A marble bust of The Doors singer Jim Morrison turned up in Paris during a fraud case, ending a 37-year puzzle since its theft from Père Lachaise cemetery.
Officers from the Paris Regional Judicial Police Directorate spotted the sculpture, now marked with graffiti and sporting a broken nose, while working on an unrelated case. The bust vanished from Morrison’s grave in 1988.
“This was a chance discovery made during a search ordered by an examining magistrate at the Paris court,” said the prosecutor’s office to CNN.
Artist Mladen Mikulin from Croatia made the white marble piece for the 10th anniversary of Morrison’s death, and it weighs 250 pounds. It stood watch over Morrison’s final resting place from 1981 until thieves snatched it seven years later.
Benoît Gallot, curator of the Père Lachaise cemetery, expressed uncertainty about whether the bust will be returned because the police haven’t contacted the graveyard yet.
“Obviously it’s a piece of history, and one Jim’s family wanted there on his grave, so it’s gratifying to see that it’s been recovered,” said Jeff Jampol, manager of the Morrison estate, to CNN.
In 1988, witnesses said two fans hid in the cemetery overnight. They grabbed the bust and sped off on a moped. Six years later, police caught two Americans trying to install their own bronze copy.
Jim Morrison died in Paris at 27 on July 3, 1971. His burial spot became a must-see landmark, and the city ranks it among the most-visited musician graves on Earth.
The site’s history includes chaos. On the 20th death anniversary in 1991, police used tear gas on unruly crowds. This led to strict rules: no drinks or music near the grave. It’s a popular site for fans and tourists.
Paris officials recently named a bridge by the Marais after Morrison.
