Marilyn Monroe: Part Three - I sin, but I’m not the Devil

In Part Three of our story, Marilyn Monroe: I Sin, but I’m not the Devil, we delve deep into the perplexing circumstances surrounding the Hollywood icon's untimely demise. As our story unfolds, conflicting accounts emerge, raising doubts about the official version of events. Was Marilyn's death truly a suicide, as initially claimed by her personal physician, or were there darker forces at play? Sergeant Jack Clemmons of the West Los Angeles Police Department received a chilling phone call from Dr. Hyman Engelberg in the early hours of August 5, 1962, informing him of Marilyn's tragic end. However, discrepancies in the testimonies of those present at the scene, including Marilyn's housekeeper Eunice Murray, and her physicians Dr. Ralph Greenson and Dr. Hyman Engelberg, cast doubt on the purported timeline of events.

Amidst the confusion, theories abound, each painting a different picture of Marilyn's final moments. From speculations about accidental overdoses caused by miscommunications between her physicians to sinister plots orchestrated by the CIA, FBI, or even the mob, we explore this myriad of possibilities. Whether Marilyn fell victim to her own demons, became collateral damage in the political machinations of the Kennedy era, or was silenced by powerful underworld figures, one thing remains certain: her death continues to captivate and intrigue, shrouded in mystery and unanswered questions that defy resolution. Join us as we unravel the enigma of Marilyn Monroe's final hours and confront the elusive truth behind one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries.

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Transcript

Marilyn Monroe: a story in 3 parts: this is Part Three: I sin, but I’m not the Devil.

[Underscore Music]

Marylin said, I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead, they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t.

[Theme Music Start]

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.

[Theme Music Play Out]

[Under Score Music]

We left our beleaguered icon just after she concluded a phone call with actor and friend Peter Lawford in which, Peter claimed that Marilyn sounded heavily drugged and she ended the phone call stating, “Say goodbye to Pat, say goodbye to the president, and say goodbye to yourself, because you're a nice guy."

We are now to the point of our story where we run into quite a few roadblocks in our search for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There are sharply conflicting accounts from a multitude of sources as to when Marilyn Monroe actually died and even more importantly, HOW she died and when her death was actually discovered. 

Well, first we have the version of events that we started our story with, but is that how it really happened, first we will continue with the undisputed facts.

[Phone ringing]

At 4:25 a.m. Sunday morning, August 5, 1962, Sergeant Jack Clemmons of the West Los Angeles Police Department received a phone call that he would never forget. Dr. Hyman Engelberg, Marilyn's personal physician, told him that Marilyn Monroe had committed suicide. When he and the backup police car that he had ordered arrived at Marilyn's home, there were three people present: Eunice Murray, Dr. Ralph Greenson and Dr. Hyman Engelberg.

The trio led Sergeant Clemmons into the bedroom where Norma Jeane’s nude body was lying covered with a sheet, and they pointed out the bottles of sedatives. Donald Wolfe quotes Sergeant Clemmons saying: "'She was lying face down in what I call the soldier's position. Her face was in a pillow, her arms were by her side, her right arm was slightly bent. Her legs were stretched out perfectly straight.” He immediately thought she had to have been placed that way. He had witnessed several suicide scenes, and contrary to our common beliefs, an overdose of sleeping pills usually causes victims to suffer convulsions and vomiting before they die, leaving their bodies in grotesque and contorted positions.

The statements taken from the three individuals were also very strange and Sergeant Clemmons was convinced that he was not being told the truth. They claimed that Marilyn's body had been discovered some four hours earlier, but that they could not contact the police until 20th Century Fox's publicity department had given them permission. Sergeant Clemmons also noted that there was no drinking glass in the bedroom from which Marilyn could have taken the many pills that she was credited with swallowing.

The preliminary autopsy was conducted by Dr. Thomas Noguchi. As the results of various tests were analyzed, Coroner Theodore Curphey determined that Marilyn died from an overdose of barbiturates. Remnants of the drug pentobarbital, which are sleeping pills, were found in her liver and chloral hydrate was found in her blood. He claimed that there was no distinguishable physical evidence of foul play. And because of this, Marilyn's death was listed as a "probable suicide."

