Martin Short's Daughter Left Behind Suicide 'Note,' As Sources Reveal She Was MIA 24 Hours Before Her Death

Martin Short's daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, had a suicide note near her after her body was discovered, law enforcement sources reveal.

This comes after it was revealed that she legally changed her famous last name to "Hartley" in 2012, fearing harassment from future social work clients.

Katherine died from what is understood to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds on Monday, causing her father, Martin Short, to postpone upcoming dates on his comedy tour.

Law enforcement sources have revealed to TMZ that Short's daughter, Katherine's friend, was the one who raised an alarm about her and called the police after she had not been "heard from in 24 hours."

Katherine, 42, was then discovered behind a locked bedroom door with a "note" and a gun near her.

The latest update aligns with a released 911 audio, which hinted that a distressed caller was unable to enter a bedroom after hearing a gunshot.

Katherine has since been confirmed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

An autopsy was conducted, after which her body was released to her family. According to the medical examiner, her place of death was listed as her residence, and the cause was determined to be a "gunshot wound of [the] head."

The Short family has since released a statement expressing their "profound grief" following the death of Katherine.

"It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world," her family's statement read.

Sources close to the late Katherine described her as a wonderful person, noting that she had a service dog to assist with "mental illness."

She reportedly had another dog named Charlie who was "loving and comforting to her and made her feel safe."

The late Katherine was more concerned about giving her all in her line of work as a social worker than holding on to her claim to fame as the eldest daughter of the famous comedian and actor, Martin Short.

According to TMZ, she filed legal documents to change her name from "Katherine Elizabeth Short" to "Katherine Elizabeth Hartley" in 2012 as she feared harassment from future clients.

She explained her reason for the move in the document, saying, "My father is a public figure. I am a psychiatric social worker. I am concerned about potential harassment from future patients resulting from my association with my father."

A judge granted her request in early 2013, after which she mostly stayed out of the limelight and rarely attended public events with her famous father, Short.

It just goes to show how much Katherine was dedicated to her craft, as well as leaving a smile on people's faces, with her friends describing her as a "beautiful soul."

Following Katherine's sad passing, Short has postponed upcoming dates on his joint comedy tour with longtime friend and partner Steven Martin.

They were supposed to perform their live show "The Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short" to audiences in Milwaukee and Minneapolis this weekend. However, the venue websites announced in an update that the performances have been delayed, per Fox News Digital.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Steve Martin & Martin Short's show, originally scheduled for Friday, February 27th in Milwaukee, has been postponed.

Tickets will be honored for a future rescheduled date. We will be in contact with further news when it is available," the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee shared.

Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis also confirmed the update.

Katherine was the eldest child of 3 children Short adopted with his late wife, Nancy Dolman. The couple stayed married for about 30 years before Dolman died in 2010 after battling ovarian cancer.

The "Only Murders in the Building" actor has opened up about the challenges his children privately faced in the aftermath of their mother's death, acknowledging that her absence took a negative toll on them.

"It's been a tough two years for my children," he said in October 2012, per reports. "This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does, you gain a little, and you suffer a little. There's no big surprise."

Several years down the line, he then commented on how grief only evolves and doesn't fully go away.

"It's tough," he told AARP at the time. "I still communicate with her all the time. It's 'Hey, Nan,' you know?"

He added, "I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them. This idea that it just ends, and doesn't speak of them — that's wrong. That's based on the denial that we're all going to die. So to me, she's still here."