In 1993, the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office did something no morgue had ever done — it opened a gift shop. “Skeletons in the Closet” sold body outline beach towels, crime scene tape towels, coroner-branded tote bags, and novelty items stamped with the official seal of the office that autopsied Marilyn Monroe, Robert Kennedy, and the Black Dahlia.
The shop became a tourist attraction, a pop culture landmark, and proof that in Los Angeles, even death has a gift shop.
LACoroner.com is dedicated to preserving that legacy — and exploring everything that made the LA Coroner’s Office the most famous death investigation office in the world.
What We Cover
- Cold cases — The unsolved murders, suspicious deaths, and reopened investigations that passed through the coroner’s office
- The gift shop — The history, merchandise, and cultural impact of Skeletons in the Closet
- Podcast reviews — In-depth reviews of the true-crime podcasts covering LA’s most notorious cases
- The coroner’s lore — How a morgue on Mission Road became a cultural institution
The Directory
We also maintain a directory of Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys, private investigators, and security companies — professionals connected to the world the coroner’s office inhabits.
About This Site
LACoroner.com is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
All case information is drawn from public records, published accounts, and documented sources. Where facts are disputed, we present the competing accounts and let readers draw their own conclusions.