A marble bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen from his grave almost 40 years ago has been found by French police during an unrelated investigation in Paris. They came across the statue while working on a financial crime case. Morrison was living in the Marais area of Paris when he died in 1971.
His girlfriend, Pamela Courson, found him dead in the bathtub. The official cause of death was heart failure, worsened by heavy drinking. After he died at the age of 27, he was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, a place known for the graves of many famous people like Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde.
Jim Morrison’s bust was stolen seven years after it was made
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Jim Morrison’s bust stolen from his grave found
Carved out of white marble, covered in graffiti, the hefty bust disappeared in 1988. Now, 37 years later, the doe-eyed sculpture that once adorned the grave of the American singer Jim Morrison has been found, in… pic.twitter.com/YPcjvKmksz
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The marble statue was carved by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin and placed on Morrison’s grave in 1981. However, it was stolen just seven years later in 1988. For many years, no one knew where the bust had gone. Some fans believed it had been sold or destroyed.
After it was located, the Morrison family said they were glad to hear it had been found, but they have not confirmed whether it will be returned to the grave. The cemetery managers also mentioned that the police have not yet contacted them to return the bust.
Jim Morrison’s stolen bust is not the only controversy on his grave
Morrison’s grave has faced other issues over the years. It is a popular place for fans, but there have been so many controversies regarding the site. On the 20th anniversary of his death in 1991, a peaceful gathering made in his honor turned into a riot, and the police had to step in to control the crowd. Since then, the cemetery has increased security and added barriers for big events.
Before the riot, there were also reports of dangerous items near the grave, including a grenade found in 1980. Despite the cemetery rules, graffiti often appears on Morrison’s headstone and the surrounding graves, which upsets the cemetery staff. Still, Morrison’s grave remains one of the most visited places in Paris as fans see him as a key figure in music history.