On the evening of August 4, 1962, American actress Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36 from a barbiturate overdose at her home located at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Her body was found before dawn on August 5. Monroe was one of the most famous Hollywood stars during the 1950s and early 1960s and was a leading actress for the previous ten years. Her films had earned $200 million by the time of her death, which is equivalent to $2.1 billion today.

Monroe had experienced mental health challenges and struggled with substance use. She had not completed a film since The Misfits, which was released on February 1, 1961, and did not do well at the box office. In 1961, she focused much of her time on dealing with her health problems. In April 1962, she began filming Something's Got to Give for 20th Century Fox, but the studio ended her contract in early June. Fox publicly stated that Monroe was responsible for the production’s issues. In the weeks before her death, she tried to improve her public image by giving interviews to well-known publications. She also started talks with Fox about being rehired for Something's Got to Give and for other film roles.

On the day of her death, August 4, Monroe was at her home in Brentwood. She was with her publicist, Patricia Newcomb, her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, photographer Lawrence Schiller, and psychiatrist Ralph Greenson at different times. At Greenson’s request, Murray stayed overnight to be with Monroe. Around 3 a.m. on August 5, Murray noticed Monroe had locked herself in her bedroom and appeared unresponsive when she looked through a window. Murray called Greenson, who arrived shortly after, broke a window to enter the room, and found Monroe dead. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office officially ruled her death a probable suicide, based on evidence of the overdose and her history of mood swings and suicidal thoughts.

Although the coroner’s findings were clear, some alternative theories about her death, such as murder or accidental overdose, have been suggested since the mid-1960s. These theories often involve U.S. President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, union leader Jimmy Hoffa, and mob boss Sam Giancana. Because these theories were widely discussed in the media, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office reviewed the case in 1982. They found no evidence to support the theories and agreed with the original investigation’s findings. However, the report noted that some unclear details and unanswered questions remained in the case.

Background

Marilyn Monroe relied on amphetamines, barbiturates, and alcohol for several years before the early 1960s. She faced mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and chronic trouble sleeping. Her behavior made her difficult to work with, and she often arrived late to film sets or forgot her lines, causing delays in productions. An FBI file about her was opened in 1956 because of her connection to Arthur Miller, a writer accused of being a communist.

By 1960, Monroe’s actions began to hurt her career. For example, Truman Capote wanted her to play Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but Paramount Pictures refused to cast her, fearing she would cause problems during filming. Her final completed film, The Misfits (1961), was not successful. During filming, she spent a week in the hospital to stop using drugs. Her marriage to Arthur Miller ended in divorce in January 1961.

In 1961, Monroe focused on health issues instead of working on films. She had surgery for endometriosis and a cholecystectomy, and spent four weeks in the hospital, including time in a mental health ward for depression. Later that year, she moved back to Los Angeles after living in Manhattan for six years. She bought a Spanish-style house in Brentwood. In early 1962, she received a "World Film Favorite" Golden Globe award and began filming Something's Got to Give, a remake of My Favorite Wife (1940).

Before filming started, Monroe developed a sinus infection. The studio, 20th Century Fox, was told to delay production, but they ignored the advice and began filming in late April. Monroe was too sick to work for most of the next six weeks, but Fox claimed she was pretending to be ill. On May 19, Monroe performed "Happy Birthday" at a celebration for President John F. Kennedy, which caused public interest and rumors about an affair.

After returning to Los Angeles, Monroe resumed filming and celebrated her 36th birthday on the set of Something's Got to Give on June 1. She was absent for several days, leading Fox to fire her on June 7 and sue her for breaking the contract, demanding $750,000 in damages. Monroe was replaced by Lee Remick, but Fox also sued Dean Martin for refusing to act with anyone else, and the production shut down.

Fox blamed Monroe’s drug use and unprofessional behavior for the film’s failure, claiming she was mentally unstable. To address negative reports, Monroe gave interviews to magazines like Life, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue in her final weeks. In 1961, Time magazine noted that Monroe’s efforts to seek help may have helped the public accept modern views on mental illness. After renegotiating her contract, filming with Monroe was planned to restart in September for Something's Got to Give. She also planned to star in What a Way to Go! (1964) and a film about Jean Harlow.

