In conjunction with the 36th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death, a Parisian nightclub owner is casting doubts on the final scene of the mythic figure's life. Per the legend, The Doors' singer's corpse was found in a bathtub by his girlfriend Pamela Courson. In the absence of foul play, no autopsy was performed, leaving the official cause of death a small mystery.

Sam Bernett, the manager of Paris' Rock 'n' Roll Circus club, now claims that Morrison didn't die in the tub but rather died of a heroin overdose in the bathroom of his nightclub and that the singer’s death was covered up to avoid any investigation by the police into the nightspot’s drug activities. "The club was full of dealers," says Bernett. "Jim disappeared to the lavatories at around 2am. Then, about half and hour later, a cloakroom attendant came up to me and told me someone was locked in a cubicle and wasn't coming out. It was then that I got a bouncer to smash the door down. I recognised the U.S. Army combat jacket and the riding boots which he never took off. It was Jim Morrison."

The club owner, now 62 years old, claims the singer was then hauled from the club to his hotel room by bouncers under orders from a representative of the club’s owner Paul Pacini. "I was told ‘We saw nothing, we heard nothing, we shut up! Ok? It’s what we better do to avoid a scandal.'" A spokesperson for France’s Police National says they will consider the new evidence.

Although Bernett's story may cloud the issue of where Jim Morrison died, conspiracy theorists should take note: it does confirm that Jim Morrison is in fact dead.

Labels: Jim Morrison, The Doors