After Four Decades, Marianne Faithfull Says She Knows Who Killed Jim Morrison
- by Justin Wm. Moyer
1971 wasn’t a banner year for Doors frontman Jim Morrison. Months after being convicted of indecent exposure for dropping his pants at a show in Miami, the once-svelte 27-year-old Lizard King moved to Paris, recorded widely loathed poetry and died in a bathtub.
Unfortunately for generations forced to listen to conspiracy theories spun by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek (RIP), what killed Morrison remains controversial. Doctors cited heart failure aggravated by heavy drinking—Morrison could reportedly polish off 36 beers in a day. However, because no foul play was suspected, French authorities skipped an autopsy.
Now, in an interview with England’s Mojo magazine, singer Marianne Faithfull says she knows who killed Morrison: her then-boyfriend, a heroin dealer named Jean de Breiteuil who inadvertently sent the singer on a final ride with Mr. Brownstone. Faithfull says when de Breiteuil went to visit Morrison for what would be the final time, she skipped the trip.
