650 replies to this topic

[mewsical]

Playing devil's advocate for a minute here.. but how much of a possibility exists that perhaps Jim's parents _did_ have him flown  home.. and there _was_ an autopsy.. and they _do_ know exactly what happened... and he's buried somewhere in California.. in perhaps an unmarked grave....? Hey... with the Admirals' connections.. all of that _could've_ happened.. and been kept 'secret'. Perhaps even some large sum of money is paid to Pere Lachaise annually or whatever to keep up the "ruse".... since it _does_ generate quite a bit of tourism there.
Sure, there was some old woman (Madame somebody-or-other) who witnessed the burial in Paris.. but ahh... was it Morrison that was _really_ buried??

Hmm.. I sound like Ray now.... man :-)

Interesting you should say this, I already mentioned that elsewhere.  I thought it would be 'funny' that all these people are scampering around nothing but an empty plot, with a headstone, and Jim's remains are here in California.  

The women you mention is Madame Colinette, btw, who at the time was a sort of unpaid docent for the cemetery.  She only saw a box going into the ground.  But I think it was Jim's body in there at the time.

If he was a member of my family, and I had the money to do it, I would arrange to have him moved as well.  I find most of Ronay's story suspect on the face of it, let alone the "I'd like to buried there," remark.  What I have found rather remarkable are Ronay's claims to have spent most of the month of June with Jim, while Pam was off doing her thing.  But not once did Ronay mention that Jim was expecting the arrival of Fred Myrow, after which Fred and Jim intended to rent a chateau in the countryside and work on the musical they had been discussing when Jim left for Paris.  You'd think that at least once in their alleged many conversations Jim didn't say, "Man, I'm looking forward to working with Fred when he gets here," etc.  

It is entirely possible that Jim is not there, and is elsewhere, and wherever that is, only his family knows.  

Jim is certainly dead, but I think there is a pretty good case to be made for the current location of his remains.

[darkstar]

Playing devil's advocate for a minute here.. but how much of a possibility exists that perhaps Jim's parents _did_ have him flown  home.. and there _was_ an autopsy.. and they _do_ know exactly what happened... and he's buried somewhere in California.. in perhaps an unmarked grave....? Hey... with the Admirals' connections.. all of that _could've_ happened.. and been kept 'secret'. Perhaps even some large sum of money is paid to Pere Lachaise annually or whatever to keep up the "ruse".... since it _does_ generate quite a bit of tourism there.
Sure, there was some old woman (Madame somebody-or-other) who witnessed the burial in Paris.. but ahh... was it Morrison that was _really_ buried??

Hmm.. I sound like Ray now.... man :-)

This was the exact theory that was in circulation back in the early 1990's and it's what prompted me to contact a funeral home to find out what the requirements would be to move a body from one country to another.   Looking at the requirements list of "1994" it seemed to me impossible to move Jim's remains in secret considering a letter was required from the mayor and different certfications, which involves many people to make the move come together.  I figured one of the people involved would most likely leak the information and the fact that the documentation associated with the relocation of remains would have been in the form of a file to which additional people working within the Paris records division would have access, it would have been easy for the information to be leaked.  Everyone has a price, right?

But considering the Admiral's power during the Vietnam era anything is possible.  

In my heart, I believe the answer lies with in a file cabinet somewhere that would answer our questions.  I think we can all agree there is a very slim chance that we will ever gain access to this information.   It makes for a very interesting discussion though.

[gotothelight]

Interesting you should say this, I already mentioned that elsewhere.  I thought it would be 'funny' that all these people are scampering around nothing but an empty plot, with a headstone, and Jim's remains are here in California.  

The women you mention is Madame Colinette, btw, who at the time was a sort of unpaid docent for the cemetery.  She only saw a box going into the ground.  But I think it was Jim's body in there at the time.

If he was a member of my family, and I had the money to do it, I would arrange to have him moved as well.  I find most of Ronay's story suspect on the face of it, let alone the "I'd like to buried there," remark.  What I have found rather remarkable are Ronay's claims to have spent most of the month of June with Jim, while Pam was off doing her thing.  But not once did Ronay mention that Jim was expecting the arrival of Fred Myrow, after which Fred and Jim intended to rent a chateau in the countryside and work on the musical they had been discussing when Jim left for Paris.  You'd think that at least once in their alleged many conversations Jim didn't say, "Man, I'm looking forward to working with Fred when he gets here," etc.  

