Autopsy Report — Jayne Mansfield

The official and death certificate provide a clinical account of the tragic car accident that claimed the life of the 34-year-old Hollywood star on June 29, 1967. While the gruesome nature of the crash birthed decades of urban legends, official records from the Orleans Parish Coroner's office clarify the specific medical findings and dispel long-standing myths. Official Medical Findings

Before analyzing the autopsy, it is crucial to address the elephant in the room: the decapitation myth. The rumor began almost immediately after the crash. Witnesses claimed that the top of the Buick was sheared off, and that Mansfield’s head was severed by the impact with the rear of the trailer.

: The report noted "crushed skull with avulsion (detachment) of the portion of the cranium and brain." Clarification of Decapitation Rumors The Origin jayne mansfield autopsy report

The autopsy report also allows us to dispel two other long-standing rumors:

The and lawsuits involving the trucking company The official and death certificate provide a clinical

The autopsy also settled one minor point of trivia: while Mansfield was publicly often listed as 5 feet 6 inches tall, her autopsy reportedly recorded her height as 5 feet 8 inches, offering a clinical posthumous adjustment to her measurements.

For decades, the Jayne Mansfield autopsy report was difficult to obtain. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s office treated it as a sensitive document, not only due to the graphic nature but also due to the celebrity status of the victim. When the report was finally released to the public in the 1990s (via requests from authors and researchers), it did little to quell the rumors. Believers in the decapitation story argued that the report had been "sanitized" or "faked" to protect the family’s dignity. The rumor began almost immediately after the crash

The official record of Jayne Mansfield 's death, as stated in her death certificate and autopsy report, confirms she died of a crushed skull avulsion (forcible separation) of the cranium and brain

The most authoritative sources on Mansfield's injuries are the police report on the accident and the official Louisiana death certificate. While the public and tabloids screamed "decapitation," the official documents paint a more complex, clinically horrifying picture of severe cranial trauma.

In the early morning hours of June 29, 1967, Jayne Mansfield was traveling from a nightclub performance in Biloxi, Mississippi, toward New Orleans, where she was scheduled for a midday television appearance.