August 16, 1977, was a Tuesday. It was hot in Memphis. By late afternoon, the world knew "The King" was gone. But for the millions of fans left in shock, hearing the news wasn't enough. People wanted to see him. They wanted proof. This morbid curiosity sparked a frenzy for photos of elvis presley death that hasn't actually stopped, even decades later.
Honestly, the story of how those images came to be is messier than the tabloids lead you to believe. It involves a "spy" camera, a betrayal by a family member, and a casket that some people swore was filled with wax.
The National Enquirer and the $18,000 Betrayal
If you've seen a picture of Elvis in his coffin, you're looking at the result of a heist. The Presley family, specifically his father Vernon, wanted a dignified goodbye. They held an open-casket viewing at Graceland for thousands of mourning fans. Security was tight. The "Memphis Mafia"—Elvis’s inner circle of friends and bodyguards—stood over the casket like hawks. They were ready to jump anyone who even looked like they had a camera.
The National Enquirer was desperate. They reportedly had a $100,000 budget just to cover the funeral.
They finally found a weak link: Billy Mann. Billy was Elvis's first cousin. For the sum of $18,000—which was a lot of money in '77—he agreed to sneak a tiny Arco Flex spy camera into the viewing. He snapped the shot while pretending to pay his respects.
The photo was grainy. It was poorly lit. But it was real.
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When that issue hit the stands on September 6, 1977, it sold over 6.5 million copies. That remains a record for the magazine. The family was devastated by the breach of trust, and Billy Mann was essentially exiled from the inner circle.
Why Do People Think the Death Photos Look Fake?
Here’s where it gets kinda weird. A lot of fans saw that Enquirer photo and immediately shouted, "That's not him!"
There are a few reasons why Elvis looked... different.
First, the morticians had a nightmare on their hands. Elvis had been found face-down on his bathroom floor. By the time he was discovered and transported, lividity and rigor mortis had set in. His face was swollen. Michael Cole, a journalist who saw the body, famously described the head as being "the size of a watermelon."
To fix this, the funeral home used a massive amount of makeup. Larry Geller, Elvis’s longtime hair stylist, actually had to go in and use mascara to touch up the sideburns and roots because the hair dye hadn't taken properly.
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Because of all that heavy "stage makeup" and the bloating, the man in the casket looked more like a wax mannequin than the guy who sang "Suspicious Minds." This fueled the "Elvis is Alive" fire for forty years. People claimed the casket was weighted with air conditioning units to keep a wax dummy from melting.
Basic science says otherwise, but when you're grieving a legend, logic usually takes a backseat.
Are There Any Elvis Presley Autopsy Photos?
This is a question that pops up in dark corners of the internet all the time. The short answer: No, not publicly.
The autopsy was performed at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis on the day he died. It was a messy affair. There was immediate friction between the hospital pathologists and the Shelby County Coroner, Dr. Jerry Francisco.
Vernon Presley had the full autopsy report and any accompanying photos sealed. They are legally protected until 2027. That’s the 50th anniversary of his death.
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While some "crime scene" photos of the bathroom have leaked over the years, they mostly show the mundane tragedy of his final moments—books on the floor, medication bottles—rather than the body itself.
The Attempted Body Snatching
The obsession with photos of elvis presley death and his physical remains took a turn for the literal just nine days after the funeral. Three men were arrested at Forest Hill Cemetery after trying to break into the mausoleum. They had explosives. They wanted to steal the body and hold it for ransom.
That’s why Elvis isn't at the cemetery anymore.
Vernon got permission to move Elvis and his mother, Gladys, to the Meditation Garden at Graceland. It was a security move, plain and simple. If you go to Graceland today, you’re standing near where he actually rests, but that move only added to the mystery for some.
What to Watch Out For Today
If you’re searching for these images now, you'll run into a lot of fakes.
- The "Orion" Photos: Jimmy Ellis was a singer who sounded exactly like Elvis and wore a mask. Photos of him are often passed off as "secret" Elvis photos.
- AI Renders: In the last two years, AI has generated "realistic" autopsy photos. They are 100% fake.
- The "Pool House" Photo: A blurry shot from the 80s of a man in the Graceland pool house. It was actually just a maintenance worker who happened to be tall.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers
If you're looking into the history of Elvis's final days, stay grounded in the verified record.
- Wait for 2027: The legal seal on the official state documents expires then. Until then, anything claiming to be a "newly discovered" autopsy report is almost certainly a hoax.
- Read Ginger Alden’s Account: His fiancée was the one who found him. Her book, Elvis and Ginger, provides the most direct (and heartbreaking) factual account of the scene without the tabloid sensationalism.
- Check the Source: The only confirmed photo of Elvis after his passing is the one published by the National Enquirer.
The fascination with these photos isn't really about the morbid details. It’s about a world that wasn't ready to let go of a man who changed everything. Sometimes, a blurry photo is just a blurry photo, not a grand conspiracy.