|
|
|
"I believe in the Bible. I believe that all good things come from God. I don't believe I'd sing the way I do if God hadn't wanted me to.' ”
|
|
Meditation Garden Cam
 °
|
|
Lisa Marie, Priscilla, Shirley Dieu
and others
Boarding the LisaMarie
for Memphis
    
|
|
The Day Elvis Presley Died
|
|
Elvis photo destroyed, defendant say
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Elvis is still dead, and so is the famous photo of him laid out in his coffin, according to recently filed court papers.
"The Elvis Photo was destroyed," say the attorneys representing a New York man who is accused of snatching the picture from the anthrax-tainted former headquarters of the National Enquirer.
A man identified by defense attorneys as a tabloid employee holds the photo before, the attorneys say, it and others were shredded.
A 1977 cover of the National Enquirer displays a photo of Elvis Presley in his coffin. A developer who bought the tabloid's former building says the photo was stolen. File photo
|
Further, they say, they have another photo to prove it.
In a federal lawsuit filed last month, a Boca Raton developer who bought the tabloid's former headquarters is demanding a return of the photo, which he says is worth at least $1 million. In the lawsuit, developer David Rustine says the photo was stolen by John Y. Mason, head of a New York company hired to decontaminate the building in the wake of a 2001 anthrax attack.
Late last week, Mason fired back.
Not only is he saying he did not swipe the photo, he is suing Rustine for defamation of character for alleging he did.
"Mr. Mason has never threatened to steal or otherwise withhold the Elvis Photo from Mr. Rustine," wrote Boca Raton attorneys Robert Hunt and Debra Klingsberg, who represent Mason.
In fact, they say, the photo was destroyed when Mason's company, Sabre Technical Services, fumigated the building after it was infected with anthrax in 2001. The still-unsolved anthrax attack killed tabloid photo editor Bob Stevens.
As evidence that the photo was destroyed, Mason's attorneys included a grainy picture of a man wearing a white hooded jumpsuit and a gas mask. The man, whom they identify as tabloid in-house counsel Daniel Rotstein, is holding the photo that produced a record 6.5 million sales for the Enquirer when it was on the cover of the tabloid shortly after Elvis Presley's August 1977 death.
The picture of Rotstein was snapped shortly before the Elvis photo and hundreds of others were shredded, the attorneys contend. Rotstein, they say, oversaw the shredding.
Officials at American Media Inc., which owns the Enquirer, the Star and other tabloids and magazines such as Men's Fitness, said they don't think the man in the blurry photo is Rotstein. But, they said, they don't understand the battle royal over the photo of "The King."
Even if it exists, it's worth little, said Mike Antonello, an AMI attorney.
The key isn't who owns the photo or even the negative, but who owns the copyright, he said.
While Rustine may have inherited thousands of celebrity photos when he bought AMI's $10 million headquarters for $40,000 in 2003, he doesn't own the copyright on them, Antonello said.
While Rustine can sell the photos, he can't publish them or whoever owns the copyright can sue, Antonello said.
"If he tries to sell it for $1 million and he says the copyright goes with it, he would get sued," Antonello said.
He said he didn't know who owns the copyright for the photo that a former Enquirer editor says was shot for the tabloid by one of Presley's many cousins. The tabloid paid the cousin $18,000 to snap the photo, former Editor Iain Calder revealed in a book he wrote about his years at the Enquirer.
Antonello said he couldn't figure out what was fueling the lawsuit over what he described as "a non-issue."
Neither Mason nor Rustine's attorneys returned telephone calls. However, in separate court claims, they blast each other over how the infamous photo has been used in their business dealings.
In his lawsuit, Rustine says Mason took the photo hostage to keep him from canceling Sabre's contract. Mason contends that Rustine filed the lawsuit over the photo to force him to resolve a $10 million claim he filed against Rustine after the contract was canceled.
Royce Emley, a former promotion manager for AMI, said the negative of the Presley photo — one of five shot of the dead rock-and-roll icon — was kept in a vault. He suspects top editors grabbed the negatives before they evacuated the building during the anthrax attack.
"Can you think of an asset the National Enquirer had that was more valuable than the Elvis photo?" he asked. "I can't."
|
|
|
|
|
"The casket was moved from its position in the entrance to the music room and placed in the foyer. It was lined up just inside the doorway to Graceland with the head of the casket pointing north. Preparations for the public viewing were now almost complete. This was to be the most trying of ordeals from a security standpoint. Sam and I had discussed the procedures over and over, trying to make sure we had covered all the bases.