It is entirely possible that Jim is not there, and is elsewhere, and wherever that is, only his family knows.  

Jim is certainly dead, but I think there is a pretty good case to be made for the current location of his remains.

Suspect to me as well was the mention of Morrison's body being left in the apartment.. packed in ice.. for days. Interesting.. sure.. but realistic? What health department... foreign or otherwise (unless we're talking some third world country.. which we are not)... would even allow that?? It's been mentioned that it was a "holiday weekend".. which was convenient...but holiday weekend or not... dead bodies are not just left to start decomposing in a hot apartment. The fact that he wasn't "buried" until 8 days later (on my birthday btw..) was sure enough time to have him flown home and have all the "correct" procedures done, including burial in the US. I hate to use the term "cover-up" as that points to something sinsister.. and I don't believe it was. I do think though that there's a very good possibility that he is _not_ buried in Paris.

I'd also like to add that _if_ in fact Jim's parents took possession of his body.. quietly.. and have kept it to themselves all these years.. they deserve alot more credit than they've been given. Doing right by their son privately means more than any public statements they could've made, and frankly.. although we're all intrigued and interested to find out what _really_ happened... his family owes us no explanation.

[mewsical]

Suspect to me as well was the mention of Morrison's body being left in the apartment.. packed in ice.. for days. Interesting.. sure.. but realistic? What health department... foreign or otherwise (unless we're talking some third world country.. which we are not)... would even allow that?? It's been mentioned that it was a "holiday weekend".. which was convenient...but holiday weekend or not... dead bodies are not just left to start decomposing in a hot apartment. The fact that he wasn't "buried" until 8 days later (on my birthday btw..) was sure enough time to have him flown home and have all the "correct" procedures done, including burial in the US. I hate to use the term "cover-up" as that points to something sinsister.. and I don't believe it was. I do think though that there's a very good possibility that he is _not_ buried in Paris.

I'd also like to add that _if_ in fact Jim's parents took possession of his body.. quietly.. and have kept it to themselves all these years.. they deserve alot more credit than they've been given. Doing right by their son privately means more than any public statements they could've made, and frankly.. although we're all intrigued and interested to find out what _really_ happened... his family owes us no explanation.

It wasn't a holiday weekend in France.  The only thing closed was the American Embassy.  

As far as I recall, it was somewhat difficult to locate the Admiral and Mrs. Morrison directly as they were on Guam, and the Embassy had to make contact with them through military channels.  They would have been affected by the holiday weekend.  But Siddons had the news to us by July 5, and I found the telex on the morning of the 6th.  I think it might have come through Clive Selwood's office in London, as they had access to a telex, which Billy probably didn't.

[gotothelight]

It wasn't a holiday weekend in France.

Exactly. But the "holiday weekend" was mentioned by Ronay (?) as the reason for Morrison's body being left in the apartment for those days. It sounds like a convenient addition to a story.. and unless anyone really thinks about it.. people just think 'yeah.. 4th of July weekend.. a holiday'....
But not in France.

[gotothelight]

As far as I recall, it was somewhat difficult to locate the Admiral and Mrs. Morrison directly as they were on Guam, and the Embassy had to make contact with them through military channels.  They would have been affected by the holiday weekend.  But Siddons had the news to us by July 5, and I found the telex on the morning of the 6th.  I think it might have come through Clive Selwood's office in London, as they had access to a telex, which Billy probably didn't.

Everything you're saying makes sense, since the day Jim died.. July 3, 1971.. was a Saturday.. with the US holiday being Sunday. Siddons getting the news back to the US on the 5th would've been Monday.. complete sense... as would the telex arriving on the 6th.

None of this however, proves that Morrison was indeed buried in Paris on the 9th (and I realize you're not saying it does). There's just something about this that still leaves open the question of where his remains actually are.

[mewsical]

Exactly. But the "holiday weekend" was mentioned by Ronay (?) as the reason for Morrion's body being left in the apartment for those days. It sounds like a convenient addition to a story.. and unless anyone really thinks about it.. people just think 'yeah.. 4th of July weekend.. a holiday'....
But not in France.

I recently read that Pam seemed more concerned about covering up Jim's identity than anything else, but it does seem pretty bizarre to leave a corpse packed in ice in an apartment.  The first order of business is to contact an undertaker, who comes and takes the remains away.  Surely the police and the emergency medical crew could have assisted with that.  There are probably health laws in France concerning the disposition of the dead, and I'll bet "leave the corpse packed in ice until such time as a burial spot is arranged," isn't one of them.  You get that body to a cold locker.  

