Eternal Celebrity Worship: Grave Over Marilyn Monroe for Sale
Crypt above the iconic actress, currently occupied, up for sale on Ebay.
Aug. 25, 2009— -- The winning bidder in the auction for the crypt above iconic actress Marilyn Monroe apparently has other plans for eternity and has backed out of the $4.6 million deal.
The unnamed bidder in Japan in the Ebay auction that closed Monday at 3 p.m. ET sent a letter to seller, saying, "I am awfully sorry, but I need to cancel this because of the paying problem," the Los Angeles Times reported.
But 20 other people also bid and 11 of the top ones will be contacted to see if they want to rebid, the newspaper said.
The original staring price for the crypt at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery was $500,000 when the listing went up on Ebay on Aug. 14.
Elsie Poncher told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story, that she wants to use the money she raises to help pay off the $1.6 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home. Her husband Richard Poncher, has been entombed in the crypt since he died 23 years ago.
Calls to Elsie Poncher were not returned.
The newspaper reported that Richard Poncher bought the two crypts from baseball great Joe DiMaggio in 1954, who was divorcing Monroe at the time.
If Richard Poncher is rolling over in his grave at the thought of being removed from his resting place above Monroe, it won't be the first time.
His wife told the LA Times that her husband's dying wish was to be placed in the crypt facing downward toward Monroe.
After the funeral was over Elsie Poncher told the funeral director about her late husband's last request.
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