Up until now, movements of Elvis's body had been unannounced and done with relative little publicity and completed in secret with plenty of escort for protection. Now, we were about to ask people to come close, to enter the confines of the estate and to approach close to the casket. Even under normal circumstances this would be a problem. Fans mobbed Elvis wherever he went but he loved every minute of it and he didn't want to ever lose that appeal or that respect. But things were not normal. Elvis was deceased and the fans were not there in the same fashion as before a concert. They were upset. They were hysterical in somce cases. They were not normal. Many had come from hudreds of miles away, some further. They were crying. They were sad. This was not to be a happy moment.
The showing of emotion under these circumstances was to be expected but we needed to be aware of the overly emotional person. That was to be expected also. We didn't want anyone throwing themselves onto the casket or disrupting the process for those who followed. Sam and I analyzed what needed to be done. We also felt that someone might want to take pictures which we did not wish to have happen. I was determined to not have his picture appear on the front page of some newspaper while he was laying in a coffin. That was my own personal failure out of this entire process. I rpotected Elvis from outsiders but thought that the "threat" would come from the inside from his own family. I quickly learned what a bunch of "turn coats" existed within the family.
Our first concern was to control the crowd. While they were all outside we had relative ease in controlling them. Once we opened the gates and invited them in, things could change. The crowd estimated by now to be approaching 100,000 was massive. Control could be very easily lost if it was allowed to slip for just one instance.
The "black and white" plan was set into motion. The front gate would be opened only wide enough to allow one person at a time to pass. The security detail on the gate would be "beefed" up, putting men on the pillars with speakers to announce the rules for entering. The men inside would channel those entering to the right side of the drive. Two barricades would be set outside the gate to channel those entering to come from the right side of the gate and allowing those leaving to exit to the left. This only worked partially especially after time began to run out for people to enter. Once inside they would be directed to pass up the drive along the right side by officers stationed along the way. Announcements would be made at the gate and just before making the turn toward the house that cameras would not be permitted and that they would be confiscated and the offenders ejected immediately. People were advised to leave their cameras outside, however they could leave them in the gate house but we were acceepting no responsibility. They were also advised that anyone getting off the drive onto the grass would be ejected. They were allowed to look at the flowers but to not touch.
As the line approached the house, another annoucement would be made showing that there would be no stopping on front of the casket. The line was allowed to walk up the front steps on the right side, walk past the front door and exit by the left side of the steps. A chain and stanchion type barrier was placed directly in front of the casket to prevent anyone from approaching closer than three feet. Once they had passed by the coffin they exited the estate by walking down the drive on the left side finally coming back to the front gate. There, entering people were stopped to allow those exiting to pass out the gates. The entire process we estimated would take a half hour from the time one entered until they left. We did not realize how close together the fans would stand in line as they made their way up to the house. At one point it took almost two hours to pass by the casket.
Vernon had originally said that he wanted to let the fans file by for two hours. This was the time we planned upon. Security was set on the casket itself. On either side of the door just outside the house were uniformed officers, one to each side. These officers were on the casket of the barrier set up. On the crowd side of the barrier stood two members of the Honor Guard, one to each side. Just inside the door were two other security people. Al Strada stood at the foot of the casket and Dean (Nichopolous) was at the head. Either man could move from his position tot he ouside area of the casket by taking one step. The United States flag and the Tennessee flag stood on stadards just outside the door. Four other members of the National Guard honor guard stood by the pillars at the top of the steps.
Thus I felt that no one could get to the casket. If anyone tried there were several "circles" of prevention and protection that would come into play. Al did not move from his position refusing any relief durring the entire time we allowed the public to pass. Al took this as a personal assignment and was not about to be denied for any reason. I believe that if we were still allowing fans to pass, he would still be standing there.
So the arrangements were set. Both Sam and I would be out front watching the crowd. All the officers were instructed to be watchful for anyone acting "crazy" or strange. Those individuals would be watched more closely as they approached the house. We reviewed the plans once more and could see no flaws that were apparent. We hoped and prayed it would work."
by Dick Grob Security Chief Graceland & On Tours
|
|
The whole question of this coffin picture has always bothered me. It never looked quite right and reading this whole thread lead me to crack open photoshop and do some tinkering.
First thing I did was look for an almost complete profile picture of Elvis, I found one (perhaps 1973 I think?)
I made it black and white and flipped it on its side and "closed" the eye. First "shock" Elvis does look very different from that angle. For one his second chin is more noticable than it is in normal photos.
Then I made it transparent and overlaid it on the NE picture, it matches exactly in: nose, mouth, chin, hairline. All features (according to experts) used in photo analysis as with the Lincoln photos.
The one obvious discrepancy was the eyebrow, the "smoulder" is gone. I know there are stories of plastic surgery around his eyes. Even without that brow muscles do respond differently post mortem.
