7. David A. Kennedy
The fourth child of Ethel and Robert Kennedy was David A. Kennedy. David was an introvert, often described as shy. However, he and his father shared a close bond. David started his misfortunes at the age of 13 when he almost drowned in the ocean while at the beach house of a family friend. David was taken down by a wave and unable to surface himself, his father witnessed what happened and went in to save him. Years later, David was watching a news report on his father’s win of the California presidential primary election when his father was assassinated. The horrific news report affected David in a way he never thought possible.
To cope with the suffering, he took to using heavy drugs. In the midst of David’s drug addition, he was involved in an accident involving his brother Joseph rolling his Jeep. The accident left David with a few fractured vertebrae and his girlfriend paralyzed. David’s addiction quickly grew, adding in painkillers and heroin. Despite the drugs, David returned to Harvard College for two more years to earn a degree in American history. He dropped out of college when his family started receiving kidnapping threats. After a few years of staying with family, David moved to New York City. While there he was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis, caused by recreational drugs. These same drugs led to David Kennedy’s death. He was pronounced dead after being found in a Miami by a hotel attendant.