had to live with the guilt for more than four decades.
William Kennedy Smith: 1991 rape acquittal
William Kennedy Smith is a physician whose work is centered on the rehabilitation of landmine victims.
He was accused of raping Patricia Bowman in 1991 in Palm Beach, Florida, after a night of drinking with his uncle, Ted Kennedy.
William's mother Jean Kennedy Smith is a former US Ambassador to Ireland. He is the nephew of RFK and JFK.
William Kennedy Smith is a physician whose work is centered on the rehabilitation of landmine victims. He was accused of raping Patricia Bowman in 1991 in Palm Beach, Florida, after a night of drinking with his uncle, Ted Kennedy. He was acquitted of all charges
A Florida jury acquitted William of sexual assault and battery on Bowman following a ten-day trial.
He claimed the sex between him and his accuser had been consensual.
Another sexual assault claim levied against William was dismissed in 2004 while an additional claim was settled out of court the following year.
In 2004, William said his 'family and personal history have made me unusually vulnerable to these kinds of charges'.
Joseph P. Kennedy II:
In 1973, Joseph P. Kennedy II was found guilty of driving to endanger after a car accident in Nantucket left Pamela Burkley partially paralyzed.
Burkley became paralyzed from the chest down when the vehicle driven by Joseph overturned on a country road.
Others were also injured, including his brother, David Kennedy, and Burkley’s younger sister.
Burkley decided not to sue Kennedy after getting $668,000 from an insurance settlement.
In 1973, Joseph P. Kennedy II (pictured) was found guilty of driving to endanger after a car accident in Nantucket left Pamela Burkley partially paralyzed
Joseph is seen grimacing as he watched his brother David, 18, being placed in ambulance after the jeep overturned in 1973
Rosemary Kennedy: The lobotomy
Rosemary Kennedy was the third child and first daughter of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy.
She attended the Edward Devotion public school in Brookline, Massachusetts, for the first two years of kindergarten and was found to be deficient in basic cognitive skills.
Rosemary didn't interact well with fellow students although at home, she adored her brothers, Jack and Joe, and they lavished attention on her.
With her issues, at age seven she couldn't return to Edward Devotion School.
Joe Kennedy consulted the head of the Psychology Department at Harvard University, his alma mater, where they conducted mental faculty tests on Rosie and diagnosed her as 'mentally retarded' and suggested institutionalization.
In 1941, her father gave his consent for a pre-frontal lobotomy on his 23-year-old daughter.
Rosemary's reading, writing, spelling and counting skills never got above a fourth-grade level even though she studied hard and was able to add three triple digit numbers.
She returned to Brookline to be tutored again by specialists as well her mother who even tried to help develop her physical coordination by playing tennis and catch with her.
Rosemary Kennedy (right, with her family) was the third child and first daughter of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy. In 1941, her father gave his consent for a pre-frontal lobotomy on his 23-year-old daughter
Glowingly happy back at home, Rosie wanted to go out on her own just like her brothers and younger sisters.
Joe Kennedy was conflicted. He didn't know how to have her treated and was embarrassed. He feared his daughter's condition could impact his political ambitions for him and his sons.
He read about this new procedure, a pre-frontal lobotomy that promised to be the definitive treatment.
In November 1941, unbeknownst to his family, Joe took Rosemary to be examined by Dr. Walter Freeman, a neurologist and psychiatrist who was also a George Washington University professor.
Freeman diagnosed Rosemary's condition as 'agitated depression', and suggested that a new neurosurgical procedure, a prefrontal lobotomy, would end the rages and 'render her happy and content'.
Joe gave Freeman the okay to proceed that fall at George Washington University Hospital.
It was the worst day of Rosemary's life.
Freeman was not a surgeon but a professor who performed theatrics at his lectures and 'thrived on horror and fascination.'
He hooked up with Dr. James Watts, a neurosurgeon and the two practiced on brains in cadavers.
In November 1941, unbeknownst to his family, Joe took Rosemary (pictured together) to be examined by Dr. Walter Freeman, a neurologist and psychiatrist who was also a George Washington University professor. He diagnosed her with 'agitated depression'
The unseemly pair raided sanitariums and mental institutions for candidates and if the surgery was botched, there was no complaint.
Freeman described the surgery: 'We went through the top of the head, I think she was awake. She had a mild tranquilizer. I made a surgical incision in the brain through the skull. It was near the front. It was on both sides. We just made a small incision, no more than an inch'.
With what looked like a butter knife, he moved it up and down slicing through brain tissue.
When Rosemary stopped singing 'God Bless America' and became incoherent, they ceased their butchery.
Rosemary was packed off again to an institution, Craig House in Beacon, New York, a private psychiatric hospital an hour north of Manhattan.
No family ever visited. Joe told no one of the medical procedure he had approved. He lied to Rose and said Rosie had become worse and doctors suggested institutionalization with no visitors – but he never said where she was.
'The left side of Rosie's body had been partially paralyzed. Her head titled, frozen near her left shoulder. The fingers of her left hand became gnarled and useless'.
Now lethargic, incontinent, she couldn't talk and relied on grunting, screaming and shrieking.
She relearned walking, brushing her teeth, simple dressing.
The barbaric treatment did not erase her temper tantrums but she became worse and was assigned two guards in her living quarters.
In 1949, on learning that Rosie was being sexually abused at Craig House, Joe had her moved to Saint Coletta, a home for the mentally retarded in southeastern Jefferson, Wisconsin.
Rosie died on January 7, 2005, at the age of 86.
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