Breaking News Flashback: The F.B.I. Foils Daring Plot to Steal Elvis Presley’s Body for Ransom in 1977
On this day in August 1977, less than two weeks after the death of Elvis Presley, the world was stunned by a bizarre and macabre headline: a plot to steal the King of Rock and Roll’s remains was foiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) in Memphis, Tennessee. The unprecedented attempt highlighted the sheer frenzy and intense commercialization surrounding the star’s passing, forcing his family to take immediate, permanent action.
The Audacious Ransom Scheme
Elvis was initially interred at Forest Hill Cemetery in a white marble mausoleum, alongside his mother, Gladys Presley. According to contemporary reports, authorities received a tip about a plot to steal Elvis’s body and hold it for a reported $10 million ransom. A “trial run” of the grave heist was attempted, leading to the arrest of three individuals who had entered the cemetery after hours. While charges against the men were eventually dropped, the threat was very real to Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley.
The Final Journey to Graceland
The attempted theft served as a grim realization that the King would never be safe from fanaticism or exploitation in a public cemetery. As a direct and immediate result of the plot, Vernon Presley successfully petitioned to have the remains of both Elvis and Gladys exhumed and permanently relocated to the grounds of the Graceland Mansion. On October 2, 1977, the private re-interment took place in the serene Meditation Garden, a space Elvis himself had designed for quiet reflection. To ensure no similar attempt could ever succeed, the caskets were reportedly entombed within a vault of thick, protective concrete.
This pivotal event forever changed the nature of Graceland. What was once Elvis’s private home became his final, secure resting place and a permanent pilgrimage site for fans. The attempted theft in 1977 effectively sealed Elvis’s legacy within the walls of his beloved mansion, ensuring that Graceland is not merely a museum but a perpetually protected national shrine to The King.