Adventures in Grave Hunting by Lisa Burks

Mark Landon's Highway to Heaven

On a recent trip to Hillside Memorial Park, I stopped by the family room of Hollywood superstar Michael Landon, located in the mausoleum's Memorial Court, and noticed that the crypt of his eldest son, Mark Fraser Landon, was marked. 

It took some doing to see the marker, let alone photograph it, because Mark's remains are entombed in the tippy-top of seven stacked crypt spaces along the right wall, barely visible when initially looking inside the locked, glass-fronted door.

Mark was adopted by Landon during Landon's (first) marriage (1956-1962) to Mark's mother, Dodie Levy-Fraser, a widow who has been raising Mark alone after her husband was killed in a car accident. He lived his life in the spotlight once Landon achieved star status on the television series "Bonanza," appearing in publicity photos and fan magazines alongside his teen-idol dad.

Helping Michael with fan mail (Courtesy Memory Lane/St. Martin's Press)

Michael, Mark and Dodie (Courtesy BittenandBound.com)

Throughout the ensuing years and Landon's two other marriages, by all accounts, Mark and Michael remained devoted, although Mark and his brother Josh Landon (adopted by the couple as an infant) lived with Dodie. Landon's unofficially-adopted daughter from his second marriage, Cheryl Landon Wilson, sympathetically mentioned in her book "I Promised My Dad" (Simon & Schuster, 1992) that Dodie lived with the gossipy stigma of being "the woman Michael Landon married because he loved her son."

Growing into adulthood, Mark became a passionate musician, having studied classical piano, and did some acting, including guest appearances in his dad's television series "Highway to Heaven" and 1991 television movie, "Us," and other films, "Double Edge" in 1986 and "Goodbye America" in 1997.

He also appeared alongside his numerous siblings in the 1991 documentary, "Michael Landon: Memories with Love & Laughter," which was produced and directed by his brother, Michael Landon Jr., after their father's death in July of that year. Landon died a scant three months after having been diagnosed with inoperable, stage four pancreatic cancer.

You can see Mark telling a story about his dad at 2:00 into this clip from the documentary provided by YouTuber ElvisObsessor.

Mark's life came to an abrupt end on May 11, 2009.  News bulletins reporting that the eldest son of star Michael Landon had been found dead inside his West Hollywood residence from unknown circumstances flashed across the country. Sheriff investigators ruled out foul play and the story quickly fell off the radar.

So, what happened?  Subsequent research reveals that Mark had been suffering for several years from both the physical and emotional effects of Multiple Sclerosis, despite prescription medication and holistic forms of treatment to ease the symptoms. MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system, namely the brain and the spinal cord. Problems associated with MS include muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling and thinking.

That said, Mark was last seen alive on May 8. His concerned business manager requested that a welfare check be made by Mark's Sweetzer Ave. apartment building manager, who discovered Mark unresponsive in the master bedroom and called 911.

His death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, the result of combined effects of alcohol and diazepam intake. Diazepam is the generic name for the anti-anxiety medication Valium. He also suffered from atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. A note was found on-scene, but its contents could not be fully deciphered. Family representatives reported that he never made any literal statements to them about ending his own life although he had talked about how difficult it was to live with MS.

Mark was reported to be 60 at the time of his death. His birthdate is listed on several public documents as being October 1, 1948, but the birth year on his crypt marker is 1945, indicating his age to be 63.

For further information about MS, please visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website. For further information on suicide prevention, awareness and support, please visit Suicide.org.

Special thanks goes out to my friends Craig, Scott and Phil for their assists on this story. "Michael Landon: A Biography" by Marsha Daly (St. Martin's Press, 1987) was also consulted. 

Desperately Seeking Dee Dee

In early July, I wrote about a Michael Jackson family connection to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills ~ namely, the grave site of his maternal grandmother, Martha Bridges, who is buried in the Sheltering Hills section.

Avid Jackson fans have since asked about another long-rumored Jackson family connection there, Tito Jackson's ex-wife, Delores "Dee Dee" Jackson. Was she buried there after her 1994 murder, and if so, where?

Dee Dee Jackson (image courtesy Fox Family "The Jacksons")

I checked with the Forest Lawn records department and a very nice young lady there politely apologized when she informed me that no such burial information could be located in their files. No suprises there.

Next I consulted my network of Forest Lawn experts, including "The Godfather of Graving" Roger Sinclair, my friend and grave hunting mentor who has been documenting Los Angeles cemeteries for over 30 years. They each confirmed for me that Dee Dee is indeed buried at FLHH and gave me specific directions to her grave.

As a result, my trusty sidekick Fifi and I easily found the memorial tablet that marks her interment site, nestled in an unassuming garden plot on a terrace in the Court of Liberty. It is situated just yards away from the Hall of Liberty where the Jackson family gathered for Michael's viewing and private ceremony prior to his public memorial at the Staples Center. She is interred with mother, Irma Estevez Martes.

