Industry News
The Rocky Mountains in Colorado are known for its beauty and breathtaking views of snow-capped mountain peaks and majestic valleys. It is hard to imagine anyone who would not want to own a house located in such a beautiful place. However, living in the Rockies which provides amazing views, the beauty of nature, and the ultimate privacy comes with a price tag.
The French entertainer Claudine Longet is selling her 5.4 acre Aspen estate on the market for $59.5 million dollars. The property listing by Lex Tarumianz of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty and Brian Hazen at Coldwell Banker Mason Morse describes the estate as “Aspen’s last great property.”
- Related Article: For Sale: $3.2-Million Aspen, CO Home Built by Spider Sabich and Where he Was Shot and Killed
The estate was first listed at $80 million in June 2023, but the price dropped to $59.5 million in July after deciding to divide the land into two lots. The property consists of a main house and a guest house and has lots of trees, meadows, and ponds, and includes water rights. The main house is considered rustic and offers three bedrooms and bathrooms and is about 3,500 square feet. There is also a 1,400 square foot guest house which has one bedroom and bathroom and a detached two-car garage which is privately hidden away from the main house off in the treeline.
There is a lot of history at the Aspen estate consisting of a Hollywood mystery, drug and alcohol abuse, tragedy, and murder.
Longet is a famous singer-actress who released numerous albums and appeared in many TV shows and movies in the 1960s. She married famous actor Andy Williams in the 1960s but they were divorced by 1970. Longest then moved to Aspen and met Vladimir “Spider” Sabich at a celebrity ski event, who was the most well-known American skier at the time.
The two quickly became an item and were the biggest Aspen couple at the time due to their celebrity status. They were both known for living the Hollywood life and it was not abnormal to see them partying it up, doing drugs, and other party-related activities. Spider’s brother, Steve Sabich said, “Spider smoked, drank, and did whatever all of us did. Let’s not forget, those were the ’60s and ’70s.”
In 1973, Spider Sabich invited Longet and her three kids to move in with him at his Aspen estate. It was a big change for the bachelor who was used to partying and being very good with the ladies. His days of partying and socializing were over and that obviously caused some strain in the relationship between Spider and Claudine.
On March 12, 1976, things turned deadly when Spider returned home from skiing in Aspen and went to take a shower in the bathroom. Longet walked into the bathroom with an imitation World War II Luger pistol and shot him once in the stomach. Longet said it was an accident and she was showing the gun to Spider when it accidentally went off. Spider died of his gunshot wound to his stomach while being rushed to the hospital.
At the time this was just not big news in the skiing world but it made headlines throughout the world. The prosecution was seeking felony-reckless manslaughter, but it was reduced to a misdemeanor of criminally negligent homicide. Longet was given a fine of $250 and thirty days in county jail to be served “at a time of her choosing.” It took years for her to serve the thirty day sentence and she mostly did it on the weekends. The world was in disbelief at how Longet could have gotten away with murdering one of the last great international ski stars. After all, this was the 70s and skiing was one of the most popular international sports at the time.
Longet and her now-husband, Ron Austin, have owned the 5.4-acre private Aspen estate since 1980. Austin was the attorney who represented her at the trial of the murder of Spider in 1973, and Longet and Austin now spend most of their time in Hawaii.
If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind house, with amazing views of the Rockies, privacy, and a history of Hollywood parties and mystery, this is the house for you.
Additional Photos
