AUGUST 16, 1977—AT HIS HOME IN GRACELAND, ELVIS PRESLEY TAKES THE BOOK HE’S BEEN READING, FRANK ADAMS’: THE SCIENTIFIC SEARCH FOR THE FACE OF JESUS, AND GOES INTO HIS BATHROOM, “DON’T FALL ASLEEP IN THERE,” SAYS GIRLFRIEND GINGER ALDEN, KNOWING HIS PROPENSITY TO NOD OFF. “OKAY, I WON’T, HE SAYS. GINGER GOES BACK TO SLEEP. AT 1:30 PM CST, GINGER AWAKENS AND SEES ELVIS IS STILL GONE. WHEN KNOCKING ON THE DOOR PRODUCES NO REPLY, SHE ENTERS AND FINDS HIS LIFELESS BODY ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE TOILET. ALDEN SCREAMS FOR ELVIS ASSOCIATES AL STRADA AND JOE ESPOSITO, WHO ARRIVE AND CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AN AMBULANCE IS DISPATCHED. DAUGHTER LISA MARIE AND FATHER VERNON ARRIVE IN THE BATHROOM, BUT LISA MARIE IS QUICKLY REMOVED FROM THE SCENE. ELVIS IS RUSHED TO NEARLY BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, WHERE, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE HIM, HE DIES AT 3:30 PM CST. HIS AUTOPSY IS PERFORMED AT 7:00 PM. THE OFFICIAL CORONER’S REPORT LISTS “CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA” AS THE CAUSE OF PRESLEY’S DEATH, BUT THIS WAS LATER TO BE A RUSE ENTERED INTO BY THE PRESLEY FAMILY ALONG WITH AUTOPSY PHYSICIANS DR. JERRY TO. FRANCISCO, DR. ERIC MUIRHEAD AND DR. NOEL FLORREDO TO COVER UP THE REAL CAUSE OF DEATH, A COCKTAIL OF TEN PRESCRIBED DRUGS, TAKEN IN DOSES NO DOCTOR WOULD PRESCRIBE: THE PAINKILLERS MORPHINE AND DEMEROL. CHOLOROPHENIRAMINE, AN ANTIHISTAMINE. THE TRANQUILIZERS PLACIDYL AND VAILUM. FINALLY, FOUR DRUGS WERE FOUND IN “SIGNIFICANT” QUANTITIES: CODEINE, AN OPIATE, ETHINAMATE, LARGELY PRESCRIBED AT THE TIME AS A “SLEEPING PILL,” QUAALUDES, AND A BARBITUATE, OR DEPRESSANT, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IDENTIFIED. IT HAS ALSO BEEN RUMORED THAT DIAZEPAM, AMYTAL, NEMBUTAL, CARBRITAL, SINUTAB, ELAVIL, AVENTAL, AND VALMID WERE FOUND IN HIS SYSTEM AT DEATH. THE PHRASE “CARDIAC ARRYTHMIA” IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CORNER’S REPORT, MANS LITTLE MORE THAN A STOPPED HEART, THE REPORT INITIALLY TRIED TO ATTRIBUTE THE ARRHYTHMIA TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, BUT ELVIS’ OWN PERSONAL PHYSICIAN HAS STATED THE PRESLEY HAD NO SUCH CHRONIC PROBLEMS AT THE TIME.