
42502 Valley Vista Dr., Lancaster, CA 93536
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Author: Jewls Krueger
Aaron Carter rose to fame as a child pop star in the late 1990s, the younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter. On November 5, 2022, he was found dead in the bathtub of his home in Lancaster, California, at the age of 34. Five months later, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner ruled his death an accidental drowning tied to the effects of an inhalant and a prescription sedative. The house, a large property in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles, has since been sold and remodeled.

Aaron Charles Carter was born December 7, 1987, in Tampa, Florida, the fraternal twin of his sister Angel and the younger brother of Nick Carter. He made his first solo appearance at age nine, opening for the Backstreet Boys in Berlin in March 1997. His self-titled debut album followed later that year and sold about a million copies worldwide.
His breakthrough came in 2000 with "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)," which sold three million copies in the United States and produced the hits "I Want Candy" and "That's How I Beat Shaq." He toured with the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, made guest appearances on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, and appeared on the Disney series Lizzie McGuire in 2001. In 2006, he starred alongside his siblings in the E! reality series House of Carters.
As an adult, Carter spoke openly about his struggles with addiction and mental health. In 2019 he said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He was engaged to Melanie Martin, with whom he had a son, Prince, born in late 2021.
On the morning of November 5, 2022, Carter was found submerged and unresponsive in the bathtub at his Lancaster home by his housekeeper, who called 911 and was instructed to begin CPR. Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a medical emergency call at the property, on the 42000 block of Valley Vista Drive. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 11:14 a.m. He was 34.
Book Recommendation

"Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life" collects the memoir Carter was writing with Andy Symonds before his death. Published unfinished, with the writer's notes left in, it is a raw, candid look at fame, family, and his mental health.
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On April 18, 2023, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner announced that Carter's death was an accident. The office determined the cause of death was drowning due to the effects of difluoroethane, an aerosol propellant found in spray cans, and alprazolam, the sedative commonly known as Xanax. The full autopsy had been completed the day after his death, and the cause was certified that April once toxicology results were in. Members of Carter's family had earlier questioned the findings and pushed for a further investigation.
Carter's death drew tributes from across the music world. His brother Nick wrote that his "heart is broken" and described addiction and mental illness as "the real villain here." His twin sister Angel and his former girlfriend Hilary Duff, who co-starred with him on Lizzie McGuire, also posted remembrances, as did Lance Bass, Paris Hilton, and members of NSYNC and New Kids on the Block.
The Carter family has continued to speak publicly about his life and death. In 2025, his twin sister Angel took part in a documentary, "The Carters: Hurts to Love You," aimed at raising awareness about mental illness. The Backstreet Boys have honored Aaron during concerts, with Nick growing emotional during a tribute in London. The family has grieved further losses as well, including sister Bobbie Jean Carter, who died in 2023.
The home where Carter died is a seven-bedroom property with a pool and hot tub, set in the Antelope Valley high desert north of Los Angeles. Carter had listed it for sale himself about a month before his death. Because he died without a will, the house was sold through probate, with proceeds directed into a trust for his young son. The sale closed in August 2023 for $765,000, and the bathroom where he died was remodeled before a new family moved in.
The property is a private residence and is now home to people with no connection to the case. Anyone curious about the location should view it only from public streets, avoid contacting or photographing the current occupants, and remember that this remains someone's home.