It was today, March 17th, back in 1989, that actor Merritt Butrick passed away. Butrick played a total of two roles in Star Trek: first as Kirk’s son David in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and then as T’Jon in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season one episode “Symbiosis”.

Butrick had a relatively short acting career. It started in 1981 with a small role in the TV series Hill Street Blues. He played a rapist in an episode called “Presidential Fever”, coincidentally directed by Robert Butler, who had previously directed Star Trek’s original pilot, “The Cage”. Butrick also played Johnny Slash in the sitcom Square Pegs, which starred a teenage Sarah Jessica Parker.

Sadly, Butrick’s career was cut short when he died tragically in 1989, of complications from AIDS. He was just 29 years old.