William David Powell (February 27, 1925 – March 13, 1968) was an American writer and associate producer.

Parents:

William Powell

Eileen Wilson

Early life

Powell was the only child of actor William Powell and actress Eileen Wilson. His parents divorced in 1930.

Career

Powell went on to become a television writer, whose credits include episodes of Bonanza, Death Valley, 77 Sunset Strip and Rawhide.

He also worked as an associate producer at Warner Bros. and Universal Studios, and held an executive position at NBC.

Death

After suffering from depression, hepatitis and kidney problems that had forced him to quit writing, in 1968 he committed suicide by stabbing himself repeatedly in the upper body while in the shower. He left a four-page note addressed to his father, to whom he was still very close.

The last two sentences of this note were revealed to the public: "Things aren't so good here. I'm going where it's better."

Powell was buried at Cathedral City's Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California, where his father and his father's last wife, Diana Lewis, are also buried.