The stolen bust of Jim Morrison’s tomb appeared after 37 years: they found him by chance

One of the most wanted rock relics was recovered. The bust of Jim Morrisonstolen 37 years ago from his grave in the Parisian cemetery of Père Lachaisewas found unexpectedly by the French police during a search linked to fraud investigation.

The figure had been placed in 1981 as a tribute to the singer of The Doorsa decade after his death. The work, sculpted by the Croatian artist MLADEN Mikulinit was stolen in 1988 and since then it became a mythical object for rock fans and the counterculture of the 60s and 70s.

The bust was found by the financial and anti -corruption brigades of the Judicial Police of Paris. Sources cited by local media ensure that the finding was completely fortuitous. The disseminated images show that the sculpture, although damaged (the nose and mouth were already missing when it was stolen), remains in acceptable conditions and retains the graffiti that fans had left over the years.

The theft of the bust of Jim Morrison: a mystery of three decades

Morrison’s bust was placed without official authorization by its author, Mlalden Mikulin, as a personal tribute to the singer. The musician’s tomb in Père Lachaise, where figures such as Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Marcel Proust also rest, a place of pilgrimage turned from the beginning.

In 1988the bust was stolen without leaving traces. At that time, the Cemetery authorities opted for Do not replace it and began to implement protection measures to the constant acts of vandalism. Over time, barriers were placed to avoid new attacks on the site.

For years theories about their destination circulated: from obsessed collectors to fans who would have wanted to take it as a memory. But there were never firm evidence. The recovery of the bust in 2025, as part of a operation without connection with the case, closed a historical chapter of the myth around the rock idol.

Jim Morrison: The cursed rock poet who entered the “27 club”

James Douglas Morrison The July 3, 1971with just 27 years. Counterculture icon, charismatic leader and dark poet, left an indelible mark with his band The Doorswith which he recorded six studio albums until his death.

The official cause of his death was a cardiac arrest, although A autopsy was never performedwhich fed all kinds of theories. One of the most widespread versions argues that he died from an overdose in a nightclub, and that his partner, Pamela Coursonhe transferred the body to his department and kept it for days with ice to avoid decomposition before reporting his death.

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Morrison was buried in Père Lachaise, and his grave quickly became a place of worship. In its epitaph, the phrase can be read in ancient Greek: “Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy”, which translates as “faithful to his own spirit”, or, according to other versions, “against the devil within yourself.”

With nine albums In total next to The Doors and millions of albums sold, his figure was taken to the cinema in numerous opportunities, although his friends and family have repeatedly criticized the exaggerated and caricaturesque representations that were made of his personality.

In February 2025, as part of an official tribute, the city of Paris announced that a catwalk near the Bastille Plaza will bear the name of Jim Morrisonclosing a cycle that began more than five decades ago with its arrival in the French capital.