However, whether Marilyn Monroe committed suicide or not has been the source of great debate for more than 60 years.

The last fact of her life that we can be sure of is that around 7:15 p.m. on Saturday night, she talked with Joe DiMaggio Jr. about his romantic involvements, and she was very happy, elated even with the fact that Joe jr. was breaking off his relationship with a woman that Marilyn did not really care for. Joe jr. confirmed her mood, as did Eunice and Dr. Greenson, whom she called to give the news.

But then we have Peter Lawford calling less than half an hour later and, in that time, Marilyn has gone from being happy and alert to heavily drugged, and making comments that could be construed as suicidal. Peter was so panicked that he called his friend, Milt Ebbins, who convinced Marilyn's lawyer, Milton Rudin, to call Marilyn's house to see if she was okay. Milton claims that he called the house around 8:30 PM and asked Eunice to check on Marilyn. Eunice said that she checked, and Marilyn was perfectly fine. 

Between 8 and 9 that evening, Marilyn received a phone call from her close friend and dress manufacturer, Henry Rosenfeld, who was calling from New York. He noticed that Marilyn's voice seemed somewhat groggy, but he did not find this unusual.

At 9:30 PM, Marilyn contacted Sydney Guilaroff, a renowned hairdresser who had styled her hair in numerous films and had become a close confidant. Sydney had a longstanding policy of not discussing his clients with the press. However, in 1996, shortly before his own passing, he revealed the contents of his conversation with Marilyn, on her last night on earth.

[Music Change]

Sydney’s account of this phone call illustrates that Marilyn's involvement with the Kennedys was at the forefront of her thoughts in the hours leading up to her death. She spoke about feeling surrounded by danger, betrayals by individuals in high positions, and clandestine love affairs. In her distraught state, she told Sydney that Robert Kennedy had been at her house earlier that day, threatening her and yelling at her. Marilyn claimed that Robert had broken a promise to marry her and was now ending their relationship. In response, she threatened to hold a tell-all press conference and divulge secrets, big secrets about Washington, during this phone call, she described the Kennedy’s as "dangerous."

Marilyn had additional phone conversations that evening, including one with her part-time lover, Jose Bolanos. Jose disclosed that Marilyn had shared something alarming with him, something that would shock the entire world, during a phone call around 9:30 p.m. The call ended abruptly when Marilyn put the phone down without hanging up, because she heard a disturbance at her bedroom door. Even years later, Jose Bolanos refused to reveal the contents of Marilyn's shocking revelation.

Ralph Roberts, Marilyn's masseur, was also involved in the events that evening. He was informed the following morning by his answering service that a woman with a slurred voice had called his number around 10:00 PM. Ralph had only given his number to two individuals other than Marilyn, both of whom were business contacts. He believed that the caller had been Marilyn, though he could not be sure.

Concerned for Marilyn's well-being, Peter Lawford reached out to his friend, Joe Naar, around 11 p.m. Joe Naar lived nearby and was prepared to go to Marilyn's house to ensure she had not overdosed. However, before he could leave, he received a call from another friend, who informed him that Marilyn had already been given a sedative by Dr. Greenson so she could sleep.

[Music Change – Somber Mood]

No more calls followed. Shortly thereafter, Marilyn's life would come to an end. The promised press conference, where she had threatened to unveil "dangerous secrets," never came to fruition. The idea of Marilyn possessing state secrets might seem implausible, beyond the scandal of her affairs with the Kennedy brothers. Nevertheless, there may have been a kernel of truth to her claims of having privileged information.

Intriguingly, Wolfe highlights that when the individual arrived to transport Marilyn to the mortuary early Sunday morning between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m., he observed that "rigor mortis was advanced," indicating that she had likely passed away between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. the previous night.

According to Spoto, Arthur Jacobs, Marilyn's publicist, was informed of her death around 10:00 to 10:30 p.m. that Saturday night, causing him to leave in the middle of a concert to handle press-related matters.

The events that transpired between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. on that fateful evening remain shrouded in mystery. However, available evidence suggests that during this unaccounted-for hour, Marilyn's life came to an end. Recent testimonies from associates and individuals involved in the circumstances surrounding her alleged suicide have led Anthony Summers to conclude that Marilyn's death likely occurred within that timeframe on that evening. Statements from four of Marilyn's friends further support this hypothesis.

