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Memoirs of a Deputy Coroner: The Case of Marilyn Monroe


Read a compelling new account of the official Coroner's investigation into Marilyn Monroe's death. This powerful memoir, written by the Coroner's deputy who signed her death certificate, provides the best look yet at the facts surounding Marilyn's death. 

Never has Marilyn Monroe's story been told through the eyes of somebody who participated in the official investigation. His shocking revelations provide a riveting inside look at the massive cover-up he witnessed.  Learn fascinating new details about what transpired at the L.A. Coroner's Office and how the real facts unfolded. His explosive memoir exposes a far-reaching web of deceit surrounding Marilyn's death.

Lionel Grandison is among the last-living L.A. County officials, who worked on Marilyn's case. Then 22-years-old, he was also the last public official to possess and examine Marilyn's secret diary, which arrived at the Coroner's Office with other personal property recovered from her house. The book revealed startling facts about Marilyn's secret involvement with powerful men and organizations, who came to view her as a threat. The Hollywood actress found herself playing a real-life role, in a high-stakes game, and it may have gotten her killed.

The story is mind-boggling and connects the dots where many journalists have failed. Readers will discover a hidden side of Marilyn Monroe they never knew or imagined. The book delivers a unique understanding of how Marilyn's complicated life intersected with America's turbulent history. 

Baitcal Publishing has released a special revised edition of this amazing book featuring 17 photos, notes, and documents from Lionel Grandison’s private Marilyn Monroe scrapbook. See previously unreleased photos of the 22-year-old Coroner's deputy and secretive FBI notes and documents he has catalogued over the years..

The Case of Marilyn Monroe is among the most talked-about celebrity deaths in the history of our nation. The Hollywood actress, linked to some of America's most powerful men, was found dead on August 5, 1962, at her home in Beverly Hills. The cause of death was determined a probable suicide, a ruling that left many questions unanswered, such as why doctors found no drugs in her stomach, despite allegedly taking nearly 50 pills?

Numerous so-called conspiracy theories have arisen over the years. Strong rumors of a cover-up and of high profile government figures being present at her house that evening. However, most of these theories have been shrugged off over the years, made by people never associated with the official Monroe investigation. That is all of them, except one.

In 1962, Lionel Grandison was a Deputy for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. Married with three kids at the time, he was the first and only African American Coroner's Deputy working for the County. A graduate of San Fernando High School in the San Fernando Valley (a suburb area of Los Angeles), he had married his high school sweetheart in 1958, and a year later their first child was born.

Grandison began working for the Coroner's office in 1960, becoming involved with several high profile cases. In 1962, a few months before Marilyn Monroe's death, he worked another controversial case. On April 27, Los Angeles Police officers ransacked a Mosque in Los Angeles, leaving seven unarmed Muslims wounded and one dead, named Ronald T. Stokes. Newspapers from New York to Los Angeles printed the story in their headlines, presenting the gruesome image of the slain Muslim, facedown and handcuffed.

A special coroner's inquest became necessary to determine if the shooting was justified, and Minister Malcolm X had arrived in town seeking justice. Grandison served as the liaison between Malcolm and the Coroner's office, privately meeting with the minister,  while helping avoid an explosion between Nation of Islam members and the LAPD.

Praised by the legendary Malcolm X for his assistance, Grandison's next case would quickly overshadow it. Just four months later, he would find himself in the middle of perhaps the most controversial death of the 20th century.

After Marilyn Monroe's death, Grandison had the responsibility of gathering all available reports and evidence for the Coroner's Office. During his investigation, he would watch medical and police files hidden from the public. His complaints would go ignored by his superiors, who included Dr. Theodore Curphey, Chief Medical Examiner for the County of Los Angeles.  

Curphey was involved in several other controversial celebrity cases, notably George Reeves, who played TV's Superman in the late fifties. Curphey had also ruled his death a suicide despite family pleas and evidence to the contrary.

During Grandison's investigation, he would also make a startling discovery. A little red diary, apparently written by Marilyn Monroe herself.
The disappearance of the diary was just another one of many strange mishaps that plagued Grandison's investigation of the Monroe case. But nothing could have prepared him for what was still to come.

After signing the death certificate, he would get set up and charged with a crime and then forced to resign from his deputy position. His story has been the subject of numerous documentaries and TV specials over the years.

In 1982, Grandison would lead the charge to reopen the Marilyn Monroe investigation and clear his name. He would testify before the County Board of Supervisors, who would request a Grand Jury investigation. 

Now named Samir Muqaddin, his memoir is presented in a book written by his son, Lionel Grandison Jr., titled "Memoirs of a Deputy Coroner: The Case of Marilyn Monroe." It provides an in-depth look at his entire investigation and reveals key details about events at the Coroners office, including what he read in Marilyn's Diary.

Now 80 years old, Samir recently celebrated the commissioning and unveiling of a new art piece by internationally acclaimed fine artist Jameel Rasheed. The drawing features an image of him and Marilyn, forever linked, commemorating his 50-year involvement with this historic case.

Samir Muqaddin is an unsung American hero who continues to serve as an example of persevering against odds in the interest of truth and justice. Perhaps now the world will truly see how one man stood up for himself and one of Hollywood's biggest legends, no matter the cost.

Read more about the author

Memoirs of a Deputy Coroner - The Case of Marilyn Monroe
Lionel Grandison Jr and his father Samir Muqaddin who officially investigated marilyn monroe's death in 1962


Paperback, 317 pages
Revised Edition
Published July 20, 2020 by Baitcal Publishing
Original Title: Memoirs of a Deputy Coroner: The Case of Marilyn Monroe
ISBN: 978-0-9859619-6-1
Edition Language: English
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The Case of Marilyn Monroe: Film Short

Watch this compelling video about Lionel Grandison and the true facts surrounding her death