Timeline

On the last day of her life, Saturday, August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was at her home in Brentwood. In the morning, she met with photographer Lawrence Schiller to talk about the possibility of Playboy publishing nude photos taken of her on the set of Something's Got to Give. She also had a massage from her personal therapist, spoke with friends on the phone, and signed for deliveries. Her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, and her publicist, Patricia Newcomb, who had stayed overnight, were also at the house that morning. Newcomb said they had an argument because Monroe had not slept well the night before.

At 4:30 p.m. PDT, Monroe’s psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson, arrived for a therapy session and asked Newcomb to leave. Before Greenson left around 7:00 p.m., he asked Murray to stay overnight and keep Monroe company. At approximately 7:00–7:15 p.m., Monroe received a call from Joe DiMaggio Jr., who had remained close to her since her divorce from his father, the elder Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio told Monroe that he had broken up with a girlfriend she did not like and said he noticed nothing unusual in her behavior. At around 7:40–7:45 p.m., Monroe called Greenson to share news about the breakup.

Monroe went to her bedroom around 8:00 p.m. She received a call from actor Peter Lawford, who was the brother-in-law of President Kennedy. Lawford tried to persuade her to attend his party that night but became worried because Monroe sounded as if she was under the influence of drugs. She allegedly said, “Say goodbye to Pat, say goodbye to the president, and say goodbye to yourself, because you're a nice guy,” before falling silent. Unable to reach her again, Lawford called his agent, Milton Ebbins, who unsuccessfully tried to contact Greenson and later called Monroe’s lawyer, Milton A. “Mickey” Rudin. Rudin called Monroe’s house and was told by Murray that she was fine.

At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 5, Murray woke up and sensed something was wrong. She saw light coming from under Monroe’s bedroom door but could not get a response and found the door locked. Murray called Greenson, who advised her to look through a window. She saw Monroe lying facedown on her bed, nude and covered by a sheet, holding a telephone receiver. Greenson arrived shortly after and entered the room by breaking a window. He found Monroe dead. He called her physician, Hyman Engelberg, who arrived at the house around 3:50 a.m. and officially confirmed the death. At 4:25 a.m., they notified the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Inquest and 1982 review

Deputy coroner Thomas Noguchi performed Monroe's autopsy on the same day she was found dead, Sunday, August 5. The Los Angeles County coroner's office worked with psychiatrists Norman Farberow, Robert Litman, and Norman Tabachnik from the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. These psychiatrists spoke with Monroe's doctors and psychiatrists about her mental health. Because of the advanced stage of rigor mortis when her body was found, experts estimated she died between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. on August 4.

Toxicology tests showed the cause of death was acute barbiturate poisoning. Monroe had 8 mg% (mg/dl) of chloral hydrate and 4.5 mg% of pentobarbital (Nembutal) in her blood, plus 13 mg% of pentobarbital in her liver. Police found empty bottles of these medications near her bed. No external wounds or bruises were found on her body.

The inquest results were published on August 17. Chief Coroner Theodore Curphey classified Monroe's death as "probable suicide." Accidental overdose was ruled out because the drug levels in her body were much higher than the lethal dose, and they were likely taken quickly. At the time of her death, Monroe was described as being in a "depressed mood" and had not cared for her appearance. No suicide note was found, but Litman noted that fewer than 40% of suicide victims leave notes.

In their final report, Farberow, Litman, and Tabachnik wrote:
Miss Monroe had long struggled with mental health issues. She experienced severe fears and frequent depression. Her mood changes were sudden and unpredictable. She had taken sedative drugs for many years to help with sleep problems. She knew how to use these drugs and understood their risks. She had previously expressed a desire to give up or end her life and had made suicide attempts in the past, but was rescued each time. The same pattern likely occurred on August 3, except she was not rescued. Based on similar cases, the doctors recommended classifying her death as probable suicide. Evidence supporting suicide included the high levels of drugs in her blood, the empty Nembutal bottle, the prescription filled the day before, and the locked bedroom door, which was unusual.

In the 1970s, some people claimed Monroe was murdered instead of committing suicide. Because of these claims, Los Angeles County District Attorney John Van de Kamp assigned Ronald H. "Mike" Carroll to conduct a 1982 "threshold investigation" to determine if a criminal case should be opened. Carroll and Alan B. Tomich worked for over three months and produced a 30-page report. They found no credible evidence to support the murder theory.

