The name Judith Barsi may not ring a bell for everyone, but her voice is unmistakable to millions who grew up with a cheerful young dinosaur. She was a child actress with a promising career cut short in one of Hollywood’s most tragic murder-suicides. This guide walks through the verified facts, official sources, and lingering uncertainties about her life and death.

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Full name: Judith Eva Barsi ·
Born: June 6, 1978 ·
Died: July 25, 1988 ·
Notable role: Ducky in The Land Before Time ·
Career start: 1984 (commercials)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact timeline and details of alleged abuse not in public police records
  • Two audiotapes with abuse claims remain unverified by independent journalists
  • Number of uncredited TV appearances is uncertain
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • No new official records have surfaced since 1988
  • Online interest continues, especially around true-crime content
  • Legacy persists through her voice roles and cautionary discussions

Nine key facts about Judith Barsi, one pattern: her life was short but her career left a lasting impression.

Label Value
Full name Judith Eva Barsi
Date of birth June 6, 1978
Place of birth Los Angeles, California
Date of death July 25, 1988
Age at death 10 years
Cause of death Gunshot (murder-suicide)
Father Jozsef Barsi
Mother Maria Barsi
Most famous role Ducky in The Land Before Time

What is the latest verified information about Judith Barsi?

TL;DR: Judith Barsi’s death was ruled a murder-suicide by the Los Angeles Police. Her birth, career start, and filmography are documented by IMDb and Wikipedia. The official police file has never been released.

Confirmed biographical details

  • Judith Eva Barsi was born on June 6, 1978, in Los Angeles, California, according to IMDb (film database).
  • She was discovered at age 4 in a restaurant, as reported by IMDb.
  • Her parents were Hungarian immigrants Jozsef and Maria Barsi (Los Angeles Times).

How she began her acting career

  • She started in television commercials, appearing in roughly 50 spots, per the Los Angeles Times.
  • Her first credited TV role came in 1984 on the sitcom “Happy Herman” (Wikipedia).
  • She later appeared in TV series including The Twilight Zone and Punky Brewster (Wikipedia).

Circumstances of her death as reported

  • On July 25, 1988, Judith and her mother Maria were killed in an apparent murder-suicide initiated by Jozsef Barsi (Los Angeles Times).
  • Jozsef shot both before turning the gun on himself (Wikipedia).
  • The family home was in West Hills, San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles Times).
Why this matters

The official police report, not publicly available, forms the backbone of the story. Media accounts rely on that single source, making the exact chain of events harder to verify independently.

The implication: all confirmed details trace back to the same police account published in the Los Angeles Times on July 28, 1988.

What should readers know first about Judith Barsi?

Who she was as an actress

  • Judith Barsi was an American child actress who began working in commercials and moved to film (Wikipedia).
  • Her film debut was in Jaws: The Revenge (1987), playing Thea (Los Angeles Times).
  • She completed voice work for two animated features that were released after her death (Wikipedia).

Her most recognized voice role