We’ve learned the sad news today that screenwriter Brian Taggert passed away in Los Angeles, California at the age of 81 earlier this month, brought to our attention by The Wrap.

Early in his career, Taggert wrote a handful of horror films including 1977’s The Spell, 1978’s Night Cries, 1982’s Visiting Hours and 1983’s Of Unknown Origin, and he mostly stayed within the genre throughout his career. Taggert has a “story by” credit on Sean Cunningham’s The New Kids, and he also wrote both Poltergeist III and Omen IV: The Awakening.

Taggert’s other writing credits include the Rutger Hauer-starring Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1991’s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, and 1997’s Stephen King adaptation Trucks.

He also wrote episodes of “V” and “V: The Final Battle.”