Eerie Similarities Between Lisa Marie and Elvis’ Autopsies Revealed
RadarOnline.com can reveal the ‘ghostly’ similarities between the autopsies of Lisa Marie Presley and her father, Elvis Presley – with newly released findings into the couple’s deaths reviving questions about hereditary diseases that may have contributed to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s early death.
Sally A. Hoedel, who wrote Elvis: destined to die youngsays Lisa Marie’s autopsy – published after her death in January 2023, at the age of 54 following double cardiac arrest – reveals correlations with health problems long present in the Presley family, and which may be linked to incestuous marriages between cousins within his ancestral lineage.
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A legacy of genetic diseases
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Lisa Marie Presley’s autopsy revealed chronic intestinal problems that had plagued her since childhood.
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Elvis died in 1977, at the age of 42, and Hoedel claims that his death, often attributed to prescription drug abuse, was instead rooted in congenital and genetic diseases.
The rocker’s family history is marked by premature deaths. His mother, Gladys Presley, died at age 46, while three of his uncles died of heart, kidney and liver disease in their 40s and early 50s.
Hoedel says this pattern is important in assessing both Elvis’s health and that of his only child.
She said: “By the time Elvis died in 1977, he had a disease or disorder in nine of the body’s eleven systems. At least five of these were present before fame and have probably been there since birth. This is even more relevant now that Lisa Marie Presley’s autopsy has revealed much of the disease.”
She added that Lisa Marie’s cause of death – small bowel obstruction linked to bariatric surgery – raised broader questions about her lifelong health.
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The ‘chronic Presley problem’
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Researchers pointed out in Lisa Marie’s report that kidney dysfunction is a Presley family trait.
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Lisa Marie’s autopsy confirmed that the obstruction was caused by scar tissue from gastric bypass surgery performed years earlier.
Hoedel said the resulting loss of blood supply led to infections, organ failure and death. Although this seemed different from Elvis’ fatal heart attack, she said both cases had underlying digestive disorders in common.
Hoedel explained, “The risk of intestinal obstruction increases after surgery, as seen in this case, but also when conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and chronic constipation are present. Lisa Marie has battled a digestive/intestinal disorder her entire life. She called it a ‘chronic Presley problem’ and stated that it traced back to her childhood.”
She noted that Elvis also had lifelong intestinal problems, documented from his toddler years, long before fame or medication.
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Lisa Marie described her lifelong illness as a “chronic Presley problem.”
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Hoedel wondered whether Lisa Marie’s surgery might have been intended to relieve chronic digestive pain and not just for weight loss, and whether such pain might have felt normal to her after a lifetime of illness.
She also pointed to autopsy details that describe abdominal distension and months of abdominal pain experienced by Lisa Marie, drawing parallels to Elvis’ swelling later in life.
The report also cited metabolic acidosis in Lisa Marie, indicating renal dysfunction.
Hoedel said: “There is a known presence of genetic kidney disease in her paternal line.”
She noted that Elvis’ uncle died of kidney disease in 1968 and that a cousin still lives with the condition. The symptoms, she said, overlapped with intestinal obstruction, including nausea, confusion and heart rate changes.
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Chaos of first cousins
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Author Sally A. Hoedel traces the family’s health problems back to the cousins’ marriage in 1903.
Hoedel also highlighted blood pressure problems and a history of strokes in Lisa Marie’s report, noting that two of Elvis’ uncles, Travis Smith and Tracy Smith, suffered strokes in their 40s and 50s.
She said the medication found in Lisa Marie’s body was at a therapeutic level and did not contribute to her death. The addition of an infection after cosmetic surgery reflected Elvis’ struggle with immunity.
Hoedel said the family’s medical history deserved a better understanding, arguing that Elvis’ story was “one of survival and not self-destruction” and that his daughter’s death could help reshape a legacy long clouded by sensationalism.
“Elvis’s maternal grandparents were cousins,” Hoedel also wrote of Robert Lee “Bob” Smith and Octavia “Doll” Smith, who married in 1903.
She added: “It was that union some thirty years before Elvis was born that dictated his short life.”
Hoedel also stated that the king’s family tree had “branches” that “got tangled.”
“Creating Elvis required a rare DNA combination that should not have happened. It was not meant to survive – and the consequences have long been ignored,” she wrote.
