Big Bopper Exhumed

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:54 am

I don't know if anyone else here has seen this but J. P. Richardson know as the Big Bopper, who died in the Plane Crash with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, was exhumed last month. Apparently they filmed it for a Medical Documentary. They said the Bopper was well perserved. The Bopper was not autopsied in 1959 and there was speculation that a Handgun, that Holly had aboard the plane, might have been fired by someone, causing the Plane Crash.

Also the Bopper's son, known as the Big Bopper Junior, ( he plays the role of the Bopper himself )wanted to have a statue of his father placed at the gravesite, but the Cemetary would not allow this in that location, so to do that the Bopper's body had to be moved to another location in the same Cemetary. While they were at it, the Big Bopper Junior wanted to clear up any question about how his father,the Big Bopper had died, so a forensic pathologist was hired to examine the body. The Bopper was later reburied in a different location.

The website findadeath.com has a link to a slideshow of the exhumation (It can be found under Holly, Valens or Richardson in the directory) by the Beaumont Enterprise newspaper.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:07 pm

http://home.beaumontenterprise.com/news ... r_Autopsy/

Tracy...

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:08 pm

I wonder what, if anything ,they found out from the autopsy? Has anyone heard?

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:02 pm

Thanks for posting the link, Tracey. I hadn't heard he was exhumed. Very interesting. It looks like his son was glad to see his father again.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:32 pm

Oh, good grief! Why does EVERYTHING have to be a conspiracy? These people have too much time on their hands.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:56 pm

How fascinating and grisly all at the same time, thanks for the link, Fargo and Tracy. It sounds like he was pretty well preserved despite the amount of years that have gone by. Makes me wonder if the Bordens will ever be exhumed and what state the bodies will be in at that point?

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:56 pm

Angel - Ain't it the truth?

I think 'The Little Bopper' (The Big B's son) was real small or not born yet or just born when his father died. He probably felt the need to check that story out.

I don't understand why a person who did not want to die (in a plane crash in this instance) would pull a gun out and shoot himself. Some people survive plane crashes. I'd think taking a chance on surviving would be better than killing myself and dying for sure.

I would not think any of them would have enough time to do that before the crash anyway.

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:25 pm

Thanks for the link. That was amazing, I felt so bad for his son to see him like that, but I would do the same it I didn't know my father.