Ronay is very coy about speaking with anyone since Jim died, apparently.

[gotothelight]

but it does seem pretty bizarre to leave a corpse packed in ice in an apartment.  The first order of business is to contact an undertaker, who comes and takes the remains away.  Surely the police and the emergency medical crew could have assisted with that.  There are probably health laws in France concerning the disposition of the dead, and I'll bet "leave the corpse packed in ice until such time as a burial spot is arranged," isn't one of them.  You get that body to a cold locker.

Very bizarre. Considering there _were_ emergency personnel and police at the scene.. I'm very reluctant to believe that they all just left the body there. My husband was a paramedic.. and the first thing they do when there's a death is call the undertaker. There are instances where a body is removed and embalmed.. and then at the family's request, is brought back to the residence and held in "wake" there.... but an unembalmed body is not just left where it is by any emergency personnel.
So yeah.. I think we can agree that Mr Ronay was lying.

[mewsical]

Very bizarre. Considering there _were_ emergency personnel and police at the scene.. I'm very reluctant to believe that they all just left the body there. My husband was a paramedic.. and the first thing they do when there's a death is call the undertaker. There are instances where a body is removed and embalmed.. and then at the family's request, is brought back to the residence and held in "wake" there.... but an unembalmed body is not just left where it is by any emergency personnel.
So yeah.. I think we can agree that Mr Ronay was lying.

Not just little lies, either, whopping great lies.  

It'd be interesting to find out exactly what the procedure was in France at the time for an emergency death call.  I bet it was exactly as you said, i.e. paramedics and police called, and then the coroner or undertakers remove the body.

We had that happen with a tenant in this building a few years back - she died, and her family sent the police out to investigate when they didn't hear from her.  I saw the police leaving and within an hour or so, the undertakers came.  

[darkstar]

Excellent points from everyone.  There are alot of questions.

I recall the fact that Ronay told Pamela that it would not be advisable to cremate Jim's remains as this would draw unwanted attention and an autopsy would have to be performed.   It doesn't seem proper procedure to leave a decomposing body in a heat filled apartment for days either.  There are many, many flaws within Ronay's account.

Just a thought,  but having the remains cremated would not have required a plot at all and transportation of those remains would not have been a problem.   BUT, if the remains were cremated the paperwork has to be filed somewhere.  

I also question the fact that Jim was allowed to be buried without the written consent of his family.  Pamela had no paperwork that would identify her as Jim's wife so I have to question this as well.   If written consent from the family does exist the document has never been made public.

According to Bob Seymore's book the Bigot Funernal Home handled arrangements but the company went out of business leaving the records untraceable.  Untraceable.  Seems like there would have to be some records that would be required to survive the companies demise.

What follows is the assistance offered by the American Embassy for American Citizens who have a family member who passed away in France.  I understand this information doesn't exactly reflect the assistance offered in 1971 but for information purposes here is the web link:


Citizen Services
Death of an American Citizen in France
http://france.usembassy.gov/death_abroad.html

[gotothelight]

I just sent a copy of the same e-mail out to a few different places in Paris.. one of which was the address you just posted Sara... another to the Health Department and another to The department of emergency services. If I get a reply, I'll post it here.
This is the mail I sent:

Hello..
We are researching the death of Jim Morrison (date of death in Paris: July 3, 1971) and were hoping you could shed some light on a few things for us. If emergency personnel and police entered the apartment and found Mr Morrison's body there (as they did).. what would be the procedure then? Did health department regulations there in 1971 say that the body had to be removed by an undertaker.. or would the body have been allowed to remain, unembalmed at the location for several days? Because it has been documented that both French police and emergency personnel were present, our assumption would be that they would then, by law, have had to call the undertaker and have the body removed. Is this correct? Any information you could provide us with about the protocol in 1971 would be appreciated.
                        Thank You.

[knowidea]

Wow, what an interesting topic.  I agree concerning the first part that many commented on - going to Paris is something everyone should do anyway if they can (one of the greatest cities).  Jim's grave was certainly an important stop.  I found the feeling of reflection over your own years (especially if you have been listening to The Doors for decades as myself) as interesting and insightful as anything.
  As for the theory....wow.  At first I thought no way....but as I start to think about the issues being brought up....it seems possible.  I guess that is what makes for a good theory.

