 Villechaize said then that he had learned to love life, even though the pain was severe and intense.In the early morning hours of September 4, 1993, Villechaize is believed to have first fired a shot through the sliding glass patio door to awaken his longtime girlfriend, Kathy Self, before shooting himself at his North Hollywood home.Self found Villechaize in his backyard, and he was pronounced dead at a North Hollywood facility.