▁of ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁after ▁sent encing , ▁Ban er je e ' s ▁body ▁was ▁found ▁lying ▁in ▁his ▁lin en - free ▁cell ▁dead ▁from ▁what ▁was ▁officially ▁term ed ▁a ▁self - inf lic ted ▁h anging . ▁It ▁was ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁Ban er je e ▁wanted ▁to ▁shield ▁his ▁wife ▁from ▁a ▁wrong ful ▁death ▁law suit ▁and ▁from ▁a ▁$ 1 . 7 5 ▁million ▁fine ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁( Ch ipp end ales ▁was ▁worth ▁consider ably ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 . 7 5 ▁million ); ▁he ▁killed ▁himself ▁before ▁his ▁trial ▁was ▁techn ically ▁completed . ▁ ▁The ▁entire ty ▁of ▁Ban er je e ' s ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁Ch ipp end ales ▁corpor ation ▁and ▁his ▁estate ▁were ▁passed ▁on , ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁a ▁$ 1 . 7 5 ▁million ▁fine ▁and ▁any ▁successful ▁law suit ▁by ▁the ▁De ▁No ia ▁family , ▁to ▁his ▁wife ▁I rene , ▁who ▁there after ▁sold ▁the ▁company ▁( without , ▁according ▁to ▁court ▁records , ▁N ah in ' s ▁knowledge ▁and ▁without ▁first ▁obtain ing ▁N ah in ' s ▁permission ) ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁current ▁owner , ▁Ch ipp end ales ▁USA . ▁Mer ritt ▁st aged ▁shows ▁at ▁various ▁Ch ipp end ales ▁clubs ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁I rene ▁died ▁of ▁breast ▁cancer ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s .