Joseph Brooks suicide Joseph Brooks suicide. Joseph Brooks, the Oscar-winning songwriter awaiting trial on sex crime charges, was found dead Sunday of an apparent suicide in his New York City apartment, police say. He was 73 years old. His body was found in his Upper East Side apartment with a plastic dry cleaning bag around his head and a towel around his neck. His body was near a helium tank with a hose on it and a suicide note. He allegedly lured the women to his apartment to audition for movie roles. He was indicted on June 23, 2009. He was being tried by Manhattan’s state Supreme Court for 91 counts and charged with rape, sexual abuse, criminal sexual act, assault, and other charges According to the Associated Press, the 73-year-old’s body was discovered on a couch in his Upper East Side apartment by a friend on Sunday afternoon. In October 1977 “You Light Up My Life” reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 popularity charts where it held the top positi...