After the autopsy, Marilyn's body was released to her family. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, was still in an institution, and she was unable to take custody of the body. Consequently, Joe DiMaggio, who had never stopped loving Marilyn Monroe, claimed her remains. He organized a modest and discreet funeral to bid farewell to the woman he had always cherished, along with the rest of the world.

On August 8, 1962, Marilyn was laid to rest in the Corridor of Memories at Los Angeles' Westwood Memorial Park. On this solemn occasion, thousands of people filled the streets to mourn the loss of their beloved icon and the cinematic legend, Marilyn Monroe.

[Music Change – The Housekeeper] 

While it is widely accepted that Marilyn Monroe died from either an intentional or unintentional overdose, there are many who do not believe this to be true and that has led to some pretty shocking theories. While there are many of these theories, I want to tell you about some of the most compelling ones.  And I am going to start with, The Housekeeper did it. Yes, you heard that right, old miss Eunice Murrary.  According to Donald Wolfe, during the night of Marilyn's death, her house was occupied by Eunice and her son-in-law, Norman Jeffries.

The coroner had based his conclusion that Marilyn had taken her own life on several factors: the quantity of sedatives found in her system, the presence of prescription pill bottles for those sedatives, the absence of any indications of foul play, Marilyn's history of prior suicide attempts, and input from Dr. Greenson.

However, some forensic experts disagree with this viewpoint, pointing out several inconsistencies. For instance, there were no traces of Nembutal in Marilyn's stomach or intestines, which should have been present had she consumed Nembutal capsules orally. No remnants of the yellow capsules typically used for Nembutal were detected in Marilyn’s stomach either. In Marilyn's blood count, there were 8 milligrams of chloral hydrate and four and a half milligrams of Nembutal, but her liver displayed a count of thirteen milligrams, signifying a notably higher concentration of Nembutal in her liver. This suggested that Marilyn lived for a substantial period after ingesting the drug.

The suicide theory also faced issues considering Marilyn's apparently positive state of mind at the time of her death. She had been making plans for future events and film projects and was even considering remarrying Joe DiMaggio.

The lack of stomach contents suggests that Marilyn was perhaps administered the drug in a different way, possibly by way of a rectal enema. If Marilyn did indeed succumb to an overdose of rectally administered drugs, the idea of suicide becomes less plausible, and other possibilities like an accident or murder come into play. Spoto presents a compelling case for accidental death. Dr. Greenson, who was working with Dr. Hyman Engelberg to transition Marilyn off Nembutal, replacing it with chloral hydrate for improved sleep, was unaware of Marilyn's continued consumption of Nembutal capsules. This communication gap between Dr. Greenson and Dr. Engelberg could have resulted in an error with her prescriptions. Spoto suggests that Dr. Greenson, who was unaware of Marilyn's Nembutal usage, inadvertently provided her with a substantial dose of chloral hydrate on the night of her death, aiming to ensure she slept through the night.

Chloral hydrate significantly delayed the metabolism of Nembutal, a fact unknown to Dr. Greenson. The ensuing drug interaction could have contributed to Marilyn's demise, and her reluctance to disclose her prior Nembutal intake may have played a role in the tragic accident.

If Spoto's theory is accurate, the drug laden enema would most likely have been administered by Eunice Murray, who, like Dr. Greenson, was unaware that this could have fatal consequences. Protecting herself and Dr. Greenson, it would be natural for Eunice to deny any knowledge or participation in the enema procedure in an attempt to shield her own actions. If you think back to the very beginning of our story, the introduction in part one, that was Eunice’s firsthand account of how the night played out. Eunice asserted that she awoke around 3 a.m., noticed a light coming from under Marilyn's bedroom door, which was improbable due to the deep piled carpeting around the bottom of the door, she found the door locked, which is also impossible as there was no functional lock on the door to Marilyn’s bedroom, and then she promptly contacted Dr. Greenson. Dr. Greenson, upon arrival, entered the bedroom and declared Marilyn's passing around 3:50 a.m.

Interesting, no? What do you think about this one, did the Housekeeper accidentally murder Marilyn Monroe? 

