Marilyn Monroe’s Body Left Unattended for Hours After Death

Marilyn Monroe, the renowned actress, was discovered dead in her Los Angeles home on August 4, 1962.

The 36-year-old star's death was attributed to a lethal dose of barbiturates, leading to the assumption that she had taken her own life.

Eunice Murray, Monroe's housekeeper, made the distressing discovery of the lifeless body of the actress in bed during the early hours of that morning.

Once authorities were alerted about Monroe's passing, her remains were transported to the local morgue.

In the years preceding her tragic demise, Monroe had attained worldwide fame.

She had starred in iconic films like “Some Like It Hot,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven Year Itch,” and “Niagara.”

Additionally, Monroe was highly sought-after as a model, gracing the pages of various magazines, including Playboy.

Even today, she is regarded as one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived.

Unfortunately, after Monroe's death, her body was left unattended for hours.

Reports suggest that she remained alone in the mortuary for over 24 hours.

Additional rumors claimed that her body had gone missing during this time, but there is no evidence to substantiate these claims.

Eventually, Monroe's ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio, from whom she had separated in 1946, claimed her body.

Their relationship remained amicable, and Monroe had even spoken with DiMaggio's son, Joe Junior, on the day of her death.

DiMaggio arranged for her funeral to take place on August 8, 1962, and only invited close friends and family members who were not associated with Hollywood.

To manage the press and the hundreds of onlookers, police were present.

Although the streets surrounding the cemetery were filled with spectators, the service proceeded under the guidance of a local minister.

Monroe was dressed in a green Emilio Pucci dress, holding a small bouquet of pink roses.

The service concluded with a recording of Judy Garland's “Over the Rainbow.”

Following the funeral, DiMaggio organized for red roses to be placed at Monroe's crypt three times a week for the next two decades.

Years later, more details emerged about Monroe's time at the morgue.

Dr. Thomas Noguchi, who was responsible for conducting her autopsy, discovered that samples taken from her stomach and intestines had been destroyed upon receiving her body.

This subsequently affected the toxicology reports.

Furthermore, he revealed that no other tests were conducted on her toxicology report, except for her blood and liver samples.

Allan Abbott, the individual who oversaw Monroe's funeral services, later penned a revealing book about his experiences with the stars.

In the book, he recounted Monroe's appearance when she arrived at the mortuary.

According to Abbott, Monroe was almost unrecognizable and her face was covered in purple blotches due to the position in which she died.

Abbott stated, “When we uncovered her, it was hard to believe that this was Marilyn Monroe.

She looked like an average woman who had not been taking care of herself.

The circumstances surrounding her death had greatly exacerbated her poor appearance, rendering her unrecognizable.”

He also described her hair as frizzy and fairly short, noting that her roots had grown out half an inch, revealing her natural light brown hair color instead of blonde.

Additionally, her legs had not been shaved for at least a week, her lips were chapped, and she was in need of a manicure and pedicure.

Due to extensive swelling caused by the accumulation of blood, morticians had to conduct surgery on Monroe's neck.