Fans will go to great lengths to meet, touch, and merely see their favorite musical acts. Those great lengths sometimes involve financially irresponsible decisions, death-defying stunts, and illegal actions. However, most people often look back at these stories in a lighthearted and humorous manner. But that is not the case for the four men who tried to steal Elvis Presley‘s remains on this day, August 29, 1977.
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Elvis Presley is the first rock star to have a cult following of fans who would seemingly stop at nothing to interact with him in some fashion. He was the first-ever rock star, and consequently, every fan of his wanted a piece of him. Well, a couple of days after his death, four non-fans, rather morbid criminal opportunists, wanted all of Elvis Presley. A dead Elvis Presley that is.
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At his death, Elvis Presley was roughly worth five million dollars. He was also in a substantial amount of debt. Regardless, he was still The King. So, his name, likeness, and physical body were still worth a pretty penny following the days after his death. That being said, four men sought to steal Presley’s body and hold it for ransom.
Following his death, the Forest Hills Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee, hosted the remains of Elvis Presley. According to the New York Times, the Memphis PD received a tip that four men were planning on breaking into the cemetery to steal the remains of The King. As a result, the department’s tactical unit held a stakeout waiting for the alleged perpetrators to execute their mission.
On Saturday, August 29, 1977, the Memphis PD arrested three men near the cemetery, and then arrested the fourth in connection with the plot. That day, the department spotted the men on a trial run at the cemetery by scaling a back wall and heading towards Presley’s white marble mausoleum. The men were arrested, but at the time, the Memphis PD did not identify them. However, the mastermind behind the plan was reportedly Raymond “Bubba” Green, per the Daily Memphian.
Given this attempt, Elvis Presley’s remains were relocated to his historic Graceland. His remains still remain in Graceland, and The King is buried next to his parents, daughter, and grandson.