The sudden death of Elvis Presley shocked the whole
world — but just how did he die? How has his postmortem report raised eyebrows?
And what mysteries lie behind the king's secret private autopsy? Keep watching to find out.
Elvis Presley is practically a mythic figure in pop culture,
and as such, legends and lore surround both his life and his death.
The circumstances of Presley's untimely death in 1977, at just 42 years of age,
have been long debated. The official story, though, and the one accepted by most people,
is that Elvis Presley died in the bathroom of Graceland, his famous home in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Good evening. Elvis Presley died today — he was 42 — apparently of a heart attack."
A brief, two-page medical examiner's report completed after Presley's death can be
found in the public record. This document appears to be dated October 20th, 1977,
more than two months after Presley's death on August 16th. It was completed by Shelby County
Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco, and sheds some light on how Elvis was found. The report also
reveals some cursory information about Elvis's death. An autopsy was performed as well; it
wasn't ordered by the district attorney general, however, but by Elvis' father, Vernon Presley.
The results of the autopsy were then sealed until the 50th anniversary of his son's death.
The public report features some basic information about Presley including his full name,
Elvis Aron Presley, and his address, which was 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard — otherwise known
as Graceland. Also listed are his race, sex, and age, and the agency investigating his death:
Shelby County Medical Examiner and Memphis Police Department.
More unusual is the fact that some pertinent physical information is notably absent from
the report. While Presley's brown eyes and brown hair are noted, as is his lack of facial hair,
the fields for weight, length, body temperature, and date and time were all left blank.
It's well known that toward the end of his life, Presley put on a significant amount of weight,
with some estimates suggesting he weighed in at 350 pounds.
An exact figure for Elvis' weight could have perhaps shed some light on one of the rumored
factors in Elvis' death: constipation. This condition was a very real problem for Elvis
and he received enemas and laxatives daily to deal with it. It's rumored that
Elvis had what is known as a "megacolon," which was filled with impacted material.
Dr. Francisco lists Elvis Presley's manner of death as "natural," and there are some
additional details that point to a probable cause of death. By the time the medical examiner took
a look at Elvis' body, he had reached the stage of rigor mortis, a stiffening of the deceased's
joints and muscles that can sometimes shed some light on whether a body was moved after death.
The next spot on the report is for liver or liver color, which Dr. Francisco marked with
an indistinct letter along with a checkmark in the "Fixed" box. The "liver color" marked on
the death report likely refers to livor mortis, which has to do with how the blood pools in the
body after death. This can help determine the time of death, as livor mortis becomes fixed
after eight to 12 hours. It can also help medical examiners determine the cause of death as well.
In the section of the report labeled "Marks and Wounds," it is noted that
Elvis had "Congestion to face & upper torso." Additionally, diagrams note that Elvis had a
pressure mark near his left eye and sutured thoracotomy on the left side of his abdomen.
The medical examiner also listed a probable cause of death: "H.C.V.D. associated with ASHD." This is
shorthand for "hypertensive cardiovascular disease associated with arteriosclerotic heart disease."
The medical examiner's report also sheds some light on how Elvis was found and the situation
surrounding his death. Elvis was reportedly last seen alive at 8 a.m. on the morning of
August 16th, 1977. He was found in his home at 2 p.m., and the police were notified at
3:30. His time of death is listed at 3:30 and it's noted that Presley was dead on arrival at
Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. The person who found Elvis was his girlfriend,
Ginger Alden, and the report includes a note that Alden found him on the "floor of dressing room."
It's now widely known, however, that she found him in the bathroom of his master bedroom.
The report also notes that an autopsy was performed at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
This autopsy had become a point of contention over the years, however,
because Vernon Presley chose for it to remain sealed. It is set to be opened in 2027.
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