Doris Duke’s Newport tragedy: 59 years later, mystery around Eduardo Tirella’s death endures

NEWPORT, R.I. — Today marks the anniversary of one of Newport’s most infamous tragedies, the 1966 death of Eduardo Tirella, a designer and close associate of tobacco heiress Doris Duke, who struck and killed him with her car outside her Rough Point mansion.

On October 7, 1966, Duke and Tirella were leaving her Bellevue Avenue estate when the incident occurred. Tirella, 42, had exited the vehicle to open the heavy wrought-iron gates when, according to Duke’s account, she accidentally accelerated instead of braking. The car reportedly pinned Tirella against the gate, burst through it, and crashed into a tree. Tirella was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police quickly ruled the death an “unfortunate accident,” and Duke, one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time, faced no criminal charges. Tirella’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit and received a civil settlement.

But for decades, questions have lingered over what really happened that night.

Witnesses at the time recalled heated arguments between Duke and Tirella before the crash, and investigators later noted inconsistencies in her statements. Tirella had been planning to leave Duke’s employment to pursue a Hollywood career, a move some believe angered her.

In the years following the crash, Duke made a series of significant donations across Newport, including to the police department, local preservation groups, and community organizations. While there is no proven connection between these donations and the handling of Tirella’s death, some observers have suggested they helped preserve her influence and reputation in the city’s elite circles.

The case resurfaced in 2021 when a man who was 13 years old at the time, Bob Walker, came forward claiming he heard the crash and Tirella’s screams from a nearby property. His recollection reignited public interest and prompted Newport police to take another look at the decades-old file.

Despite renewed scrutiny, no new charges were filed, and the incident remains officially classified as an accident.

Rough Point, Duke’s former home and the site of the fatal crash, is now operated by the Newport Restoration Foundation as a museum. Visitors still pass through the same gates where Tirella lost his life nearly six decades ago, a somber reminder of the dark mystery that continues to shadow the legacy of one of America’s most enigmatic heiresses.