[Salli]

I've checked several sources about Jim's death.

The doctor arrived around 6 pm on Saturday July 3 to examine Jim and sign the death certificate.
Captain Berry gave the death certificate to Pamela around 7:30. It was back dated to 2:30pm.

Captain Berry sent a mortician around to their flat around 8PM, Saturday, because the moruaries were closed for pickups and deliveries on weekends. Go figure.

The ice used to keep Jim's body from decomposing was dry ice and was delivered twice a day starting Saturday around 8PM. Jim's body was placed in a bag with the ice. Dry ice was delivered twice a day until Monday afternoon when Jim was placed in the coffin. That was less than 48 hours or two days.

During that time, Agnes Varda has said that she called several places outside Paris to try to find a place to bury Jim, but it was decided to try to bury him in Paris.  On Monday, July 5th, Bigot Mortuary took charge of the arrangements and Jim was placed in the coffin in more dry ice. The coffin was nailed shut.

Bill Siddons arrived the Tuesday morning the 6th at 6:30AM.

The funeral/buriel was set for Wednesday morning 7th July 1971, at 8.30. Jim Morrison was buried in the 6th Division, 2nd Row, Grave No.5, in the presence of a small funeral procession consisting of Pamela, Bill Siddons, Agnes Varda, Alain Ronay and Robin Wertle.

Pamela was identified as Jim's cousin on the notarized burial authorization, as his wife/companion/mistress on the police reports, and as his girlfriend at the Embassy.

The American Embassy in Paris is division of the United States Department of State and they were closed for the 4th of July and did not open again for business until Tuesday July 6th, which means the Marines were on guard and only emergency personnel were available. The Consular  Office is not part of the emergency contingent and therefore was closed. The official "Report of Death of an American Citizen" was dated August 11, 1971. That is when the Embassy finished the paper work on Jim.

The Morrisons according to Alan Graham, heard about Jim's death on either the 6th or the 8th, I think it had to be the Thursday the 8th, because that's when the news was first broadcast in California.

It was six o'clock on a warm July evening when the telephone rang. Commander Andy Richards, the Morrisons’ longtime friend, was calling. He and the Admiral were graduates together at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1941.

"Alan, you'd better turn on the radio,” Commander Richards intoned, “because there is a report coming out of Paris that Jim is dead.” (There was no such thing as “breaking news back then.)

The Admiral and Clara Morrison were stationed on the island of Guam and could only be reached through a military operator.

The Admiral was super cool and composed about the whole thing. He decided there was no need (“no point”) to return to America as Jim had already been buried, so we did not see the elder Morrisons until the Admiral’s tour of duty ended.

[gotothelight]

I've checked several sources about Jim's death.

Captain Berry sent a mortician around to their flat around 8PM, Saturday, because the moruaries were closed for pickups and deliveries on weekends. Go figure.

The ice used to keep Jim's body from decomposing was dry ice and was delivered twice a day starting Saturday around 8PM. Jim's body was placed in a bag with the ice. Dry ice was delivered twice a day until Monday afternoon when Jim was placed in the coffin. That was less than 48 hours or two days.

During that time, Agnes Varda has said that she called several places outside Paris to try to find a place to bury Jim, but it was decided to try to bury him in Paris.  On Monday, July 5th, Bigot Mortuary took charge of the arrangements and Jim was placed in the coffin in more dry ice. The coffin was nailed shut.

I'm curious as to who these sources are. Even if a mortuary is closed for the weekend (which seems odd but not impossible I guess)... every hospital has a morgue.. and hospitals never close. Emergency medical personnel and police don't just leave dead bodies wherever they find them. If, in fact, they couldn't get a body to the mortuary.. the next course of action would be a hospital morgue until the mortuary opened after the weekend.
Although the story of Jim's body left in the apartment in dry ice is an interesting one.. I believe it's just that.. a story.

Also.. has anyone ever heard if anyone actually saw Morrison's body being placed in the coffin? We have several accounts of people supposedly seeing the coffin.. but if they were all "there"... why can't any of them confirm that they saw this? That seems strange to me as well.

Sorry.. but alot of this just doesn't add up.

