This Day in History: Marilyn Monroe Is Found Dead August 5, 1962 Monroe was found in her bed, surrounded by empty pill bottles. An autopsy revealed a fatal dose of sedatives in her system, and her death was ruled a probable suicide. She had been under constant psychiatric care since the year before, living a reclusive life in her Los Angeles home. Her death inspired conspiracy theories, involving affairs with then President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. In the 1980s, Monroe's maid declared controversially that Robert Kennedy had fought with Monroe the night she died. The model turned actress has remained a cultural icon for more than half a century.