Sondra Herold, the Connecticut woman whose beloved 200-pound chimp Travis severely mauled her friend, died last night of an aortic aneurysm. Her lawyer said, "Ms. Herold had suffered a series of heartbreaking losses over the last several years, beginning with the death of her only child, then her husband, then her beloved chimp Travis, as well as the tragic maiming of friend and employee Charla Nash. In the end, her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more."
Stamford resident Herold had treated Travis like a member of the family, feeding him filet mignon and lobster tails and letting him sleep in bed with her. But one day last year, he seemed to be out of sorts and she called Nash for help. Travis ended up ripping off Nash's hands, nose, lips and eyelids and was stopped when a police officer shot him.
Nash's family sued Herold for $50 million last year, and Herold's defense was that since Nash was an employee and Travis was part of the business, Nash's claim would be considered worker's comp. Herold did not face criminal charges for the mauling. Her lawyer Robert Golger said he expected Nash's lawsuit to continue,"The stress of defending a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and all that it entailed also weighed heavy on Sandy. She hated living alone in a house where she faced constant reminders of the vibrant and happy life she once led with her family and friends."