[Music Change – The CIA]

Now let’s explore our next theory, the CIA did it. During the 1960s, political tensions were running high. This intriguing theory suggests that Marilyn Monroe's death was orchestrated by the CIA as an act of revenge against the Kennedys in the aftermath of the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba. The reasoning behind targeting Marilyn in this theory stems from her involvement with Robert Kennedy, which was widely known. Her death was perceived as a way to inflict pain on the Kennedy family.

As Matthew Smith highlights in his 2003 book, "Victim: The Secret Tapes of Marilyn Monroe," which is based on recordings Marilyn made with her psychiatrist in the weeks leading up to her demise, it is possible that the CIA had knowledge of her relationship with Robert Kennedy and saw her passing as a means to undermine the Kennedys. This theory gained renewed attention in 2015 when a retired CIA officer purportedly confessed on his deathbed to having been involved in Marilyn Monroe's death. However, it later emerged that this confession was a hoax orchestrated by a fake news website.

[Music Change – The FBI]

And there are many who believe Marilyn’s death was orchestrated by the FBI themselves. In the 1980s, investigators reviewing the circumstances of Marilyn Monroe's death were blocked when the FBI denied access to certain materials. Through the Freedom of Information Act, it was revealed that the FBI had maintained a "105" file on Marilyn, a designation used for investigating individuals with even remote political associations, particularly leftists during J. Edgar Hoover's tenure.

Within the "105" file, some parts were labeled "SM-C" for "Security Matter – Communist," which were withheld under categories related to foreign affairs and national security. Some documents released over time, with minor redactions, contained a report from July 13, 1962, indicating that Marilyn had spoken about having lunch with President Kennedy a few days before. The report described her as having leftist views and speculated about her involvement with the Communist Party.

This was a period marked by the Cuban Missile Crisis, intense political tensions, and a heightened focus on nuclear matters.

The FBI's source, whose identity remains undisclosed in the document, reported that Marilyn had spoken about having lunch with President Kennedy at the Lawford’s residence just a few days before.

Marilyn was reportedly pleased with the meeting as she had the opportunity to ask the President numerous socially significant questions regarding the morality of atomic testing. The report described Marilyn's views as "positively and concisely leftist." However, the source emphasized that if Marilyn was being actively used by the Communist Party, this information was not widely known among those involved with the movement in Los Angeles.

While the FBI document contained some inaccuracies, notably President Kennedy's presence in California that July, it remained plausible that Marilyn might have had lunch with Robert Kennedy within the timeframe mentioned, a few days before July 13. The Attorney General had indeed been in Los Angeles from June 26 to June 28 and did meet with Marilyn during that visit. Two weeks later, he would return to the West, this time to Nevada, accompanied by General Maxwell Taylor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to witness an atomic test.

The backdrop to this period was the looming specter of nuclear war and the escalating tensions over Fidel Castro's Cuba and the Soviet Union. In late June and early July, the time the FBI report suggested a nuclear discussion with Marilyn took place, Castro was anticipating a potential U.S. invasion and urgently seeking assistance from Moscow. Early in July, Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the USSR made the momentous decision to transport ballistic missiles to Cuba. These events set the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis, a period in which the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war. Just off the southern tip of Florida.

While the released FBI documents did not hint at either Kennedy brother revealing state secrets to Marilyn, the significance lay in the fact that any private conversations with the Attorney General or the President concerning nuclear weapons would have been of profound interest to Soviet intelligence, given the global nuclear concerns of that era. 

During the same time frame, the Kennedy administration was already under scrutiny. Mafia boss Sam Giancana had faced FBI pressure, and in a conversation with mafioso Johnny Roselli, they discussed using electronic surveillance to counter the Kennedys.

The Kennedy administration faced surveillance from multiple sources, including the Mafia and private investigators. Reed Wilson, an electronics specialist, and private eye Fred Otash planted eavesdropping devices at key locations, capturing conversations of Marilyn Monroe, the Kennedys, and others. The tapes allegedly included a heated argument between Robert Kennedy and Marilyn, which ended with a slamming door.

After Marilyn's death, efforts were made to remove specific phone call records from her phone company, reportedly on orders from the attorney general or the president. Subsequently, recordings of compromising conversations, if they existed, became a threat to the Kennedys, and steps were taken to neutralize this threat.

