PETER DUEL KILLED BY GUNSHOT
Rochester Times Union, December 31, 1971

Peter Duel, 31, Rochester-born star of television's "Alias Smith and Jones," was found shot to death early today in his Hollywood Hills home, police reported.

Coroner's officials said the young actor was shot in the head.

Police said Duel's body was discovered at 1:30 p.m. after an anonymous phone call to authorities. The body was on the living room floor, Duel had been shot with a .38-caliber weapon, they said.

Police reported they were questioning two persons. Both were guests in the Duel home, and one was reportedly a girl friend, Diane Ray.

Los Angeles police said the death is an apparent suicide but they haven't ruled out the possibility of homicide.

Duel was the son of Dr. and Mrs. Ellsworth S. Deuel, 1790 Penfield. The actor had dropped the first "e" in his name for professional reasons. He graduated from Penfield High School in 1957.

Duel played the role of Hannibal Heyes, alias Thaddeus Jones [sic], in the ABC Network western series, opposite actor Ben Murphy.

The 6-foot-tall dark-haired bachelor first became interested in drama as a student at St. Lawrence University, where he majored in English, drama, and psychology.

The Deuel family has had a long line of physicians, but his father urged him to try acting.

Dr. Deuel saw his son perform in a college production of "The Rose Tattoo," and said to him, "Peter, why don't you go to New York now and stop wasting your time and my money?"

In New York, he successfully auditioned for the American Theater Wing and spent two years studying and appearing in plays. This led to summer stock and an occasional television appearance.

He performed in the national company of "Take Her, She's Mine," with Tom Ewell. Part of the tour included Hollywood, to which he decided to return after the run.

He moved there in 1963.

Duel said at the time, "I suddenly realized that you could be in 10 Broadway hits in a row and remain relatively unknown to the majority of the public, whereas a few, choice television exposures could really chain reaction your career. And television means Hollywood."

He got his first break with a role in the film "Wounded in Action." This was followed by bigger and better roles in television shows such as "Combat," The Fugitive," "The Name of the Game," "The Virginian," and the "Bold Ones."

He later appeared as the brother-in-law in the "Gidget" series and then starred in "Love on a Rooftop."

Then came "Alias :..."