Media Theories.

Marilyn Monroe died on August 5, 1962 at the age 36. Her death was a shock to everyone. No one expected the beautiful and talented Marilyn Monroe to suddenly die.

This picture proves that there is more than one theory on how Marilyn Monroe died. In the picture there are two news articles, one stating "Marilyn Kills Self" and the other stating "Marilyn Dead." This picture pertains to my essential question; Did Marilyn Monroe commit suicide or was she murdered?  Many people believe Monroe committed suicide, and others have the suspicion she was murdered. There is a lot of evidence to support both theories.

Marilyn Monroe: The Mystery of Her Death. 21 October 2012. http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20618253_21195409,00.html

Works Cited - Articles.

Baker J.I, K.C Baker, Elizabeth McNeil. “A Question of Murder.” 13 August 2012. 18 September 2012.

Stack, S. “Media coverage as a risk factor in suicide.” 18 September 2012.

“Tortured Marilyn Monroe’s own account of her inner turmoil revealed for first time.” 1 October 2012. 18 September 2012.

Lindsey, Robert. “REOPENING OF INQUIRY INTO MARILYN MONROE’S DEATH RAISES IMBROLOGLIO IN LOS ANGELES.” 29 October 1985. 18 September 2012. 

"Dear Mr. President."

Robert Lindsey argues that none of the evidence in Marilyn Monroe’s case adds up. He claims that Sam Cordova asks for a new investigation and stated “two rulings of a suicide left unsolved questions.” Lindsey develops this claim by first examining all he evidence. Lindsey explores the Kennedy brother’s affairs with Monroe, stating Rob Kennedy was at Monroe’s house the day she died. He supported that claim with evidence that Mr. Kennedy was in Beverly Hills the night before Monroe died. He also accounts Peter Lawford destroyed a suicide note, which gave Mr. Kennedy enough time to escape Los Angeles. Lastly the author adds a letter was written to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors explaining Monroe was taken to a hospital in Santa Monica, where she died in the waiting room. Then, they took her body home and contacted the police. Robert Lindsey’s purpose is to inform readers about how Monroe’s affairs with the Kennedys affected the case in order to influence your opinion on her death case. This work is significant because it makes you think. If Monroe killed herself, why would everyone want to go through all of the trouble of covering up the true story?

"Tortured, Insecure, and Inner Confusion."

The New York Post argues that Marilyn Monroe was fighting with her inner confusion. They claim Monroe was scared she was going crazy and she was hopeless over her loneliness  The New York Post develops this claim by first examining “Le Nouvel Observateur,” a French weekly news. The French news surfaced pieces from Monroe’s private diary. The New York Post outlines Monroe’s deep journal entries. Monroe writes thoughts like “How would I like to be dead, absolutely non-existent,” and “Help. Help. Help. I feel like approaching when all that I want is to die.” Lastly, the author illustrates Monroe’s mental instability by stating “she smashed a chair against a window and threatened to cut her wrists.” The author’s purpose was to inform people about Monroe’s depression and longing for death in order to sway their opinion about her death case. This work is significant because it shows the side of Monroe that no one knew existed. 

"Copy Cat!"

Dr. S. Stack argues that suicide rates went up when Marilyn Monroe died. He claims that 303, or 12%, more suicides occurred during the month of Monroe’s death. The suicide rates also increased 2.51% during the media coverage. Stack develops this claim by first researching David Phillip’s work on a “copycat suicide.” Stack outlines a “copycat suicide by stating it is when people attempt the same suicide as someone else. Lastly, the author states when people heard of Monroe’s death they thought, with all Monroe’s fame and fortune, she cannot take on life, “Why should I?” Dr. S. Stack’s purpose was to inform readers about the suicide rate increase in order to show how Monroe’s death affected society. This work is significant because it helps me answer my questions, how did Marilyn Monroe’s death affect society?

"A Question of Murder."

J.I Backer, K.C Baker, and Elizabeth McNeil argue that Marilyn Monroe was murdered. They claim that the night Monroe died, she got a phone call from Joe DiMaggio Jr. DiMaggio stated she sounded like her usual self. Monroe’s housekeeper, Eunice Murray, saw light coming from underneath Monroe’s door around 12 a.m. Murray knocked on the door and called for Monroe but got no response. Murray called Monroe’s psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson, who took 30 minutes to get to the Los Angeles home. Greenson looked through Monroe’s window and saw naked on the bed. Greenson broke the window and found Monroe unresponsive. Bizarrely, the police were not contacted until 4:25 a.m. Backer first develops this claim by questioning the evidence. Murray said she saw light coming from underneath Monroe’s bedroom door, but the carpet in Monroe’s room comes up too high for light to come through. There was also a more than 4 hour timespan from when Greenson was called and when the police were contacted. Backer outlines more faults in the evidence by stating Monroe supposedly swallowed 50 pills, but there was not any pill residue in her stomach and there was not a glass of water in her room for her to swallow the pills. Lastly, the author states the samples from Monroe’s stomach and small intestines mystifyingly all the samples disappeared from the lab. Backer’s purpose was to inform the readers about all the errors in the evidence in order to persuade readers into believing Monroe was murdered. This work is significant because it give a lot of information on Monroe’s case.