Decades later, in 1968, an effort was made to locate these recordings, which could have had significant implications during Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign, but his assassination put an end to those efforts. So, what do you think about this one? Did the CIA murder Marilyn Monroe to keep her quiet about the United State’s atomic program? 

[Music Change – The Mob]

Moving into a theory with a little more teeth behind it, let’s see if you believe that The Mob murdered Marilyn Monroe.

In 1982, private detective Milo Speriglio made a sensational claim that Marilyn Monroe had been murdered by labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa and Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana. According to Speriglio, the motive for this alleged murder was to pressure the Kennedy family to back off their pursuit of the mafia. He published his findings in a book titled "Marilyn Monroe: Murder Cover-Up." Speriglio's primary source was an individual who had worked at the Los Angeles coroner's office but later faced accusations of stealing from deceased bodies. Not a great way to look credible. 

Speriglio's book created quite a stir and prompted a reopening of the case by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office. However, this reinvestigation did not yield any significant new evidence, and the official cause of Marilyn Monroe's death, listed as a probable suicide due to barbiturate poisoning, remained unchanged on paper. Speriglio's theory, which implicated Hoffa and Giancana in Marilyn’s death, remains controversial and unproven, with no conclusive evidence to support it. But let me explain.

In July 1961, Chicago Mafia boss Sam Giancana, facing constant pressure from the Kennedy Justice Department, confronted FBI agents in an airport waiting room. He angrily asserted his knowledge of the Kennedys, stating, "You know who I mean, I mean the Kennedys...and one of these days we are going to tell all." Six months later, Giancana and mafioso Johnny Roselli discussed their disappointment with Frank Sinatra's ineffectiveness as a Kennedy connection. Who knew ol’ Blue Eyes was such an active member of the mofia? Well, the FBI did, and they had a file with over 2,400 pages in it just on Sinatra’s ties to the mob.

Giancana expressed a need for discreet bugging devices. They discussed the size of the devices and exchanged ideas on effective surveillance methods. This marked the beginning of electronic surveillance aimed at the Kennedys.

Around the same time, Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa, who’s son Jimmy Hoffa jr. was once my boss, enlisted Hollywood private investigator Fred Otash to compile derogatory reports on the Kennedy brothers. Otash sought technical expertise from Reed Wilson, an electronics specialist with a history of serving politicians and government agencies. They focused on Peter and Pat Lawford's Santa Monica home, frequented by both Kennedys, as their primary target. Wilson installed eavesdropping devices during a crowded social occasion. They wired not only the Lawford house but also Marilyn Monroe's apartment, where she lived until shortly before her death.

A former security guard, John Danoff, played a key role in monitoring the recordings from devices placed in the Lawford house. Around Thanksgiving in 1961, he picked up a signal with the voices of President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, engaged in intimate conversations. This confirmed the President's presence in Los Angeles during that period. Otash mentioned that they eventually collected around "twenty-five or thirty" tapes, which were sent to Bernard Spindel, an electronics consultant connected to Hoffa and Giancana.

In Washington, the FBI received reports about the President's relationships with women other than Marilyn Monroe. During a lunch at the White House in early 1962, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover warned President Kennedy about the risks. Shortly thereafter, the President was with Marilyn at Frank Sinatra's estate in California.

Marilyn's real estate agent, Art James, was approached to facilitate the installation of bugging equipment in her house, however; he declined, concerned that Marilyn was troubled enough already. Nevertheless, Marilyn’s new Brentwood home was bugged during the extensive renovations, making it vulnerable. This operation was also supervised by Fred Otash and involved multiple recording devices.

In the tapes, Robert Kennedy and Marilyn were heard engaging in a heated argument, with Marilyn demanding an explanation for why he would not marry her. Bobby Kennedy left but later returned with Peter Lawford, expressing the family's need to find something. The recording captured Marilyn’s screams and the sound of aggressive physical activity. It suggested that Marilyn was put on a bed, and Bobby Kennedy and Peter Lawford discussed the urgency of leaving the area.

After Marilyn Monroe's death, steps were taken to remove phone records related to her from the phone company. These orders were believed to have come from either the Attorney General or the President.

