by PL

21 pages.

Let’s take a look:

Page 1:

“[Charlie Hodge’s] more than 20 year association with Elvis Presley lends a great deal of credibility to author Dick Grob’s work, substantiating much of the evidence uncovered and reported in ‘The Elvis Conspiracy.'” There is nothing in this book (The Elvis Conspiracy?) substantiated by Charlie Hodge, and Hodge does not add “a great deal of credibility” to this work. Grob wrote this in a synopsis, or course, which is similar to a proposal, but the things he promises for the book are not actually part of the book/work.

Page 2:

“Author, investigator, Dick Grob compares Elvis’ death with the deaths of other great men in history.” At this point in his illustrious career as an author, he was not yet an author, and “former cop in Palm Springs” does not mean he was an “investigator.” Grob had a propensity for crediting himself with things that did not apply to him, or that he did not accomplish.

For paragraph 2, in which Grob advocates “social indictments and judgements,” please refer to earlier commentary here.

“A former police officer, Dick Grob uses his expertise to detail and report facts that have been checked, re-checked, and checked again. His journal reads like a police report, fact after fact sewn together until a large puzzle appears pieced together. His conclusions leave little doubt that Elvis was surrounded by conspirators of one kind or another, and that many questions that have lingered have finally been answered.” [Page 2] Every single part of these three sentences is false, except that Grob was a former police officer. Nothing else is true. Facts “checked, re-checked and checked again”? Laughable. Reads like a police report? Laughable. “Little doubt”? Absurd. “Many questions” have “finally been answered.” Ridiculous.

“An ambulance had been called and Elvis’ personal physician, Dr. George Nichopulis was summoned from a nearby medical center. Arriving before the paramedics, Dr. ‘Nick’ administered exterior cardiac massage.” [Page 3. Note that Grob misspells the name “Nichopulis.” See below.] Here, Grob places Dr. Nichopoulos in the upstairs bathroom attending to Elvis before the paramedics arrived. I wonder why…?

Some of what Grob also takes credit for:

“Some time later, security chief Dick Grob returned to Baptist Hospital after presenting autopsy permission papers to Vernon Presley. Signed, these papers would now be given over to hospital administrators so they could perform their pathology. Grob would later claim the body of Elvis Presley and transport it to the awaiting funeral home.” [Page 4] It was Dr. Nichopoulos, not Dick Grob, who took the autopsy permission form to Graceland to have Vernon Presley sign it, and it was Memphis Funeral Home personnel, not Dick Grob, who claimed the body and transported it to the funeral home.

“Grob managed to have the body removed from the morgue.” [Page 5] No, he didn’t. Grob had nothing to do with the handling of the body.

“He carried with him the order to protect the autopsy from anyone and everyone. The official cause of death would stand. No one had the right to know anything more!” [Page 5] No, he didn’t carry with him “the order to protect the autopsy.” What is “an order to protect the autopsy,” anyway? Never heard of such a thing. And, the autopsy report did not even exist at that time, so there was no need to “protect” something that did not exist. Grob wants to take credit for just about everything.

“Dick Grob was charged with giving some explanation to the nine year old Lisa-Marie [about her father’s death].” [Page 5] No, he wasn’t. More self-aggrandizing nonsense. And I am not sure how lazy a writer has to be to misspell Lisa Marie’s name (Grob incorrectly writes the name with the hyphen as “Lisa-Marie.”)

“Dick explained [to Lisa Marie] that Elvis was loved by so many people, and like Lisa-Marie’s grandmother, Elvis was gone to heaven to make people happy there too. He was called by God, and he went.” [Page 5] Nonsense. Total lie.

“Somehow someone managed to take a picture of Elvis in his casket.” [Page 7] “Every precaution was made to prevent such a situation.” Apparently, not every precaution. (Wait a minute…who was responsible for making sure no one took a photo of Elvis in his casket…?)

“He later examined the picture and made a few silent judgements. It was definitely taken by an ‘insider,’ a member of the household or family – but who?” [Page 7] This “silent judgment” about the photo didn’t take much effort, as the casket is obviously not in the foyer where it was placed during the public viewing. So of course the photo was taken by a family member, friend, or member of the household staff.

“When Elvis and the others returned home [from the dentist visit], each more or less went their own way. Elvis and Dick began their conversation. Dick discussed the security proposals and Elvis listened with interest.” [Page 11] Ginger Alden was with Elvis during this time and has stated that Dick Grob may have spoken with Elvis for a few minutes, but that was all. Grob was not there for several hours as he claimed. No one else places Grob there.

Grob says that he spent hours in Elvis’s upstairs suite with him while Elvis complained about Ginger. [Page 12] See above.

Grob describes discussing various topics with Elvis, and then Grob left around 4:30am. [Pages 12-13] See above.