In 1983, Noguchi published his memoirs, discussing Monroe's case and claims about the autopsy and coroner's ruling. These claims included: Monroe's stomach was empty, so she could not have swallowed the pills; Nembutal capsules should leave yellow residue; she may have been given an enema; and no needle marks were found, even though she regularly received injections. Noguchi explained that bleeding in the stomach lining showed the drugs were taken orally. Because Monroe had been an addict for years, the pills were absorbed faster than in non-addicts. He also stated that Nembutal does not leave dye residue and that only recent needle marks are visible on a body. The only bruise found on Monroe's lower back was minor and likely accidental. Based on his observations, Noguchi concluded that Monroe most likely committed suicide.

Public reactions and funeral

Monroe's sudden death was widely reported in newspapers across the United States and Europe. Lois Banner, a biographer, wrote that the suicide rate in Los Angeles increased greatly during the month after her death, and more people bought newspapers that month. The Chicago Tribune said they received many phone calls from the public asking about her death. French filmmaker Jean Cocteau said her death "should teach others who watch and trouble movie stars a serious lesson." Her former co-star Laurence Olivier called her "a person who suffered greatly from too much attention and excitement." Bus Stop director Joshua Logan said she was "one of the most unnoticed people in the world."

Monroe's funeral took place on August 8 at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, the same place where her foster parents, Ana Lower and Grace McKee Goddard, were buried. The event was organized by her former husband, Joe DiMaggio, her half-sister Berniece Baker Miracle, and her business manager Inez Melson. They invited only about thirty close family members and friends, not including most people from the entertainment industry who had worked with Monroe. Police were present to keep reporters and photographers away and to manage the crowd of people gathered near the cemetery.

The funeral, led by a local minister, happened in the cemetery's chapel. Monroe was dressed in a green Emilio Pucci dress and held a small bouquet of pink roses. Her longtime makeup artist and friend, Allan "Whitey" Snyder, applied her makeup. The eulogy was given by her acting coach, Lee Strasberg. A piece from Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony and a recording of Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow" were played during the service. Monroe was buried in crypt No. 24 in the Corridor of Memories. DiMaggio arranged for red roses to be placed in a vase next to the crypt three times a week; he stopped this practice twenty years later.

In 1992, Hugh Hefner paid $75,000 to be buried next to Monroe at Westwood Memorial Park. In 2009, he told the Los Angeles Times, "Being near Marilyn forever is a chance too good to miss." In 2022, The Independent described her death as a "global obsession."

Administration of estate

In her will, Monroe left several thousand dollars to her half-sister, Berniece Baker Miracle, and her secretary, May Reis. She also left money for the education of her friend Norman Rosten’s daughter. Additionally, she created a $100,000 trust fund to cover the care of her birth mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, and the widow of her acting teacher, Michael Chekhov. From the rest of her estate, she gave 25% to her former psychiatrist, Marianne Kris, to use for psychiatric institutions or groups she chose. She gave 75%, including her personal items, film royalties, and real estate, to Lee Strasberg. She instructed Strasberg to share her personal items with her friends, colleagues, and people she cared about. Because of legal problems, the money and items were not given to the beneficiaries until 1971.

When Strasberg died in 1982, his estate went to his wife, Anna. Anna claimed the right to use Monroe’s image for business purposes. In 1990, she tried to take full control of Monroe’s estate from the Anna Freud Centre, which had received Monroe’s image rights from Marianne Kris. She lost the lawsuit. In 1996, Anna hired CMG Worldwide, a company that manages the rights to use celebrities’ images, to handle Monroe’s image rights.

Anna prevented Odyssey Group, Inc. from selling items Monroe had owned, which had been given to her nephew, Millington Conroy, by Monroe’s business manager, Inez Melson. Between 1996 and 2001, CMG made 700 deals with companies to use Monroe’s image on products. Lee Strasberg had not shared Monroe’s personal items with her friends, as Monroe had asked. In 1999, Anna hired Christie’s to sell the items, which earned $13.4 million. In 2000, she started a company called Marilyn Monroe LLC.