In an attempt to suppress the potential threat posed by the compromising tapes, a search warrant was executed four years after Marilyn’s death at wiretapper Bernard Spindel's home. Items seized suggested the existence of tapes that challenged the official narrative of her death.

While the alleged recordings have never surfaced, there is speculation that a copy survived until 1968 when Robert Kennedy was running for president. Plans were made to transcribe and distribute the tapes to newspapers across the country. However, these efforts were halted when Robert Kennedy was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan on June 6th 1968 at the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles.

Two decades later, ABC’s show 20/20 began investigating this story for a documentary. Their research led them to conclude that events unfolded as described here. However, the program was canceled just before its scheduled broadcast, drawing attention and criticism. It was noted that the decision to cancel was made by ABC News President Roone Arledge, a close friend of Ethel Kennedy. This fueled speculation, but Arledge denied any influence from his connections, while ABC insiders supported the program's quality and authenticity. So, did the mob murder Marilyn Monroe for any of the reasons I have just spoken of? Well that is up to you to decide, however, another version of the Mob theory also exists and it goes a little something like this: In 2012, biographer Darwin Porter put forward a theory in his book "Marilyn at Rainbow's End" that suggested Marilyn Monroe was murdered by mob boss Sam Giancana, who allegedly received orders from one of the Kennedy brothers to silence the actress and prevent her from revealing any details about her alleged affair with the Kennedys. According to Porter's account, five Mafia hitmen entered Marilyn Monroe's home and administered a chloroform-soaked washcloth on her face, injected her with barbiturates, and then moved her to her bedroom to stage the scene as a suicide.

It's important to note that this theory, like many others surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death, remains speculative and controversial. While it presents an intriguing narrative, there is no concrete evidence to support these claims, and the official cause of Marilyn Monroe's death continues to be listed as a probable suicide due to barbiturate poisoning. The circumstances of her death remain the subject of ongoing debate and speculation.

[Music Change – RFK]

I only have 2 more theories to share with you and one of them just might throw you for a loop. Conspiracy theories often hold a powerful allure because they are inherently intriguing and can add layers of complexity to high-profile events or figures. The mysterious circumstances surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death, her connections to powerful political figures, and the celebrity status of those involved have contributed to the enduring fascination with various conspiracy theories surrounding her passing.

It's important to distinguish between allegations of a cover-up to protect powerful individuals from embarrassment and the actual commission of a crime to eliminate someone who could pose a threat. While there is speculation about the nature of Marilyn Monroe's relationships with the Kennedy brothers, including John F. Kennedy's known extramarital affairs, the existence of these affairs alone does not necessarily imply a conspiracy to murder her.

As for Marilyn's supposed "unrealistic notions" about becoming First Lady and her persistent efforts to engage with the Kennedys, these aspects are often discussed in the context of her relationships with the brothers. The fear of her potentially exposing certain private and sensitive matters could have contributed to her precarious position. 

This theory is regarding Robert Kennedy's involvement in delivering the news of JFK's decision to end his relationship with Marilyn, and it remains a matter of speculation. While some witnesses have suggested that Robert Kennedy was near the scene on the night of Marilyn's death, these claims are not definitive, and there has been no concrete evidence to support them. 

Conspiracy theories can offer a captivating narrative, but it's essential to approach them with a critical and evidence-based mindset, particularly when dealing with historical events and figures where the facts may be obscured or disputed.

While the official story had long maintained that Robert Kennedy was not in Los Angeles when Marilyn Monroe died, recent revelations have cast doubt on this narrative. Retired Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates admitted that Robert Kennedy was indeed in Los Angeles on the day of Monroe's death. In 1985, Eunice Murray, Monroe's housekeeper, confirmed in the BBC documentary "Say Goodbye to the President" that Robert Kennedy had visited Monroe's home in the hours before her death.

Norman Jefferies, Mrs. Murray's son-in-law, gave an interview and provided eyewitness testimony regarding the events on the day of Marilyn’s death. Norman disclosed that the Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, and actor Peter Lawford arrived at Marilyn’s home in the mid-afternoon of August 4, 1962. A violent quarrel took place, during which Bobby Kennedy threatened Marilyn. Dr. Ralph Greenson, Marilyn’s psychiatrist, was called to calm her down.