[mewsical]

I wonder who they found to conveniently deliver dry ice twice a day from Sunday (not Saturday, as he died on the Saturday right?). Sunday was July 4, Monday (the holiday here in the US) was July 5, and then we've got Tuesday, July 6, Wednesday July 7, and then Jim is buried on July 8, right?   And why has the Iceman never come forward or been identified?  So, are they claiming that his body lay in an apartment for FOUR DAYS on a table?  I'd love to know where they found this much dry ice - which has to be handled with heavy leather gloves or it'll take your skin off - plus people to maneuver a body in rigor in and out of a plastic bag full of dry ice.  

Presumably, the Admiral and Mrs. Morrison then gave their permission for the burial on Monday, July 5 or when exactly?  Pamela did not have the legal right to do anything.  She is simply listed as Jim's paramour and refers to Jim as "my friend," at least in the story we've been given.

Funeral home not open on a weekend?  That's an interesting statement as well.  Do French people only die Monday to Friday?

[darkstar]

I wonder who they found to conveniently deliver dry ice twice a day from Sunday (not Saturday, as he died on the Saturday right?). Sunday was July 4, Monday (the holiday here in the US) was July 5, and then we've got Tuesday, July 6, Wednesday July 7, and then Jim is buried on July 8, right?   And why has the Iceman never come forward or been identified?  So, are they claiming that his body lay in an apartment for FOUR DAYS on a table?  I'd love to know where they found this much dry ice - which has to be handled with heavy leather gloves or it'll take your skin off - plus people to maneuver a body in rigor in and out of a plastic bag full of dry ice.  

Presumably, the Admiral and Mrs. Morrison then gave their permission for the burial on Monday, July 5 or when exactly?  Pamela did not have the legal right to do anything.  She is simply listed as Jim's paramour and refers to Jim as "my friend," at least in the story we've been given.

Funeral home not open on a weekend?  That's an interesting statement as well.  Do French people only die Monday to Friday?

Excellent Point!  

If all of the funeral directors/techs were unavailable the weekend Jim died to pick up remains Paris must have been flooded with deliveries of dry ice as Jim could not have been the only death in Paris that weekend.  I did a search through 3 newspapers in Paris but unfortunately the obit archives only go back to 1987.  

You made a good point in bringing up the fact that dry ice has to be handled with heavy gloves or severe burns will occur.  

As you know dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide.  It doesn't melt but changes to a gas which is know as sublimation. Without proper venilation the gas can explode sending fragments of its container in all directions.  Dry Ice can damage counter tops and other solid surfaces causing them to crack.

I find it strange that there are no tenants in the apt building that witnessed the deliveries of dry ice or a coffin and no records exist of when these deliveries were made.  

Very interesting discussion.

[Salli]

I wonder who they found to conveniently deliver dry ice twice a day from Sunday (not Saturday, as he died on the Saturday right?). Sunday was July 4, Monday (the holiday here in the US) was July 5, and then we've got Tuesday, July 6, Wednesday July 7, and then Jim is buried on July 8, right?   And why has the Iceman never come forward or been identified?  So, are they claiming that his body lay in an apartment for FOUR DAYS on a table?  I'd love to know where they found this much dry ice - which has to be handled with heavy leather gloves or it'll take your skin off - plus people to maneuver a body in rigor in and out of a plastic bag full of dry ice.  

Presumably, the Admiral and Mrs. Morrison then gave their permission for the burial on Monday, July 5 or when exactly?  Pamela did not have the legal right to do anything.  She is simply listed as Jim's paramour and refers to Jim as "my friend," at least in the story we've been given.

Funeral home not open on a weekend?  That's an interesting statement as well.  Do French people only die Monday to Friday?

He died on the morning of July 3, 1971 Saturday. Not the evening. He was buried on the 7th not the 8th. The Morrisons did not find out until after the buriel. Pamela signed the burial certificate which was noterized as Jim's relative, cousin, which is why he could be buried. Also his manager was there and Bill could have signed for the burial. Please try and stick to the facts.

[Salli]

Excellent Point!  

If all of the funeral directors/techs were unavailable the weekend Jim died to pick up remains Paris must have been flooded with deliveries of dry ice as Jim could not have been the only death in Paris that weekend.  I did a search through 3 newspapers in Paris but unfortunately the obit archives only go back to 1987.  

You made a good point in bringing up the fact that dry ice has to be handled with heavy gloves or severe burns will occur.  

As you know dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide.  It doesn't melt but changes to a gas which is know as sublimation. Without proper venilation the gas can explode sending fragments of its container in all directions.  Dry Ice can damage counter tops and other solid surfaces causing them to crack.

