Kriti Mehrotra
While it has been well over 60 years since legendary actress Marilyn Monroe passed away, the circumstances behind her death continue to haunt many. That’s because there have been several accounts of what really happened to her on the fateful evening of August 4, 1962, inside her home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles. However, Fox’s/Hulu’s ‘Celebrity Crime Scene: Marilyn Monroe’ reinvestigates the matter to challenge the official account and hopefully reach a more comprehensive conclusion.
Marilyn Monroe’s Cause of Death Was Determined to be a Probable Suicide
Although Marilyn Monroe was arguably one of the most popular names in the entertainment industry throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, she did have her fair share of struggles. Not only were some of her early years traumatic, but she was later reportedly also diagnosed with depression and was widely reported to have struggled with substance abuse. Prior to the summer of 1962, she had allegedly survived two prior suicide attempts by calling for medical help. According to the show, Marilyn’s mental health issues in 1962 were likely exacerbated by her recent divorce from Arthur Miller and her firing from ‘Something’s Got to Give.’ However, she had a rather normal day on August 4, taking meetings and planning for the future.
Things reportedly took a turn in the afternoon as she called her psychiatrist. He remained with her for a few hours, as per the show, reportedly asking her housekeeper to stay the night and keep an eye on her before leaving. It is believed he left at around 7 pm, shortly after which Marilyn allegedly locked herself in her room and spoke on the phone with actor Peter Lawford. He later claimed she had somberly asked him to say goodbye to her loved ones. According to the housekeeper’s account, she noticed the light in Marilyn’s room was on at around 3 am on August 5 and tried to open the door, only to find it locked. She claims she then went outside, looked through a window, and saw her lying seemingly unresponsive, so she called the psychiatrist. When the doctor arrived, he allegedly broke the window to go in.
Yet, it wasn’t until around 4:30 am that the authorities were called, following which the star was taken in for an autopsy. The Los Angeles County coroner’s report ascertained her cause of death as a “probable suicide” from an overdose of her prescription medications. Not only was a lethal combination of medications found in her system, but there were also numerous pill bottles on her bedside, one of which had been filled with 50 tablets just a day prior, but was now empty. Her reported call with Peter Lawford, her mental health issues, and the fact that she was found still gripping her phone also played a role here, especially as they seemed consistent with the pattern of her two alleged prior survived suicide attempts.
Many Theories Allege Marilyn Monroe Was Killed and the Crime Scene Staged
Although the official account of Marilyn’s death details that her housekeeper told authorities she saw the actress’ bedroom light on at around 3 am, she had allegedly initially said midnight. Her publicist also claimed to have been called by someone at 10:30 pm that evening, who said there was a “problem at” the star’s home, and a neighbor reported seeing men in suits carrying boxes around midnight. Even an ambulance service provider once claimed that they had been called to her home in the early morning hours of the fateful day, as per the show. According to the ambulance provider, Marilyn was alive but in a coma from the drugs she had ingested, but she died on the way to the hospital. That’s when she was taken back home, placed into bed, and then the authorities were called.
A few of the many reasons behind these conspiracy theories are that while Marilyn had officially died of an overdose, there was no water bottle or glass around her to suggest she had swallowed pills. Moreover, according to records, her bedsheets were almost too pristine to suggest a drug overdose, and there was also a clear lack of any vomit or bodily functions. As per the show, the window also seemed broken from the inside out rather than the other way around, because the glass pieces were shattered outside, not in. The fact that Marilyn’s housekeeper claimed to have been doing laundry when she found Marilyn at 3 am also seemed strange, making many suspect the scene was staged to suggest suicide.
As for how Marilyn died, these theories suggest she was killed owing to her alleged affairs with both Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy. According to some hypotheses, the men allegedly divulged sensitive information to her during their time together, and she reportedly threatened to expose them after an alleged falling-out with Robert mere days earlier. These theories claim her home was already bugged by the FBI as they feared her leaking said secrets to communists or communist sympathizers, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.
As per these theories, she was murdered by the FBI or the CIA, and that’s why witnesses also saw men in suits carrying boxes out of her home. Another theory suggests she was taken out by the mafia as they wished to get back at the Attorney General and the President for cracking down on them. In other words, although Marilyn’s death was officially ruled a probable suicide, alternative claims have continued to circulate for decades. They allege she was killed and her room was staged to appear as if she had taken her own life, but no conclusive evidence has ever emerged to substantiate them.
Read More: What Pills Did Marilyn Monroe Take? What Caused Her Death?
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