I'm not drawing any huge conclusions from this, but my own doubts about that photo are now diminished.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vernon Presley,
Elvis Presley's father,
places a rose
on his son's grave Nov. 24, 1977,
as newspeople were permitted inside
the grounds at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn.,
for the first time since Elvis' funeral.
|
|
Til we meet you again, may God bless you,
Adios.
|
|
1977 Aug 29
1977:
Aug 29 - three men, Ronnie Lee Adkins (26), Raymond M. Green (25) and Bruce Nelson (20) were charged with attempting to steal Elvis' body from the mausoleum at Forrest Hills Cemetary. At first it was reported that they planned to ask $10m in ransom (see OCT 4).
Oct 02 - Elvis and his mother were buried in the Meditation Garden at Graceland.
Oct 04 - Charges were dropped in the case that resulted from the arrest on August 29 of three men in an apparent attempt to steal Elvis' body and hold it for $10 million ransom.
Authorities admitted that one of the men, Ronnie Adkins, was a police informant, and the whole plan may have been a hoax.
The trio continued to be charged with dismeanor trespassing.
Some other comments I read:
The charges against the three men who allegedly tried to swipe Presley's body were dropped by the Memphis prosecutor when the chief witness and accuser
(legalese for "rat"), one Ronnie Lee Adkins, demonstrated his unreliability by getting himself arrested for fraud. Adkins apparently had checked into Memphis's Doctor's Hospital posing as a policeman in order to claim that he was covered by the city's insurance plan.
So who was Ronnie Adkins - and if he was a police informant .. what's the story ?
From Dick Grob's : Elvis Conspiracy
| 10/02/2009 5:06:04 |
|
Elvis photo's fate still a mystery: Lawsuit ends when all parties dismiss claims
- The fate of the famous photo of Elvis in his coffin apparently will remain a mystery.
A federal lawsuit in West Palm Beach over the photo valued at $1 million ended last week when all involved agreed to dismiss their claims.
Such action typically means a settlement was reached, but attorneys representing the warring parties couldn't be reached for comment despite attempts by phone.
Questions about the photo were central to a lawsuit filed last year by Boca Raton developer David Rustine, who bought the anthrax-ravaged former headquarters of the National Enquirer. The tabloid set sales records when it published the photo shortly after Elvis Presley's 1977 death.
Rustine claimed John Mason, head of a New York company hired to clean the building, snatched it. Mason claimed the photo was destroyed when the building was fumigated and then countersued Rustine for defamation. (News, Source: Jane Musgrave | The Palm Beach Post, SunSentinel.com)
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The Elvis Cover-Up"...
...the "20/20" documentaries |
"The Elvis Cover-Up" was based on the book: The Death of Elvis What Really Happened*, Charles C. Thompson II & James P. Cole, Robert Hale, 1991, ISBN: 0709048033
In 1979, "20/20", a popular news-magazine program on the ABC network in the USA, achieved its highest rating ever when it broadcast Geraldo Rivera's investigation into the death of Elvis Presley. Following the success of the program, "20/20" broadcast several follow-up segments in later editions. These included the Elvis Cover-Up #2; the indictment of Dr Nick, and The Legend Sells.
Unseen for more than two decades, the "20/20" reports have assumed iconic status in discussions about Elvis' death.
|
Recently a DVD copy of the original hour long program and follow-up segments has been offered for sale and EIN was able to obtain a copy. On viewing the program(s) we were pleasantly surprised at what we found.
In typical tabloid media style there are a number of glaring factual errors (Rivera stating near the beginning of the program that all of Elvis' 28 films were money makers being a good example of shoddy background research).
However, the central objective of the 20/20 investigation was to answer the question...what killed Elvis Presley?, crucially, what caused his heart to stop?
The documentary was produced by Charles C. Thompson, co-author of the book, "The Death of Elvis". It is from the Thompson and Cole book that the documentary essentially finds its narrative.
That narrative, based on a leaked copy of the toxicology report, concludes that Elvis had a medical (prescription medication) addiction and he died due to polypharmacy, an accidental overdose of the pain killer, Codeine, and nonbarbituate sedative, Quaalude. |
 |
Throughout the program (and in follow-up stories) Rivera makes no bones about who is one of the central culprits in the cover-up, Shelby County Medical Examiner, Dr Jerry Francisco. Francisco took it upon himself to call a press conference following the autopsy, to announce Elvis died from cardiac arrhythmia, a statement deliberately misleading and only true on a superficial level. As Rivera asks, yes Elvis' heart stopped beating, but the real question is what caused it to stop beating?
Francisco's statement was a finding at apparent odds with the official autopsy findings carried out by Dr Eric Muirhead, chief pathologist at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Francisco was an observer during the autopsy but for whatever reason, seized the opportunity to quell media questions and suspicions with a prosaic explanation of how Elvis died.
