It’s been nearly 40 years since Elvis Presley died. At the time of his death, coroners ruled that the cause was a heart attack. But now his stepbrother, David E. Stanley, has written a book claiming the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s death was suicide.
Stanley, whose mother married Elvis’ widowed father in 1960, will release his book titled My Brother Elvis on August 16 to coincide with the 39th anniversary of the King’s death.
According to the New York Daily News, the book recalls Stanley’s his last meeting with his stepbrother that occurred on August 14, just two days before Elvis’ death. Stanley writes that Elvis said he would be going away for a few days and said that the next time they saw each other he would be “on a higher plane.”
After hearing that Elvis died, Stanley said he believed his stepbrother had killed himself using pills and other drugs. Those who responded to the call at Graceland said they found no such evidence, but Stanley claimed that he removed pill bottles and syringes that surrounded Elvis’ body and placed them in his pockets before anyone arrived at the scene.
Stanley also recalls that the days prior to Elvis’ death were dark as the singer was on so many prescription pills that his inner circle would stand watch around the clock to help him get to the bathroom. According to Stanley, Elvis frequently couldn’t make the trip, which meant the vigil would turn into a cleanup session.
He also shares that a drugged Elvis would have difficulty eating and would often fall asleep at the dinner table with food in his mouth. His aides had to “reach inside his mouth and remove the food.”
Many will question the motive of Stanley’s book, but he explains his reason.
“Through the pages of this book, it is my desire to help those dealing with addiction, so that these revelations might save them from the pain I suffered during the final years of Elvis’s life.. It’s my way of reaching out to those that loved Elvis in the hopes of touching their lives as much as Elvis touched mine.”