“Elvis reminded Dick about the six new numbers he wanted Charlie to put in the show.” [Page 13] See above. And why would Elvis ask Dick Grob to follow up on these songs? That would have been a Charlie Hodge job; Dick Grob had nothing to do with the performance side of the operation.

Grob writes that at 8:00am “Ricky Stanley was posted in the house and everything seemed as it should be.” [Page 14] Here, Grob places Rick Stanley on his post at 8:00am. But, did Grob know this to be accurate, or is this information, presented as fact, actually incorrect, and part of the Howard Johnson’s Motel story that Grob would introduce later?

Grob refers several times to statements that Ginger made to the Memphis police, including those that were included in the police report. [Page 15] He lies about these statements, and likely does so because he suspects no one will ever see the police report.

“Joe and Al found Elvis’ face embedded in the deep plush carpet, his face turned slightly to the side and the book he was reading still in his hand.” [Page 15] Grob doesn’t cite his source on this, but the source is likely Joe Esposito. Ginger described the position of the body the same way, except she said that the hands/arms were back and to the sides of the body, and thus Elvis was not holding a book.

“Finally Dr. Nichopulis arrived and they all looked for some promise, some miracle, some hint that Elvis would be alright.” [Page 15] Seriously, how did Dick Grob spell the doctor’s name this wrong?

“[Grob] was told also that there may exist still another photograph of Elvis, this one perhaps more morbid, more sickening; a photo may exist of Elvis in the morgue. How insensitive could people be. Was it worth doing this to Elvis’ family, especially to his daughter?” [Page 17] Indeed. Insensitive people are the worst. Kinda like those people who start and continue and promote a vicious character assassination of another person over a 40-year time period.

Grob writes that “Ester” from his book “was upset that Grob had found out about the [casket] photo before the Enquirer had a chance to publish it.” Grob also writes that “Ester” said she was “far more upset” that the photo even existed, and she “wanted someone to know about it.” [Page 17] Grob seems to fall for the story from “Ester” that she was really concerned about this photo, and that she wanted someone from the Elvis side of things to know about it. But look at that first sentence: “Ester” was upset that Grob had found out about the photo before it was published. Does that sound like she was upset about the photo, or that she was upset that Grob knew about it? Not sure how Grob could miss this, given his oft-touted investigative skills. From what Grob tells us, “Ester” was upset that the photo wasn’t published quickly enough, which means she could not have been “concerned” about the photo. These two claims run counter to each other.

Grob writes of the effort to capture the casket photo: “David Stanley was one of the three men who were involved.” [Page 17] This is interesting, because Grob doesn’t have much more to say about Stanley’s alleged involvement in this scheme, and Elvis fans have largely dismissed/ignored this accusation.

“The trio purchased Menox spy cameras from a local camera shop. When Grob went to investigate he found that these statements [about David Stanley and two male family members being involved with the casket photo operation] were also true.” [Page 17] It’s Minox, Sherlock.

“Dee Presley’s son David Stanley, after thinking about it, it came as no real surprise to Grob, he knew Dee and her boys very well.” [Page 17] This is a revealing comment by Grob. He is saying he “knew” Dee Presley and her sons “very well,” suggesting they are not upstanding people (a comment obviously intended as a pejorative), and yet it was Grob who covered for these guys, it was Grob who kept them employed, it was Grob who said nothing about their drug addictions as they worked security for Elvis, it was Grob who turned a blind eye to Rick Stanley abandoning his post on August 16, and it was Grob who pretty much ignored David Stanley’s alleged involvement with the casket photo scheme. So, yes, Grob may not have thought too highly of the Stanley family, but he sure didn’t seem too bothered by them.

On Page 18, Grob describes what James Kirk told him about the alleged phone call he received at 11:30am, from a female caller at Graceland whom he identified as Ginger Alden. The call was to alert Kirk to “stand by for an important phone call from Graceland.” So according to this claim, the caller called Kirk to tell him to expect another caller to call him…? And this would be an “important call,” coming from Graceland…? Really? Sounds pretty silly. [Note that the stories behind these alleged calls are not consistent, with various times being cited for several calls.]

Then, Grob writes: “Ginger had been lying all along. She found Elvis dead at 11:30 in the morning, three hours before she reportedly found him.” In a previous piece I stated that there are three parts of The Elvis Conspiracy? book that are worth noting, and to that list I would add these two sentences from the synopsis. In fact, I believe that this is the most revealing thing Dick Grob ever wrote, and it proves he did not investigate the death and that his sole focus was attaching some sort of blame or culpability to Ginger Alden. (Or, if he did investigate the death at all, he knew more than he let on, and guided the investigative results away from other people, and towards Ginger.)

“Grob then talked to members of the household. Two maids confirmed that they heard the shower running about that time. The pipes in the old mansion identified the shower stall nearest Elvis’s bathroom.” [Page 18] This is a lie. The maids that Grob cited said nothing about this, and none of the maids I spoke with about Grob’s investigation had ever spoken to Grob. Also, what does Grob mean by “the shower stall nearest Elvis’s bathroom”?

