Brittany Murphy had already decided: 2010 would be her year. After nearly four years away from the big screen (save a few small films released on DVD and voice-over work in 2006's animated hit Happy Feet), the doe-eyed, raspy-voiced actress was set to make a comeback, appearing in at least three new movies, all thrillers. More important, Brittany, who married screenwriter Simon Monjack in 2007, was excited to start a family. "I've been wanting to have a baby since I was a baby," she told Life & Style in 2008. "Ever since I met the love of my life, I've wanted to have a large family. I'm trying next year!"

Tragically, neither her career comeback nor her plan to have a child ever came to pass. She died from cardiac arrest on the morning of Dec. 20, 2009. She was just 32 years old.

Shocked and grief-stricken, Brittany's friends and former colleagues were quick to share loving memories of the bubbly young star. "She's as sweet a soul as I've ever encountered," her Sin City director, Frank Miller, told Life & Style. Designer and close pal Tiffany Saidnia agreed. "She was such a sincere person and wanted the best for everyone around her," she told
Life & Style. "She was compassionate and caring."

"She had the voice of an angel and a genuine heart of gold," her Clueless co-star Donald Faison said in a statement. "I'm very happy to have known and worked with such a special person. My heart goes out to her loved ones."

Yet while news of Brittany's untimely death has been met with profound sadness, it has also stirred enormous suspicions. What would cause a seemingly healthy 32-year-old woman to suffer a fatal heart attack? Although toxicology reports and the results of her autopsy will not be available for several weeks, two conditions are already widely assumed to have contributed to her death: a long-term struggle with her weight and possible abuse of prescription drugs.

For more on Brittany, pick up the latest issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!

Photo Credit: Retna