Maybe his conscience caught up with him and he had a stroke. Just being sarcastic. I do find it interesting that no one seemed to know he was ill.
LATimes.. "Cochran died at his home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles of an inoperable brain tumor, according to his brother-in-law Bill Baker. His wife and his two sisters were with him at the time of his death."
I had heard he was ill...he took someone to court over the use of his name. Never heard if there was an outcome, just that he was ill and couldn't be in court.