Evan Wright, the award-winning journalist whose embedded reporting from the 2003 invasion of Iraq became Generation Kill and an HBO miniseries, died at his Los Angeles home on July 12, 2024. He was 59.
How Evan Wright died
Rolling Stone reported that Wright died by suicide, attributing the cause to his family; the publication also said his wife confirmed his death. Rolling Stone’s July 14, 2024, obituary and The Washington Post’s July 16, 2024, obituary reported his death. Neither account establishes a broader explanation for it.
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From ‘The Killer Elite’ to Generation Kill
In 2003, Wright embedded with the U.S. Marine First Reconnaissance Battalion during the invasion of Iraq. His dispatches became the three-part Rolling Stone series “The Killer Elite,” recognized with the 2004 National Magazine Award for reporting. Rolling Stone identifies the category as Excellence in Reporting.
The award citation, reproduced by The Washington Post, praised Wright for earning the trust of Bravo Company Marines while depicting both their “cold-bloodedness” and their humanity. It called the story “Brilliant down to the last detail.”
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Wright expanded the reporting into the 2004 book Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War. In 2008, HBO adapted the book as a miniseries. Wright co-wrote it with David Simon and Ed Burns, and Lee Tergesen portrayed Wright on screen.
A career beyond war reporting
Wright also reported from Afghanistan and wrote about crime, subcultures and political movements. His Rolling Stone features included subjects as varied as Shakira, Quentin Tarantino and boxer Lucia Rijker. He also contributed to Time and Vanity Fair.
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His other books ranged across subjects and forms:
- Hella Nation (2009), a collection of magazine writing that included Wright’s reflection on his approach: “With few exceptions, my intent has always been to focus on my subjects in all of their imperfect glory.”
- American Desperado (2011), a life story co-written with Jon Roberts.
- How to Get Away With Murder in America (2012), about crime and investigation.
- The Seed: A Memoir, about Wright’s youth at the Seed center.
Rolling Stone also reported that Wright was featured in the HBO docuseries Teen Torture Inc.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Wright’s connection to the Marines he covered
Wright was born in Cleveland on December 28, 1964, and graduated from Vassar College in 1987 with a degree in medieval and Renaissance studies. He was a reporter, not a Marine, but his time with the battalion left a strong impression on those he covered. Lt. Nathan Fick, quoted by Rolling Stone, remembered him as “a good and gentle guy in a place that was neither good nor gentle,” and said many who served alongside Wright considered him “one of us.”
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David Simon, his co-writer on the HBO adaptation, called Wright “a fine journalist and storyteller” and said his contributions to the scripting and filming of Generation Kill were “elemental.”
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