TV writer, Caitlyn Jenner co-author, dies in Runyon

William Hasley, a writer who worked on TV shows such as ‘The Smurfs’ and wrote an inspiring book with Caitlyn Jenner, has been identified as the walker who found dead on Saturday evening, the popular Runyon Canyon trail in Hollywood. He was 78.

Hasley was previously married to ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ actress Robin Riker. His death comes just two weeks after a man in his 40s died of cardiac arrest on the same track.

The Los Angeles Fire Department told the Daily Mail: “LAFD Air Operations brought rescuers to the patient and medical treatment was administered.” Officials subsequently pronounced Hasley dead at the scene.

A native of Pittsburgh, Hasley graduated from Marshall U., where he played football and ran cross country, according to his official biography. He got his start in animation, writing for Hanna-Barbera and film shows “The Smurfs” and “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.”

Always a sports fan, he worked with NBC-TV on the special “Star Salute to the US Olympic Team,” where he met Caitlyn Jenner. Jenner commissioned Halsey to write the motivational book “Finding the Champion Within” for Simon & Schuster. He went on to write other motivational books, including ‘Passion, Profit & Power’ and ‘The Slight Edge’. He also wrote ‘Chasing the Wind, The Autobiography of Steve Fossett’ and was producer of two TV specials about the mysterious kite.

He worked on developing the pilot “Borderline Heroes,” which was sold to ABC, and wrote the half-hour comedy pilot “Steeltown” for Castle Rock Entertainment and developed the pilot “Brooklyn District.”

Hasley then worked with Oliver Stone and Gerald Green as a writer on ‘Defiance’ and wrote episodes of ‘The Young Riders’ and ‘Swift Justice’.

He also taught writing at UCLA and participated in numerous charity events.