British investigators are mulling over the possibility of reopening the case concerning the the suspicious death of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones in the summer of 1969. New evidence uncovered by the Brits suggests abnormalities not discovered during the original investigation. I will outline some of the facts for you.

Suicide: At first, his death was thought to be suicide. This is incorrect as Brian's spirits were higher than ever after his dismissal by the Rolling Stones. He had straightened out his life, been totally off drugs for several months, his  new record was about to be released, and he finally had the freedom to be himself.  He was in the process of completely remodeling his home with the cost completely paid for by the Rolling Stones organization. He had money, fame, women, a new band and recording contract. With all the above going for him, he was not inclined to take his own life.

Asthma: They say Brian died from an asthma attack. It is true Jones had suffered from asthma since childhood, and he was undergoing a difficult time with the summer being extremely hot and humid, making his breathing difficult indeed. Brian did not however die from an asthma attack. Dr. Albert Sachs along with Coroner Sommerville who conducted the autopsy both stated that mucus in the bronchi which is always present in an asthma attack was non existent.

Heart Attack: Due to the difficult and fast beating during an asthma attack, one can assume with the increased heartbeat over an extended period of time (two days in this case), that Jones had a heart attack while swimming. Brian Jones did not suffer a heart attack at all, according to the pathology report. There are tell tale signs left on the body after death by heart attack. One of the most common being a bluish or black & blue mark at the base of the skull. Brian had no marks anywhere on his body.

OVERDOSE OF DRUGS:  Tests were made on body to determine what if any drugs were present at the time of death. To name a few, amphetamine, methadrine, morphine, methadone, and isoprenaline. No drug, or controlled substance was found. However, a substance ten times more than normal of a poisonous nature was found in his urine. In other words he was poisoned.

DEATH FROM ALCOHOL: Brian was always a heavy drinker. Some say he simply drank too much and passed out while swimming and drown. In testing his alcohol level at time of death it was found he had  the equivalent of three pints of beer in his system. Because he was a heavy drinker, that amount was not enough to hardly mention, let alone contribute to his death.

If one rules out all the above, the only viable conclusion is death by poison. As mentioned earlier, he had poison in his system. Even though foul play was suspected, the Coroner noted the cause of death was  "mischievous adventure."  Here are some things that just don't add up.

THE LOST RECORD: A few days prior to his death, Brian was jubilant over the fact the first recording he made after leaving the Stones was ready for public release, pending his approval. The song (unnamed) was exactly to his  liking, and he was to give his approval for release shortly. After his death, efforts were made to obtain the recording. Since the record had not yet been pressed, the investigators contacted the recording company to obtain the master. The master tape was not found. It seemed to have mysteriously disappeared.

THE MASTER TAPE IS FOUND:. Investigators finally located what they believed to be the master tape of Brian's song. After taking the tape to a sound studio, Brian is heard reciting what amounts to a premonition of his death. In a barely audible voice, he says he will be killed by one of three people. Oddly enough, there were three people with Brian when he died. On the tape however, Brian did not divulge the names of the three people.

THE TAXI DRIVER: Being in a spirited mood, and always wanting people around him, Brian decided to have some friends over. Refreshments were needed, and he asked one of the three people with him to get a taxi and stock up. The person he asked is not revealed. That person got a taxi, went to town, bought wine, vodka, and brandy, and the taxi driver returned him to Brian's home. Investigators thoroughly researched this to determine who exactly who went to town, and who the taxi driver and taxi company were. Investigators were unable to determine either.  It's as if it didn't happen at all.

THE PARTY: Brian's preference in alcohol was brandy, so when refreshments arrived, Brian poured himself a brandy, then retired to the recording studio in his home. He later returned, and had another brandy, then decided to go for a swim in his pool. I should point out here that aside from several workmen remodeling his home, and maintaining the grounds, there were only three other people with Brian. It was at this point that two of the three people noticed Brian slurring his words as if he had too much to drink. They also noticed him having balancing issues on the diving board over his pool. He did seem to swim normally however so nobody seemed overly concerned.  After watching him swim, all three returned to the house to have more refreshments. After thirty minutes or so, a female went back to the pool, and found Brian dead at the bottom of the swimming pool.

MAINTENANCE WORKERS: As mentioned earlier, Jones was having work done on his home. The Stones had hired a company to perform whatever work Brian wanted done . The crew consisted of one foreman and several helper/workers. This arrangement was a difficult one for Brian, as the workers rather than do the tasks assigned  them, spent most of their days eating his food, drinking his liquor, and being with his women. When they did start remodeling, the work was never up to Brian's standards. As a result, Jones and the foreman were constantly at odds. Brian, was afraid to confront the foreman, for fear the Stones would renege on their financial offer to remodel his home. After struggling with this for weeks, Brian had made the final decision to fire the whole crew. He inadvertently made this known to the foreman prematurely, which increased more bad feelings and tension between them. I should point out the foreman was always at Brian's parties, and was even living on the property at the time. He was also one of the three present the night Brian died.

MOTIVE: The feeling towards Brian by the workers and foreman was one of jealousy, envy, and hate. There were tales amongst them of piles of money left throughout the home, beautiful women parading in and out constantly, expensive automobiles, and an opulent lifestyle. Naturally, they were envious, which later turned bitter hatred as Jones had a tendency to lord his lifestyle over them. Brian had no concern over the workers, as the main main target of his aggression was the foreman of the construction crew. Knowing that he and his crew would soon be out of a job and without funds only exacerbated the hatred they had for Jones. I would suggest the foreman and workers had a good motive. There are also two other individuals with Jones the night of his death, and they too could fit into the picture.

If in fact it is determined there is enough evidence to reopen the case, it's my hope that justice will prevail, and the truth about what really happened that night in July,1969 will finally come to light.

 

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