By . Alex Greg for MailOnline . The third wife of beloved TV comic actor Phil Hartman, who shot him dead in a murder-suicide in 1998, wrote a venomous four-page letter to his former wife threatening to 'rip [her] eyes out.' For the first time since Hartman's death 17 years ago, the events leading up to his untimely death are being revealed in a new book, You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. One episode related by Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain proved a terrifying portent of the fury that would see him die at the hands of Brynn Hartman. Tumultuous: Phil and Brynn Hartman were married for 11 years before she fatally shot him as he slept in 1998, then hours later shot herself . Volatile: Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain says that Brynn Hartman sent her a venomous letter telling her to stay away from Hartman and herself after Strain sent a card congratulating them on the birth of their first child . Strain sent a card to Brynn and Phil Hartman congratulating them on the birth of their son Sean Edward in 1988. In return, she received a hate-filled letter that shook her to her core. Brynn Hartman threatened Strain's life and warned her that if she contacted Hartman again she would 'rip my eyes out,' Strain told author Mike Thomas. Strain was so concerned she called Hartman and told him about the vicious letter. Hartman told her that he was partly to blame for the diatribe, because when Brynn has asked him if Strain had been his soul-mate, he said yes. She was horrified to learn that Hartman was aware of the letter - and had even been privy to an earlier draft version that was even worse. Beloved: Hartman got his start on SNL (seen left as Eugene with John Goodman in Anally Retentive Chef skit 1989); A new book documents the life and times of Hartman as well as his untimely death at 49 . She hung up on him and did not speak to her ex-husband again for two years. Ten years after that phone call, Phil Hartman was shot dead by his wife at the home they shared with their two children. Friends of the couple said the couple's confrontations in their sometimes-troubled marriage were fuelled by Brynn's temper and her problems with drugs and alcohol. A pattern emerged in which Hartman would withdraw into himself when Brynn worked herself into a rage, often going to bed and leaving her to cool down alone. That could be the scenario that took place the night Hartman was shot. His body was found in the couple's bed after Brynn pumped several shots into her husband's head. She drove to her friend Ron Douglas's house to tell him what had happened, but he didn't believe her until he saw Hartman's body in the bed. Douglas called 911 and as police were escorting the couple's two terrified children to safety, they heard a shot. Brynn Hartman had shot herself dead. Strain told The Courant in 1998 that Hartman was always a calming influence. They divorced in 1985 because 'we were both unable to do the work necessary to make a good thing better,' but remained friends, she said. 'He was a quiet man and a sensitive and gentle person.' You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman goes on sale September 23.
Phil Hartman's third wife Brynn Hartman wrote a vitriol-filled letter to his second wife Lisa Strain .
Strain had written the couple a card congratulating them on the birth of their first child .
Brynn threatened Strain's life and said if she contacted her again, she'd 'rip [her] eyes out'
Ten years after she sent the letter to Strain, Brynn shot Phil Hartman dead as he slept .
She shot herself dead shortly after .
By . Alex Greg for MailOnline . The third wife of beloved TV comic actor Phil Hartman, who shot him dead in a murder-suicide in 1998, wrote a venomous four-page letter to his former wife threatening to 'rip [her] eyes out.' For the first time since Hartman's death 17 years ago, the events leading up to his untimely death are being revealed in a new book, You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. One episode related by Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain proved a terrifying portent of the fury that would see him die at the hands of Brynn Hartman. Tumultuous: Phil and Brynn Hartman were married for 11 years before she fatally shot him as he slept in 1998, then hours later shot herself . Volatile: Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain says that Brynn Hartman sent her a venomous letter telling her to stay away from Hartman and herself after Strain sent a card congratulating them on the birth of their first child . Strain sent a card to Brynn and Phil Hartman congratulating them on the birth of their son Sean Edward in 1988. In return, she received a hate-filled letter that shook her to her core. Brynn Hartman threatened Strain's life and warned her that if she contacted Hartman again she would 'rip my eyes out,' Strain told author Mike Thomas. Strain was so concerned she called Hartman and told him about the vicious letter. Hartman told her that he was partly to blame for the diatribe, because when Brynn has asked him if Strain had been his soul-mate, he said yes. She was horrified to learn that Hartman was aware of the letter - and had even been privy to an earlier draft version that was even worse. Beloved: Hartman got his start on SNL (seen left as Eugene with John Goodman in Anally Retentive Chef skit 1989); A new book documents the life and times of Hartman as well as his untimely death at 49 . She hung up on him and did not speak to her ex-husband again for two years. Ten years after that phone call, Phil Hartman was shot dead by his wife at the home they shared with their two children. Friends of the couple said the couple's confrontations in their sometimes-troubled marriage were fuelled by Brynn's temper and her problems with drugs and alcohol. A pattern emerged in which Hartman would withdraw into himself when Brynn worked herself into a rage, often going to bed and leaving her to cool down alone. That could be the scenario that took place the night Hartman was shot. His body was found in the couple's bed after Brynn pumped several shots into her husband's head. She drove to her friend Ron Douglas's house to tell him what had happened, but he didn't believe her until he saw Hartman's body in the bed. Douglas called 911 and as police were escorting the couple's two terrified children to safety, they heard a shot. Brynn Hartman had shot herself dead. Strain told The Courant in 1998 that Hartman was always a calming influence. They divorced in 1985 because 'we were both unable to do the work necessary to make a good thing better,' but remained friends, she said. 'He was a quiet man and a sensitive and gentle person.' You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman goes on sale September 23.
dead in a murder-suicide in 1998, wrote a venomous four-page letter to his former wife threatening to 'rip [her] eyes out.' For the as he slept in 1998, then hours later shot herself . Volatile: Hartman's second wife Lisa congratulating them on the birth of their first child . Strain sent a card to Brynn and Phil Brynn Hartman threatened Strain's life and warned her that if she contacted Hartman again she would Strain had been his soul-mate, he said yes. She years after that phone call, Phil Hartman was