14 Unseen Photos Of Marilyn Monroe's Death

On August 5, 1962, the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe, one of the most popular Hollywood stars, sent shockwaves throughout the world.

At approximately 3:00 a.m., Eunice Murray, Marilyn’s housekeeper, noticed that the light was on in Monroe’s bedroom, and the door was locked.

She immediately called Marilyn’s psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, and, upon his advice, looked through a window.

There, she saw Marilyn lying facedown on her bed, covered by a sheet and clutching a telephone receiver.

She had been dead an estimated six to eight hours.

After Dr. Greenson arrived, he entered the room by breaking a window and discovered Marilyn Monroe dead.

The Los Angeles Police Department was called to the scene at 4:25 a.m.

Pills on Marilyn Monroe's bedside table — Police officer points to the pills on Marilyn Monroe’s bedside table. (Credit: All Star Picture Library)

An empty bottle found on Monroe’s bedside table contained 50 Nembutal capsules, prescribed only two or three days ago.

Monroe’s personal physician, Dr. Hyman Engelberg, indicated that the capsules were intended to be taken in doses of one per night.

Det. Sgt. R. E. Byron told the press there were between 12 to 15 medicine bottles on Monroe’s bedside table, some with prescription labels.

By dawn, reporters and photographers milled around Monroe’s residence, gathering near the lawns and swimming pool.

Monroe’s lifeless body was carefully wrapped in a pale blue blanket and secured to a stretcher before being solemnly removed from her home.

Entrances to her home were sealed with the notice:

“Any person breaking into or entering these premises will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Marilyn Monroe's body is being removed from her home — Coroner removing the body of Marilyn Monroe from her home. (Credit: Getty Images)

A special guard was hired to watch the $75,000 house.

After a brief investigation, the LAPD concluded that Marilyn Monroe’s death was “caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide.”

Marilyn Monroe's body arrives at the coroner's office

“She committed suicide by barbiturates; that is the reality, and there is nothing very special about it except for the fact that she was Marilyn Monroe,” said Police Chief Daryl F. Gates. “It’s not a pretty story. It’s very tragic.”

In 2019, Devik Wiener, the son of famed photographer Leigh Wiener, revealed that his father bribed his way into the morgue and took photographs of Marilyn’s dead body.

Marilyn Monroe's morgue photo — One of three morgue shots taken by a famed photographer Leigh Wiener.

“It wasn’t the first time he utilized a couple of bottles of scotch to get into an area that was off limits,” Devik said in Scandalous: The Death of Marilyn Monroe.

“He offered a drink to a couple of the guys, and the next thing you know he was in the back.”

Leigh shot three rolls of film and sent them to the LIFE magazine, including an image that showed a toe tag being placed on Monroe’s foot.

But according to the photographers son Devik, it was far from the most scandalous image snapped on the night. Leigh allegedly shot two more rolls of film containing photos of Monroe’s nude corpse.

“The last two rolls, which contained imagery beyond just the toe tag, he took back to his own studio and claims to have processed, examined, and then very quickly put into a safe deposit box,” Devik revealed, saying he didn’t believe the photos were appropriate for the public.

Marilyn Monroe in morgue — One of two official post-mortem photos of Marilyn Monroe from the Los Angeles Police Department files.

Despite the coroner’s verdict on Marilyn Monroe’s death cause, people are still offering numerous conspiracy theories about what really happened to the Hollywood star.