I find it strange that there are no tenants in the apt building that witnessed the deliveries of dry ice or a coffin and no records exist of when these deliveries were made.  

Very interesting discussion.

We use dry ice to ship things everyday in this country in closed containers. So do the French.

[darkstar]

I went through Bob Seymore's book last night and took some notes.  As you know, this journalist spent alot of money and time researching this somewhat slim volume.   He ran into countless obstacles and dead ends as well as people telling him information was confidential, none of his business, records do not exist, etc.  He ended up with a handful of sources out of the many he approached for information.

There was a few paragraphs on page 45 that caught my interest.   A man by the name of Mr Valley who was the head of the Medical Institute who subsequently seemed to follow protocol and procedure has an interesting statement.

Page 36 states that the Burial Permit and Receipt Purchase for the coffin which bears the funernal directors name and address all have Pamela's signature on them.  I just don't understand how Pamela could authorize the burial considering she is not a family member.  If in fact Jim's parents did give authorization wouldn't it seem logical that an amendment of some kind would be attached to the Burial Permit?

I know the Report Of Death Of American Citizen states that the family can have the body exhumed at any time which could have something to do with Pamela's signature on the burial permit but I'm not convinced without legitimate proof.

No records exist that can confirm the date of delivery of dry ice or a coffin to Jim and Pam's apartment and no one seems to have witnessed Jim's body being placed in that coffin.  Was every one out running errands at the time and the funeral techs just let themselves in the apt?  

My previous point in posting the transport of remains from one country to another was a reply to the rumor that the remains could be exhumed in secret and carried off somewhere.  Once the remains were in the ground there is no way they could have been removed in secret.  

Considering all of the questions that have been and continue to be raised it would have been beneficial for someone to have ran a sensoring device of some kind over Jim's grave during the 70's this would have proved once and for all that a body was buried in that plot in Pere Lachaise.   Of course this would not have answered who the remains belonged too just the confirmation of remains.

I have no doubt that Jim is deceased but there seems to be a lot questions that have never been answered with legitimate documentation to back up the different claims.  I doubt we will ever find out all of the facts but it sure makes for an interesting discussion.


NOTES: BOB SEYMORE'S BOOK, "The End - The Death Of Jim Morrison" (1990)

p.18

Grave Purchased July 6 1971 (Pamela told the cemetary officials she was Jim's cousin)

Burial July 7 1971

Bill Siddons arrived in Paris from LA on July 6 1971 - (according to Bill Siddons the coffin was in the apt when arrived)

p.36

Burial Permit, Receipt purchase for coffin with address of funeral directors (both documents had Pamelas’ signature)

Coffin:  Varnished Oak lined with waterproof canvas

1-18-90 Manion (Morrison Family Attorney)  “The family is unwilling to have any kind of publicity concerning them or their son.”

p.45

Feb 23 1990

(Phone call to The Medical Institute as a follow-up to a written request for information)

Monsieur Valley, head of the dept was there and said Morrison’s body had been taken to the Medical Institute for post mortem examination.  No doubt at all.  The woman at the Medical Institute told me she looked up that name on the computer and it was not registered as having been taken there at all.  Monsieur Valley said he was going to the Medical Institute the following week and we would look up the files on Jim Morrison himself.  

On Feb 26 Monsieur Valley was contacted again and he still insisted that Morrison’s body had been taken to the Medical Institute for an autopsy.  He personally looked up the records and Morrison’s body did not appear to have had an autopsy.  He was helpful concerning funeral arrangements.  He told us that the coffin was of varnished oak and measured 1.90 metres in length to contain a body measuring 1.82 to 1.86 metres. It was ordered by an American woman and was delivered to the Morrison’s apartment where it stayed until the funeral.  No record of when the coffin was actually delivered.

Original funeral company had been called Bigot but had ceased trading many years ago and their records were no longer traceable.  The funeral took place on July 7 and in addition to the coffin they supplied a hearse and 4 pallbearers to take the body from 17, rue Beautreillis, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris to Pere Lachaise cemetery. No clery attended.

[darkstar]

We use dry ice to ship things everyday in this country in closed containers. So do the French.

It depends on what type of container you use for the transport.

http://adryice.com/index_files/page0002.htm

Dry ice is classified by DOT and IATA as a 'miscellaneous' hazard, class 9.
http://bama.ua.edu/~ehs/Shipping/NonHazIce.htm