Zachary Smith Reynolds

Zachary Smith Reynolds (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1932) was an American amateur aviator and youngest son of millionaire businessman R. J. Reynolds. The son of one of the richest men in the United States at the time, Reynolds was to inherit US$20 million when he turned 28 (equivalent to US$460 million in 2024), as established in his father's will.

During the early morning hours of July 6, 1932, Reynolds died of a gunshot wound to the head following a party on the family estate of the Reynolda House. A series of investigations revealed inconsistent testimony from the partygoers and signs of tampering with the crime scene. The death gained sensational media coverage after Reynolds' wife of a few months, Broadway performer Libby Holman, along with Reynolds' friend, Albert "Ab" Walker, were indicted for first-degree murder. The case was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence and at the request of the Reynolds family. Reynolds' death remains unsolved; based on the evidence and testimonies, it is unknown if it was a murder or a suicide.

Multiple films were inspired by the case, including the melodrama film Written on the Wind (1956). Reynolds' siblings donated their shares of his estate to form the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for the benefit of social causes in North Carolina.