Francisco would later make the outrageous claim that "Dr Nick's" indictment for prescribing thousands of pills to Elvis had nothing at all to do with his death! Francisco's arrogance is stunning - it is an amazing scene to watch.
Further, in his arguments to the media, Francisco stated that the amounts of drugs in Elvis' body were not sufficient to kill him. What Francisco deliberately omitted to add was that the letter he took that view from also included another sentence saying "categorically", that in combination, all the drugs present in Elvis' body could well have been lethal!
In true conspiracy fashion the viewer is told that:
- the death scene was "cleaned up" by insiders at Graceland
- "Dr Nick" was to collect Elvis' medications and provide them to the police (the latter never happening)
- there was no formal police investigation into Elvis' death in August 1977
- there was no Coroner's Inquest
- there was no drug investigation
- the contents of Elvis' stomach were destroyed without analysis
- the hospital files concerning Elvis' death are missing
- the police photos of the death scene and the toxicology reports are missing
- there were/are "two" death certificates!
|
Elvis' alleged fiancee at the time of his death, Ginger Alden, features a number of times in the program(s). Contrary to many reports that she was an "out of her depth" young woman, she comes across as confident and lucid.
Probably due to clever editing she states that in August 1977 Elvis' time had come, and adds "but there again in my mind there were a number of unanswered questions'' (the Elvis is alive believers will have a field day with this!). She also reveals the last words Elvis ever said.
Others to feature include a very hesitant and withdrawn "Dr Nick", Dr Max Shapiro (aka "Dr Feelgood"), Dr Elias Ghanem, private detective John O'Grady, W.S. Nash the pharmacist who filled the prescription for what would be the fatal dose, Marty Lacker, David and Ricky Stanley, Dee Presley, Vester Presley (talking about his book), Dr Jerry Francisco, and celebrity medical examiner, Cyril Wecht.
Private detective O'Grady voices his strong opinion on Elvis' death...negligent homicide!
DVD quality: The audio and video quality is generally good-very good, although as it was taped from TV there are annoying jumps and video imperfections between each program/segment. |
 |
The release viewed by EIN (see visuals) was region free, has a professional look and came with a picture disc. There is also a segment selection menu.
Verdict: The deliberate mix of emotional tabloid journalism and seering toxicology evidence makes the "20/20" program(s) compelling, if at times, disturbing viewing. Regardless of your view on the merits of its conclusions (and many have disputed the conclusions), the program(s) have significant merit in questioning (exposing) the actions of "Dr Nick", Dr Jerry Francisco, and what appears to have been a 'Keystone Cops' approach to Elvis' death.
Not surprisingly, the Thompson & Cole book on which the program(s) were based, provides a much more detailed account and explanation of the subject.
What the "20/20" investigation does do persuasively, is establish that while there was/is a conspiracy, Elvis is indeed dead.
Availability: "The Elvis Cover-Up" (aka "The Death of Elvis What Really Happened") DVD has been found recently on eBay. Copies of the initial few "20/20" broadcasts have been listed, as has a copy of just the original one hour special.
Note: The "20/20" programs currently in circulation do not include the Geraldo Rivera special in April 1985 where singer David Darlock admitted he was the voice behind alleged Elvis song recordings released by Steven Chanzes, and later by Major Bill Smith.
|
|
| 24/07/2010 5:34:42 |
Alleged Elvis embalming tools removed from auction:
An array of surgical and other instruments allegedly used in the 1977 embalming of Elvis Presley was withdrawn Thursday from a planned auction after Memphis Funeral Home objected to the auction of property taken without the funeral home's consent.
Funeral home president E.C. Daves said the instruments were taken by an embalmer who kept them for more than 30 years before offering them for sale through Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. The auction is scheduled Aug. 12 and the Elvis items were in two lots valued by the auction house at $8,000 and $6,000.
Daves said the authenticity of the items still is in question. He said the retired embalmer, in his 80s, claimed to have taken the items after Presley's embalming the night of Aug. 16, 1977. But Daves said another employee told him that those instruments had been sterilized and were used again.
"There's no way to tell whether (the auction items) are authentic," he said.
Daves said the retired embalmer and his son, who handled negotiations with the auction house, agreed to withdraw the items. He said the funeral home plans no legal reprisals if the items are returned.
Auction house owner Leslie Hindman was less final. In an e-mail, she said, "We are in discussions with all parties."
Daves said the funeral home is awaiting word from the Elvis Presley estate on its preferences. The items could be donated to a funeral history museum in Houston.
"Or we could destroy them," Daves said. "We're not going to do anything until the Presley estate agrees with it."
A Graceland spokesman declined to comment. (News, Source: Michael Lollar, The Commercial Appeal) |
|
|
|
|
|