Pages 18-19: “If Ginger had been lying, was it possible that anything she may have done to save Elvis’s life was not done? Why would she do such a thing? The answer to that question was obvious, money.” Remember, Dick Grob was very concerned with sensitivity. Have you ever equated “sensitivity” with “suggesting someone let another human being die just for money”? I haven’t. But here, this is exactly what Grob is doing: he is suggesting (bluntly) that Ginger allowed Elvis to die, purposefully, through her own inaction, so that she could make money from the death. Think about how depraved this is. Then think about how many Elvis fans support this garbage.

Grob continued: “Ginger may have found Elvis dead, she may have seen an opportunity to sell her exclusive story to The National Enquirer. Perhaps she thought she was named in his will, and thought she should make certain that he was dead before alerting anyone.” [Page 19] In this section, Grob eases off the anti-Ginger angle for just a moment, and allows that Ginger may have found Elvis already dead. In typical Grob fashion, though, he immediately returns to his disgusting insinuations and suggests that Ginger was considering whether to assist Elvis based on her possible inclusion in the will, and then serves up the subtle and carefully-worded suggestion that Ginger “[made] certain” that Elvis was dead before she alerted anyone. Do you see the tricky wording here? “Make certain that he was dead before alerting anyone” suggests that Ginger would have called someone for help only if she was certain that Elvis was dead. On the flip-side of that, it means that Ginger would not have called someone for help if Ginger had found that Elvis was still alive. The wording here is important, and though I don’t believe Grob was clever enough to trojan horse this meaning into his words, the meaning is nonetheless present. Grob is saying that Ginger would have called for help only if she was certain that Elvis was dead. Absolute garbage, as is the person who would say this.

Grob writes that Ginger was talking about how “Elvis promised to pay off the mortgage on her mother’s home,” and Grob “reasoned that Ginger was out to get anything and everything she could get her hands on.” Grob then writes, “Admittedly, Grob was never a big supporter of Ginger Alden, however, he did not want to prejudice himself against her.” [Page 19] Let’s read that again: Dick Grob did not want to prejudice himself against Ginger Alden. Now, let’s read what he wrote literally right before this: “Grob reasoned that Ginger was out to get anything and everything she could get her hands on [italics mine].” No prejudice there, huh? The lack of self-awareness here is stunning. And fans still support this guy.

“There will exist throughout this section, a series of chapters devoted to the entire investigative efforts of Dick Grob and others. Each statement will be substantiated by evidence and affidavits proving their validity.” [Page 19] As I have outlined previously, Grob provides no evidence to support any of his claims and allegations, and I don’t think there is a collection of affidavits in the book, either. Grob’s investigation is really just an over-imaginative tale that he created and then tried to present as a legitimate, organized, and thoughtful effort. It was nothing of the sort. Innuendo and defamation, yes, but not much else.

Grob writes that in the days following Elvis’s death, he “obtained the complete cooperation of the Memphis police department.” [Page 20] No, he didn’t. The Memphis PD did their jobs (at the mansion during the public viewing, for example), and their jobs had nothing to do with Grob’s “investigation.” In fact, from an investigative standpoint, the MPD did virtually nothing.

“The all-out effort made by reporters to have a copy of Elvis’ autopsy report, including the detailed extent of how that autopsy was performed, the different names under which pertinent organs were examined by pathologists.” [Page 20] Again, Grob wants his readers to believe that the media were making an “all-out effort” to get the autopsy report, but he fails to mention that there was no autopsy report to obtain. It didn’t exist. And by the time this synopsis was written, Grob knew that the autopsy report didn’t exist in those days immediately following August 16, and yet he ran with the claim, anyway. The media were interested in any random medical documentation that might turn up, sure, but there was no autopsy report.

“He will further follow up on the Stanley brothers, raising a question regarding the whereabouts of Ricky Stanley during the time he was supposed to be posted outside Elvis’ door.” [Page 20] By any objective reading of the story, Grob had almost nothing to say about Rick Stanley and David Stanley, and if they were at the Howard Johnson’s Motel during the critical time period, Grob gave them a complete pass. Same with the casket photo and David Stanley. Grob sure didn’t advocate “social indictments and judgements” for these guys, did he?

“Elvis’ death, at that moment in time, was a very kind deliverance. The autopsy proved, beyond any shadow of a doubt that he would have been dead in a few short months. His eventual death would have been slow, excruciatingly painful and intolerable to witness. Elvis was dying of bone cancer.” [Page 21] What is interesting here is that Grob did not tell his readers that he was told that Elvis had bone cancer, or that there was a rumor that Elvis had bone cancer, but that Elvis did have bone cancer, “beyond any shadow of a doubt,” and this was “proved” by the autopsy report. How many lies does Grob tell in this paragraph?