Stacy Leigh Arthur was a former Playboy model and actress who rose to fame in 1991 as the Playmate of the Month for January. She was also featured on the cover of the same issue, wearing a pageant-style banner that said “Miss January 1991”. However, her life took a dark turn when her husband was killed by a fan in a murder-suicide, and she later sued Playboy for allegedly being raped by its employees. She died in 2019 at the age of 50 after a short battle with an undisclosed illness. This article will explore the tragic story of Stacy Leigh Arthur and her cause of death.
Contents
A Beauty Queen Turned Playboy Model
Stacy Leigh Arthur was born on June 4, 1968, in Naperville, Illinois. She was a beauty queen who competed in the Miss America contest in 1990, representing the state of Ohio. She was also Mrs. Ohio for the 1990 Mrs. America contest. She had a slim figure with a 23-inch waist and a 36D bust. She caught the attention of Playboy and was chosen as the Playmate of the Month for January 1991. She continued working for Playboy, appearing in numerous Playboy videos.
A Fan’s Obsession Turns Deadly
Stacy Leigh Arthur was married to James Alan Arthur, a 36-year-old businessman and father of three children from a previous marriage. They lived in Bellefontaine, Ohio, where they ran a car dealership. On October 29, 1991, a fan named James Lindberg, a 27-year-old unemployed man, shot and killed James Arthur on a street in Bellefontaine, and then killed himself. Lindberg had been obsessed with Stacy Arthur since he saw her in Playboy. He had written her letters, called her, and even visited her at her home. He had also threatened to kill her husband if she did not leave him. Stacy Arthur was not at home when the shooting occurred, but she was devastated by the loss of her husband.
A Rape Allegation and a Lawsuit Against Playboy
In 1992, Stacy Leigh Arthur filed a $70 million lawsuit against Playboy and others, alleging that she was raped and sodomized by three Playboy employees at the Playboy Mansion on October 6, 1991, just three weeks before her husband’s murder. She claimed that two security guards and a butler drugged her, then raped and sodomized her. She also claimed that Playboy’s inaction led to the death of her husband, as Lindberg had seen her at the mansion and became enraged. Playboy denied the allegations and severed its ties with Arthur. The case was dismissed by a judge in 1994, who ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support Arthur’s claims. The judge also noted that there were many inconsistencies in Arthur’s statements, while the three employees maintained that the sex was consensual. The employees were fired by Playboy for violating the company policy by having sex during working hours.
A Life Out of the Limelight and a Mysterious Illness
After the lawsuit, Stacy Leigh Arthur decided to stay out of the limelight and moved to Florida with her son from a previous marriage. She remarried twice, first to a man named Trevorrow, and then to a man named Becktel. She changed her name to Stacy Leigh Becktel. She rarely made any public appearances or gave any interviews. She died on April 5, 2019, at the age of 50, after a short battle with an undisclosed illness. Her death was confirmed by her son, who posted a tribute to her on Facebook. The cause of her death was not revealed to the public.
A Legacy of Beauty and Tragedy
Stacy Leigh Arthur was a beautiful and talented woman who achieved fame and success as a Playboy model and actress. However, she also faced a lot of tragedy and trauma in her life, such as the murder of her husband, the rape allegation, and the lawsuit against Playboy. She died at a relatively young age, leaving behind a legacy of beauty and tragedy. Her story was featured in the first episode of the first season of “The Playboy Murders” titled “All That Glitters” that aired on January 30, 2023, on Investigation Discovery. The episode explored the details of her husband’s murder, her rape allegation, and her lawsuit against Playboy. It also interviewed some of her friends and family members, who shared their memories of her.
