In a twist worthy of rock legend lore, the long-lost bust of Jim Morrison has finally been recovered—37 years after it vanished from his grave at Paris’ iconic Père Lachaise Cemetery.
French police uncovered the marble statue completely by chance while investigating an unrelated fraud case. While full details remain undisclosed, the discovery ends decades of speculation and mystery surrounding the fate of the statue, which was stolen in 1988.
Sculpted by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, the bust was unveiled on July 3, 1981, to mark the 10th anniversary of Morrison’s untimely death. It stood atop his grave for seven years before being decapitated and removed, with rumors swirling for decades about who was responsible. Some believed fans stole it; others speculated it was quietly removed by the cemetery itself.
A representative from the Morrison estate told Rolling Stone they were “happy to hear the news” and that the family always wanted the piece back on the grave. French authorities shared a photo of the recovered bust, still covered in graffiti and missing its nose—a sign of its turbulent past.
Morrison, frontman of The Doors and a defining voice of 1960s rock, passed away in Paris at the age of 27. His gravesite has since become a global shrine for fans. In recent years, Morrison’s legacy has been newly honored, with a Paris footbridge named after him in 2024, and continued interest sparked by the fire-damaged Morrison Hotel in Los Angeles.
Whether the statue returns to its original spot remains unknown, but its rediscovery marks a poetic return of a missing piece of rock history.