In 1981, for the tenth anniversary of his death at the age of 27, a sculpture was installed on the grave of legendary American singer-poet Jim Morrison at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
The emblematic white marble statue, created by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin and representing The Doors frontman, was stolen from the famous cemetery on 9 May 1988 and had been missing ever since.
No one knows who stole it and why. People are strange.
Now, Morrison’s missing bust has been found... By accident.
It was discovered during an unrelated investigation by the Financial and Anti-Corruption Brigade of the Judicial Police Department of the Paris Police Headquarters.
According to the public prosecutor's office: “It was a chance discovery during a search carried out in connection with a case of fraud that led to the recovery of the bust.”
The Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police Prefecture (DPJ-PP) posted a photo of the statue on its account, along with a message announcing that it had been found.
The infamous sculpture, weighing 128 kilos, does not appear to have been damaged.
Its nose is broken and the statue is covered in graffiti, but this was already the case when it disappeared 37 years ago.
It remains to be determined whether the bust will be returned to its original sitting spot.
Benoît Gallot, curator of the Père-Lachaise cemetery, told Le Figaro that he does not yet know what will happen to the rediscovered sculpture.
“The police haven't contacted us, so I don't know whether the bust will be returned to us,” he stated.
Fans of The Doors and Morrison will be hoping for a return to its rightful home, as Jim Morrison’s grave remains one of the most visited in the Père Lachaise cemetery. Notes, candles and flowers are laid there every day. And since the 1988 theft, the grave has been under video surveillance.
So less chance of Jim going missing again...
