final first paragraph: evidence for suicide

Reports at the time stated Monroe’s death was, “probable suicide”[1], which was widely accepted at the time of death, and has some evidence to support the theory, however, even now, it is not conclusive. Factors such as; Monroe’s family history of mental illness, her variation in normal behaviour prior to her death, the volume of pills consumed and her mental state at the time, support the suicide theory. Monroe had an unstable upbringing, suffering from sexual abuse and being passed from house to house during her childhood, which significantly impacted her mental state causing her to develop an unhealthy idea about functional relationships. It is known that her mother and two of her grandparents had suffered from depression. “Over 90% of people who engage in suicidal behaviours have a psychiatric disorder. Mood disorders, specifically depression, are the most common diagnoses, followed by substance abuse, disruptive behaviour and anxiety disorders”[2], all of which Monroe potentially suffered; although she may have inherited certain disorders, while others were developed through her lifestyle. Besides these long-term preconditions, which support the suicide theory, there are also a number of immediate factors that enforce this theory. It was known by those living at her residence that Monroe commonly slept with the door unlocked, but closed, however, on the night of her death there are many claims that state her door was locked, a variation in normal behaviour that could suggest her death was a result of suicide. Robert Litman, psychiatrist and member of the suicide team on the case stated that the locking of the door could, “suggest intention to die”[3]. Friends of Monroe have claimed Ralph Greenson, Monroe’s psychiatrist at the time, had began controlling and getting Monroe heavily addicted to sleeping pills, increasing her accessibility so she had a constant supply of drugs such as Librium and Nembutal. The results of testing shown in the UNsolved History documentary suggest that Monroe would have been unconscious before consuming the remaining twelve pills that would be needed to be fatal if her death was unintentional and she had simply been forgetting she had consumed her medication, implying all pills would have needed to be consumed at once. The last known person whom she corresponded with was Peter Lawford, who stated, “her voice was slurred, and trailed off”[4], at around the time of 9pm. If this statement is accurate, Lawford might have been the last person Monroe contacted before her time of death. A contributing factor, which could have lead to Monroe’s increasingly unstable mental health, was her recent firing from the Twentieth Century Fox film, Something’s Got to Give. Monroe, “showed up for work only six days during the month of May”[5], and her lack of appearance and dedication to the film left producers frustrated. On June 7, Monroe was fired from the film and was subsequently sued by the studio for contract breach, leaving her reputation damaged, and significantly declining her already feeble mental state. The firing of Monroe contributed to theories that her death was a result of suicide, as her mental health would have been severely affected by such an event. Additionally, official autopsy reports rule out murder by injection as a viable option, as she had no visible needle marks on her skin. Although some evidence supports the official report’s conclusion that Monroe’s death was probable suicide, this evidence is not strong enough to eliminate all doubt and therefore the theory can never be considered conclusive.

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[1] Marilyn Monroe Autopsy Reports, Coroner County of Los Angeles Medical Report, http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/monroe,%20marilyn_report.pdf,

(Accessed 30/08/15).

[2] Stephen E. Brock (etc.), Suicidal Ideation and Behaviours, http://www.nasponline.org/resources/intonline/nas-cbiii-05-1001-017-r02.pdf, (Accessed 02/09/2015).

[3] Marilyn Monroe History, The Death Of Marilyn Monroe - Conspiracy Theories, 35:06, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfH7SzDiSiY, (Accessed 03/08/15). 

[4] Ibid. 45:00.

[5] How Stuff Works, Marilyn Monroe's Final Years, http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/marilyn-monroe-final-years5.htm, (Accessed 08/09/15).