Russell Armstrong's Family Suspects He Was Murdered

For all the attention Bravo has drawn to suicide prevention by the apparent Aug. 15 suicide by hanging of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member Russell Armstrong, the family of Taylor Armstrong's late husband isn't buying that conclusion.

TMZ reports reports "sources" close with Armstrong's family claim family members believe that he didn't kill himself - he was murdered.

The family is reportedly in the process of retaining a private investigator that is looking into Armstrong's last days and the circumstances surrounding his death. Some believe that Armstrong developed money problems that got him involved "with the wrong people," according to TMZ.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" meanwhile premiered Monday night, with Armstrong's footage removed and candid recollections and insights from his wife Taylor - whose side of the story producers consider crucial to portraying Russell in a fair light - and other cast members.

It was revealed by Taylor that the couple was so "knee-deep" in couples therapy they hoped would repair their relationship, that Taylor claimed she was "sick of herself."

Meanwhile, cast members Lisa Vanderpump, Adrienne Maloof and Kyle Richards all joined the "NBC TODAY Show" Sept. 6 and expressed their frustration that pundits have claimed the show's magnifying glass on the Armstrongs' lives sped Russell's eventual collapse.

In addition to the present inquiry and the pressure on Bravo to sensitively edit around the now-removed footage of Russell Armstrong, the story has been further complicated by previous revelations that his death has left Taylor and his family in some dire financial straits.