Remembering Daveigh Chase: Her Heartbreaking Role as a Child Killer in 'Cold Case'

Actress Daveigh Chase died Tuesday, a little more than one month before her 36th birthday. The Las Vegas-born performer passed away from meningitis and a blood infection which caused "septic issues and led to her body shutting down," her boyfriend Roy Hernandez told TMZ.

Chase, who took a long hiatus from acting starting in 2016, was best known for her roles in Lilo & Stitch, The Ring and Big Love. However, she also starred in "The Sleepover," a 2004 episode of the hit CBS crime drama Cold Case, in which Chase played a child killer, albeit an accidental one.

The episode, directed by Emilio Estevez, was set in 1990 and involved the murder of Rita Baxter, a shy and bookish 12-year-old who meets her untimely demise after an ill-fated trip to a classmate's house.

Chase's character killed Rita's--and the entire episode is heartbreaking

Chase portrays Ariel Shuman, one of Rita Baxter's classmates. A onetime friend of Rita's, Ariel, along with fellow mean girls Brandi and Tiffany, now regularly torments the quiet redhead.

A skeptical Rita is invited to a sleepover at Brandi's house, during which the three popular girls torture her, mocking her glasses and calling her "fat" and "ugly." At one point, Brandi suggests killing Rita, but Tiffany balks at the idea and later drinks herself into a stupor. Meanwhile, Brandi eventually tells Rita and Ariel to leave, informing the latter that she no longer wants to be friends and would not sit with her at the lunch table in school.

A devastated Ariel leaves with Rita, who tries to convince her former pal that she's better off without Brandi and they can resume their friendship. However, an angry Ariel shoves Rita, who as a result falls down a ravine and dies after hitting her head on a rock.

Ariel did not mean to murder Rita, but her fit of rage had tragic consequences. The entire ending, as well as Cold Case's trademark musically-enhanced closing sequence--this time with Edie Brickell's "Circle" as a soundtrack--can be found below.

Cold Case always knew how to tug at viewers' heartstrings, not only with its storylines and plot points but also its choice of accompanying music.

"The Sleepover" is one of the heart-wrenching episodes in the series; it is also tied for the eighth-highest rated Cold Case episode on IMDb with an 8.4/10 score.

It was also voted the fifth-best episode in the series' history on Ranker.com.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:05 PM.