The Tragic Life And Death Of Sid Vicious

May 2024 · 2 minute read

In October 1978, Sid Vicious woke up in a drug-induced haze at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, where he found Nancy Spungen dead in the bathroom from a stab wound. Vicious was the obvious and immediate suspect. 

Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren expressed doubt that Vicious could have done such a thing and described the night of the incident to The Guardian. "Sid was the sucker. The stupid, clumsy fool that night at the Chelsea Hotel. He passed out on the bed, having taken fistfuls of Tuinal. All around him, drug dealers, friends of Nancy came and went from room 100." In the documentary, Who Killed Nancy?, McLaren shares that he believes Spungen died in a fight with a party goer. "Money was stolen and Sid's knife ... was taken from the wall where it was hung and seemingly used by someone defending themselves in a struggle with Nancy. Nancy was no pushover ... Probably, she caught this person stealing money from the bedroom drawer," he said. 

According to The Independent, Vicious was seen wandering the hallways when he was arrested and charged with her murder. Though Vicious had initially confessed, he later denied it, claiming he had been asleep when it happened. 

Ten days after her death, Vicious attempted suicide by slitting his wrists, as reported by the Guardian.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

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