▁Life ▁Magazine , ▁The ▁Ton ight ▁Show ▁St arring ▁Johnny ▁Car son , ▁and ▁count less ▁newsp apers . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 7 3 , ▁she ▁could ▁be ▁seen ▁holding ▁her ▁motor ▁rig ' s ▁till er ▁with ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁a ▁be er ▁with ▁the ▁other , ▁we aring ▁a ▁full - length ▁le op ard - pattern ▁le ot ard . ▁Her ▁last ▁Grand ▁C any on ▁trip ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁approaching ▁her ▁ 8 0 th ▁birth day . ▁She ▁died ▁of ▁cancer ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁at ▁age ▁ 8 1 . ▁ ▁Following ▁her ▁death , ▁those ▁who ▁exam ined ▁her ▁personal ▁effects ▁found ▁artifact s ▁which ▁led ▁some ▁to ▁spec ulate ▁that ▁White ▁had , ▁in ▁fact , ▁been ▁B ess ie ▁Hy de , ▁the ▁woman ▁who ▁had ▁van ished ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁during ▁a ▁h one ym oon ▁float ▁of ▁the ▁Grand ▁C any on ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁Rum ors ▁had ▁flo ated ▁that ▁B ess ie ▁had ▁killed ▁her ▁ab us ive ▁husband ▁and ▁h ik ed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁C any on . ▁Among ▁White ' s ▁personal ▁effects ▁were ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁Hy des ' ▁marriage ▁license ▁and ▁a ▁p istol ▁in ▁her ▁l inger ie ▁dra wer . ▁However , ▁river ▁historian ▁Brad ▁Dim ock ▁and ▁White ' s ▁bi ograph er ▁Richard ▁West wood ▁have ▁disc ount ed ▁the ▁rum or