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"The Elvis Cover-Up" was based on the book: The Death of Elvis What Really Happened*, Charles C. Thompson II & James P. Cole, Robert Hale, 1991, ISBN: 0709048033 In 1979, "20/20", a popular news-magazine program on the ABC network in the USA, achieved its highest rating ever when it broadcast Geraldo Rivera's investigation into the death of Elvis Presley. Following the success of the program, "20/20" broadcast several follow-up segments in later editions. These included the Elvis Cover-Up #2; the indictment of Dr Nick, and The Legend Sells. Unseen for more than two decades, the "20/20" reports have assumed iconic status in discussions about Elvis' death.
Throughout the program (and in follow-up stories) Rivera makes no bones about who is one of the central culprits in the cover-up, Shelby County Medical Examiner, Dr Jerry Francisco. Francisco took it upon himself to call a press conference following the autopsy, to announce Elvis died from cardiac arrhythmia, a statement deliberately misleading and only true on a superficial level. As Rivera asks, yes Elvis' heart stopped beating, but the real question is what caused it to stop beating? Francisco's statement was a finding at apparent odds with the official autopsy findings carried out by Dr Eric Muirhead, chief pathologist at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Francisco was an observer during the autopsy but for whatever reason, seized the opportunity to quell media questions and suspicions with a prosaic explanation of how Elvis died. Francisco would later make the outrageous claim that "Dr Nick's" indictment for prescribing thousands of pills to Elvis had nothing at all to do with his death! Francisco's arrogance is stunning - it is an amazing scene to watch. Further, in his arguments to the media, Francisco stated that the amounts of drugs in Elvis' body were not sufficient to kill him. What Francisco deliberately omitted to add was that the letter he took that view from also included another sentence saying "categorically", that in combination, all the drugs present in Elvis' body could well have been lethal! In true conspiracy fashion the viewer is told that:
The release viewed by EIN (see visuals) was region free, has a professional look and came with a picture disc. There is also a segment selection menu. Verdict: The deliberate mix of emotional tabloid journalism and seering toxicology evidence makes the "20/20" program(s) compelling, if at times, disturbing viewing. Regardless of your view on the merits of its conclusions (and many have disputed the conclusions), the program(s) have significant merit in questioning (exposing) the actions of "Dr Nick", Dr Jerry Francisco, and what appears to have been a 'Keystone Cops' approach to Elvis' death. Not surprisingly, the Thompson & Cole book on which the program(s) were based, provides a much more detailed account and explanation of the subject. What the "20/20" investigation does do persuasively, is establish that while there was/is a conspiracy, Elvis is indeed dead. Availability: "The Elvis Cover-Up" (aka "The Death of Elvis What Really Happened") DVD has been found recently on eBay. Copies of the initial few "20/20" broadcasts have been listed, as has a copy of just the original one hour special. EIN Note: The "20/20" programs currently in circulation do not include the Geraldo Rivera special in April 1985 where singer David Darlock admitted he was the voice behind alleged Elvis song recordings released by Steven Chanzes, and later by Major Bill Smith. Read EIN's controversial article on the Bill Beeny "DNA sample"
Suzi: Thank you for your review of the 20/20 program. I recall watching this when it was first telecast and thinking we'd been duped. Paul Callan: Your article is interesting. In the UK there was a program shown last year about Elvis' death which concluded he died of a genetic disorder. Do you know anything about this? EIN Note: EIN suspects the documentary Paul is referring to is "Death By Excess - Elvis" (SkyOne). It suggested three basic reasons contributing to Elvis' death - genetics; addiction and obsession. The documentary was quite high on conjecture (eg. "If Elvis did have an enlarged heart as we've been told, then..."). As another "tabloid" documentary it too included factual errors regarding Elvis' career, although its discussion of genetic/DNA issues relating to possible organomegaly in Elvis, and the marriage of Elvis' maternal grandparents who first cousins, undoubtedly has some merit. Claudia: The real story of what happened in August 1977 is yet to be told. When it is a lot of you will sit up and take notice!!!! Bob Billings: Personally I can't stand Geraldo and there were so many clever edits in his programs. That's a conspiracy in itself! Freida: Good review. It's been a long time since 1979. They should do a new investigation and look at more of the issues. They've got better equipment and tests today than back then. If they do a new investigation we might finally find out the truth. We should petition Graceland to do this. I'm sure millions of fans would support it. John Watts: Oh please, no more of this conspiracy drivel. He's dead and all intelligent Elvis fans know this. Lawrence Wilks: After reading your article I bought the special. It was cheap tabloid television with smart editing and avoiding questions which challenged its own view. It could have been a lot better and I was disappointed. Ida Ritter: I personally think there are so many untold things about this investigation. I watch the program and owned the video and look at it many times, and listen to Geraldo Rivera and his comments. The real story is yet to be told but I do believe that 20-20 try to uncover many issues but could not all of them, it has been proved by many speakers that the death scene was clean by Graceland insiders as Elvis's bedroom, Many others that should have been question about the fact that they collected the packaged delivered to Graceland and given to Elvis knowing their contents and where they were coming from. Francisco's arrogance was an issue but the toxicology report stated the real cause of the death. I personally believe that the cover up was an issue to clean Elvis's image and his memory, but at the same time 20-20 with its investigation made it clear that Elvis was gone. But so many things have loose ends, and so much speculation has gone by.
I recently view a video from Charlie Hodge where he states as in his book that Elvis had bone cancer, something that I wonder if it was truth, I wonder. I hope that sometime this all thing will come to an end for the sake of Elvis's memory.
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