In 2006, Marilyn Monroe LLC’s claim to control Monroe’s image rights was challenged in court by the heirs of three photographers who had taken pictures of Monroe—Sam Shaw, Milton Greene, and Tom Kelley. The courts ruled that Monroe could not have given her image rights to her estate because the law allowing such rights, the California Celebrities Rights Act, was not passed until 1985.

In 2010, Monroe’s estate ended its partnership with CMG Worldwide and sold the image rights to Authentic Brands Group. That same year, the estate sold Monroe’s home in Brentwood for $3.8 million. It also published a book containing some of Monroe’s private notes, diaries, and letters called Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters.

Conspiracy theories

During the 1960s, few people believed there were secret plans behind Marilyn Monroe’s death. The first claims that she had been murdered came from Frank A. Capell, an anti-communist activist, in his 1964 pamphlet The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe. Capell wrote that Monroe’s death was part of a communist conspiracy. He claimed Monroe had an affair with U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and that she threatened to expose the relationship, leading Kennedy to order her assassination. Capell also accused Kennedy of being a communist sympathizer and said others close to Monroe, such as her doctors and her ex-husband Arthur Miller, were communists.

Capell’s claims are not trusted because his only source was columnist Walter Winchell, who got much of his information from Capell himself. Capell’s friend, LAPD Sergeant Jack Clemmons, helped him write the pamphlet. Clemmons, who was the first police officer at Monroe’s death scene, later said he noticed something was wrong when he arrived, though he did not mention this in the official 1962 investigation.

Capell and Clemmons’ claims were tied to their political goals. Capell spent his life trying to expose an “International Communist Conspiracy.” Clemmons was part of the Police and Fire Research Organization (FiPo), a group that opposed the Kennedys and sent letters to the FBI accusing them of wrongdoing. A 1964 FBI file that suggested Monroe had an affair with Robert F. Kennedy likely came from FiPo. In 1965, Capell, Clemmons, and another person were charged with “conspiracy to libel” for spreading a false claim about U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel. Capell admitted guilt, and Clemmons’ charges were dropped after he left the LAPD.

In the 1960s, Monroe’s death was also discussed in books by Charles Hamblett (Who Killed Marilyn Monroe?, 1966) and James A. Hudson (The Mysterious Death of Marilyn Monroe, 1968). These accounts were not widely shared.

The idea that Monroe was murdered became more common in the 1970s after Norman Mailer’s book Marilyn: A Biography (1973). Mailer claimed Monroe had an affair with Robert F. Kennedy and suggested the FBI or CIA killed her to pressure the Kennedys. Mailer later said he made these claims to sell his book and believed Monroe’s death was likely an accidental suicide.

In 1975, Robert F. Slatzer wrote The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe, based on Capell’s pamphlet. Slatzer claimed Monroe was killed by Robert F. Kennedy and said he had been briefly married to her in 1952. His story was not widely shared but became part of later conspiracy theories.

In 1976, Anthony Scaduto, writing under the name Tony Sciacca, published Who Killed Marilyn Monroe?, repeating Slatzer’s claims. Scaduto also said Monroe kept a red diary with political secrets and that her home was wiretapped by Bernard Spindel, ordered by union leader Jimmy Hoffa.

In 1982, Milo Speriglio wrote Marilyn Monroe: Murder Cover-Up, claiming Monroe was killed by Hoffa and mob boss Sam Giancana. Speriglio based his claims on Slatzer and Scaduto’s books and added statements from Lionel Grandison, a coroner’s office worker who said Monroe’s body had unreported bruises and that he saw the “red diary,” which later disappeared.

Speriglio and Slatzer asked for a new investigation into Monroe’s death. The Los Angeles District Attorney reviewed the case but found no evidence to support murder claims. Grandison was not trusted as a witness because he had been fired for stealing from corpses. Claims about wiretapping were also proven false.

In the 1980s, British journalist Anthony Summers wrote Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe (1985), claiming Monroe’s death was an accidental overdose enabled by Robert F. Kennedy, who helped cover it up. Summers said Monroe had substance abuse problems and affairs with both John and Robert Kennedy. He claimed Kennedy and others staged Monroe’s death as a suicide to avoid being linked to her. Summers interviewed 650 people connected to Monroe, but his work was criticized for relying on untrustworthy witnesses and unverified claims.