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Details about the final moments in the life of a former American Idol star who was found dead in her home earlier this month have been revealed, including information that suggests the late star had “no way to call for help.”
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An Unexpected & Heartwrenching Loss
Mandisa Hundley, known simply as “Mandisa” to her fans, was found dead in her home near Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 18. She was 47.
A day later, on Friday, April 19, the Franklin Police Department announced that they had opened an investigation into the late singer’s death. Then, on April 22, police released more information, saying that an autopsy had been completed and that authorities had no reason to believe that foul play was involved in Mandisa’s passing.
Mandisa’s home on Beamon Drive in Franklin, Tennessee/Credit: Zillow
A Powerful and Heartfelt Eulogy
Mandisa’s memorial service was held in Tennessee on Saturday, April 27, at Brentwood Baptist Church, and the late singer’s father, John Hundley, delivered her eulogy.
During the service, Hundley said that he had learned new information related to his daughter’s passing. He said that law enforcement still isn’t ready to release the details about Mandisa’s exact cause of death, but he added that he had more insight into the final moments just before she died.
Mandisa’s father, John Hundley, speaks at her memorial service on April 27, 2024/Credit: Brentwood Baptist Church, Tennessee
Hundley said that the late Christian recording artist was discovered on the floor of her bedroom.
“Here’s what I think happened,” Mr. Hundley began. “Mandisa fell down in her bedroom. They found her on the floor. If you look from the rear of her bed, she was laying on the left side. It’s clear that’s where she was laying, there was a couple of big rugs there and some clothes.”
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According to the late singer’s father, once Mandisa fell, she was unable to call for help.
“On the right side of the bed, front, was this nightstand. I found her phone on the right side of the bed,” her father explained. “There was no way for Mandisa to get around the bed, go out there, and get a phone to call for help.”
Mandisa Was Not a Victim of Self-Harm
Mandisa’s heartbroken father continued, stressing that Mandisa did not die from self-inflicted harm.
The late singer had been open about her struggles with depression over the years, so when she died unexpectedly, and at such a young age with no immediate cause of death noted, some began to speculate about the possibility of her death having been related to self-harm. But Mandisa’s father said that such speculation has no merit.
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Hundley said that his daughter had recently been ill and that at the time of her passing, she was recovering.
“She did not harm herself,” Hundley insisted. “As she said, Mandisa loved the Lord, and the Lord loved Mandisa. So there’s one thing you may not have known. She told me some time ago that she had gotten COVID-19, and she had been weak trying to get over that. But she was trying to press through. We talked so much on Easter morning, but I thought she was going to this conference, and so I had not called her recently but I’ve talked to her a lot.”
Her father added, “May she rest in peace now.”
The Death of a Unifier Leaves a Community in Mourning
Mandisa’s unexpected passing has shaken her fanbase, which is comprised of American Idol fans and gospel and Christian music fans, and has left a painful void in the lives of her friends, family, fans, and others who were moved–not only by her music but by her message as well–a message of hope, of peace, of understanding and compassion, and of truth.
On Monday evening, American Idol hosted a special tribute episode featuring former American Idol stars Danny Gokey, Melanie Dolittle, and Colton Dixon.
Credit: X/Mandisa Official
Fans of the late singer and songwriter have taken to social media to share their grief and what Mandisa and her music have meant to them over the years.
Her peers within the Contemporary Christian Music industry have also shared their admiration for Mandisa, as well as their shock at the news of her passing. TobyMac, another highly respected CCM recording artist who collaborated with Mandisa on several songs over the years, shared his feelings of loss on his X account, saying he was “honored to call her [his] friend.”
“We lost a beautiful soul,” he posted on X. “I have never met an artist who is more encouraging and supportive to other artists than Mandisa. She was honest and authentic, but I always left her side feeling better. I was honored to call her friend.”
We lost a beautiful soul…
I have never met an artist who is more encouraging and supportive to other artists than Mandisa. She was honest and authentic but I always left her side feeling better. I was honored to call her friend. pic.twitter.com/hrDeUzgn7i— TobyMac (@tobymac) April 22, 2024
You can watch Mandisa’s Celebration of Life Service below.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Mandisa’s family, friends, and fans during this understandably difficult time.
