The long line of troubled former child actors continued yesterday, as 25-year-old actor Brad Renfro was found dead in his home. Renfro starred in films such as “The Client” and “Ghost World.” He started acting at age 12 after being discovered by director Joel Schumacher, who put him in “The Client.” Renfro also had prominent roles in “Sleepers” and “Apt Pupil” and filmed roles in the upcoming films “The Informers” and “Joe the Engineer,” both of which will be released later this year.

People says that Renfro spent the night with friends at a Los Angeles-area apartment and died Tuesday morning. However the Los Angeles Times says otherwise.

Authorities said Renfro’s body was discovered in his Wilshire area home in the 1000 block of South Ogden Drive by his girlfriend. He was declared dead by paramedics at 9 a.m., said coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter.

[From the Los Angeles Times]

Both stories note that he drank alcohol the night before he died, and his friends reported hearing him snoring at various points throughout the night. Brad Renfro had struggled with addiction issues for many years. In December 2005, the LAPD conducted a drug sweep on Skid Row and brought along the L.A. Times. Brad was arrested during the operation, and his photo was plastered on magazines and newspapers around the country, showing visible track marks. He admitted he was using heroin and methadone, and pleaded guilty to attempted possession of heroin. In 1997 he tried to steal a yacht, and was given two years probation. This past June he was found in violation of his 2005 parole for not enrolling in long-term drug treatment. He was given a warning.

The Los Angeles county coroner’s chief investigator, Craig Harvey, says that a drug overdose is a possibility due to Renfro’s history. So far it’s only been confirmed that Renfro drank alcohol the night before his death.

Drug overdose is “obviously it’s a possibility considering his history, but right now all we have is the history of his drinking the previous night,” Harvey says. “All that we have is that he was last known to be alive during the morning hours and he was snoring.”

[From People]

Such a sad story, and a powerful testament to the hold addiction has over people. We wish peace for his family and friends.

Picture note by Jaybird: Brad Renfro and his date at “The Jacket” Los Angeles Premiere in February 2005. Images thanks to PR Photos.