Norman further revealed that Robert Kennedy returned to the house at around 10 o'clock that evening in the company of two unidentified men. He and Eunice Murray were told to leave the premises and they waited at a neighbor's house for Kennedy and the two men to depart. When they returned to the house later, they found Marilyn Monroe comatose in the guest cottage, where she ultimately died. Jefferies claimed that officers from the LAPD intelligence division moved Marilyn’s body to the main house, and he asserted that the "suicide in the locked bedroom" scenario was orchestrated by the intelligence officers.

A re-examination of Marilyn Monroe's autopsy report suggested that she did not die from an overdose of sleeping tablets, as previously believed, but from an injection of a barbiturate. John Miner, Assistant Los Angeles District Attorney, who was present at the autopsy, has long been skeptical of the suicide theory. He believes the evidence points to murder and has called for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office to reopen the case and exhume Marilyn Monroe's body. Since there is no statute of limitations on murder, Miner and others argue that there is ample evidence to support a re-investigation of Marilyn’s death. Many people feel that Marilyn Monroe should not bear the stigma of a "probable suicide."

In his 1985 book, "Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe," tabloid journalist Anthony Summers put forth a controversial theory regarding Marilyn’s death. Summers claimed that Robert F. Kennedy and his brother-in-law Peter Lawford encouraged Marilyn Monroe's drug and alcohol use after she threatened to make her affair with Robert Kennedy public. According to Summers, Monroe's death was the result of an accidental overdose, and she died on the way to the hospital. He further suggested that Robert Kennedy and Peter Lawford staged her death as a suicide.

Summers' theory also implicated then-FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, alleging that he played a role in the cover-up. Summers' argument received some support from an interview he conducted in 1983 with Marilyn’s housekeeper, Eunice Murray. During the interview, Eunice reportedly made statements like, "Oh, why do I have to keep on covering this up?" When pressed for more details, she allegedly stated, "Well, of course Bobby Kennedy was there, and of course there was an affair with Bobby Kennedy."

[Music Change – UFO]

The last theory I want to tell you about combines beliefs in government secrecy about extraterrestrial life and the idea that Marilyn Monroe had knowledge about such secrets. And I am not making this up, there are many people who believe each one of these theories. I would love for you to go to our social media and tell us which theory, you believe in. So, the UFO theory, this theory is linked to Dr. Steven Greer, an extraterrestrial conspiracy theorist, who claimed that Marilyn Monroe had access to information about aliens during her rumored affair with President John F. Kennedy around the time of her death. According to Greer, Marilyn intended to reveal top-secret details about the Roswell crash of 1947 and other alien-related information. 

In this theory, it is suggested that the CIA, concerned about the potential leak of classified information and her rumored affairs with both Kennedy brothers, ordered Marilyn’s assassination to prevent any disclosures. This theory assumes a link between Marilyn’s relationships with the Kennedys and her supposed knowledge of extraterrestrial secrets, with the CIA orchestrating her death as part of a cover-up. It's worth noting that this theory is highly speculative and lacks concrete evidence, and it remains a topic of debate among conspiracy theorists and skeptics.

[Music Change – Wrapping it all up]

Marilyn Monroe was an icon, and she had many passionate relationships during her short 36 years on this planet. None of these relationships contained a purer want and love than the love that Joe DiMaggio held in his heart for Marilyn Monroe.  According to a United States government memo issued by the FBI three years after her death, Joe DiMaggio attempted to buy a stag film that Marilyn had starred in during this time period. According to the memo, Marilyn was seen committing a "perverted act upon an unknown male." Joe DiMaggio offered to pay $25,000 for the film clip, his final attempt to protect the reputation of the love of his life, even after her death, but this offer was rejected. More than 15 years later, segments of the clip showing a younger Marilyn Monroe in sexual poses were revealed to the public in the 1980 issue of Penthouse magazine.

The actual events that surrounded Marilyn's death will probably never be known. What was known for certain was that a living legend mysteriously died before her time, in a mist of confusion, scandal and uncertainty.

We Dance round in a ring and suppose, but the Secret Sits in the middle and knows.

Sources

Wolfe, D. H. (1999, January 12). Historical Notes: Kennedy murdered Marilyn Monroe | The Independent. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/historical-notes-kennedy-murdered-marilyn-monroe-1046539.html

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