Dee Dee and Irma's shared memorial tablet

Fourth terrace down from the Birth of Liberty mosaic outside the Hall of Liberty

Walking down the steps, her garden plot is on the right-hand side

The garden is walled in and includes a sitting bench

Dee Dee and Tito were married from 1972-1988. Together they had three sons ~ TJ, Taryll and Taj ~ who are also known as the musical trio 3t, a moniker based on her nickname for them, "the three T's." Like her mother-in-law, Katherine Jackson, she was a beloved, loving and supportive maternal presence in their lives.

Tito and Dee Dee (courtesy of Claude Thines)

This summer marked the 15th anniversary of her death at the age of 39.  On August 27, 1994, her body was found at the bottom of the swimming pool at the Ladera Heights home of Los Angeles businessman, Donald Bohana. whom she had recently begun dating.

Bohanan initially told Los Angeles County Sheriff investigators that he had been swimming with Dee Dee around 4 a.m., and that he had briefly left the scene, only to return moments later to find her submerged.  He reportedly called 911 after pulling her body from the water. She was taken by ambulance to nearby Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood where she was pronounced dead.

The case appeared to be an accidental drowning, but subsequent autopsy results suggested that the drowning may have been "assisted." Her cause of death was listed as "asphyxia, due to or as a consequence of drowning, alcohol intake and blunt-force traumatic injuries" that included cuts on her lips, tongue and ears, a bruise on her head and muscle hemorrhages in her neck.

Based on this evidence, the district attorney's office re-opened the case in November 1994. Bohana was not immediately arrested nor was he ruled out as a suspect.  A year later, the case remained open with no one charged with the murder.

Dee Dee and her sons Taryll, Taj and TJ (image © To The Tee)
Screen capture from video shot six months before her death

See full video here courtesy of 3tmemories.

Her frustrated family pursued justice themselves in the name of her sons. They filed their own suit with the state attorney general, alleging that the financially troubled Bohana killed Dee Dee in a fit of rage when she refused to use her Jackson connections to bail him out of bankruptcy.

Their case proved solid, and on November 23, 1998, Bohana was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, where it is believed he remains today. (If anyone has updated information on this, please let me know.)

The price Dee Dee paid for having a famous name was her life, forever and senselessly ripped from the fabric of this family.  But more importantly, I think, she should be remembered for being a cherished human being and individual in her own right.  As her marker states, she was a daughter, mother, sister and friend who was loved and unquestionably missed.

Her son Taj's website at DeeDeesKid.com has long been dedicated to her memory.

See more about Dee Dee in this clip from the 1998 Fox Family Channel program "Famous Families," where she is remembered during the episode "The Jacksons: The First Family of Pop," again, courtesy of 3tmemories:

Her sons continue to make the music she loved. After her death they made a video of the song "Why" with their Uncle Michael. Among its subtle undertones are images of a woman in a swimming pool and the lyrics "Why do we love if love will die?" See it here on the official Michael Jackson YouTube channel.

Rest in peace, Dee Dee.

Moonwalking Into Eternity

Thank you to everyone who has left comments about my coverage of Michael Jackson. I'm glad to know it's of interest to so many, as well as a measure of comfort to his fans. I didn't expect that.

For those of you who have asked specific follow-up questions, please know that I'm working to find the truthful answers for you.

MJ in Tokyo on March 8, 2007 (image courtesy ReutersKiyoshi Ota)

As mentioned earlier, I was among the credentialed media posted outside Forest Lawn Glendale on Thursday who were covering Michael's final funeral and entombment.  For those of you who are interested in what it looked like behind the cameras, I've uploaded the photos I took throughout the day here.

As the sun set and the day turned to dusk, the skies over Forest Lawn couldn't have been more beautiful. This was due in large part to the smoke from the local wild fires burned to the north and east of us. Here's a sample in this snap of Rajesh Mirchandani as he reported back to the UK live via the BBC:

Once the skies darkened, a full moon hung over the cemetery, casting a gorgeous orange equally smoke-induced glow. It amazed me how the destruction occuring just a few miles away could also produce such a stunning sight where we stood in safety.

Here's what the moon looked like outside the gates, from Glendale Ave., as the service was taking place below it at the Great Mausoleum:

I also took some raw footage of the Jackson family caravan arriving at the cemetery. See the video here to get an idea of what it was like to be on scene.  My little digital camera doesn't have sound, but none was really needed.  Everyone fell silent when they arrived. Anticipation turned to quiet reality. You could almost hear a pin drop except for the sound of the tires on the pavement and the still camera clickage.

Much has been made over the fact that the family ran late, missing the planned sunset start time. (And leaving guests like Liz Taylor baking in the heat.) A news helicopter hovered over the Encino estate and captured images of Michael's three kids blowing off steam in the yard with relatives during the delay.

In particular, everyone in the media pool around me commented on Blanket playing on the fountain in his suit. A kid being a kid, I thought. Let him do what he needs to do, especially today.

Then I ran across part of an interview that Michael recorded in front of the very same fountain in 1983. The clip features him talking about how dusk (and dawn) are magical times of the day.

Here are the two videos, courtesy of Sirgabzalot and LoveAllTheJacksons respectively. Watch them in order and see if it doesn't give you a new take on the situation that evening, too:

"We need to look up, where he is undoubtedly perched on a crescent moon, and we need to smile." ~ Brooke Shields (Staples Memorial Service - July 7, 2009)

Grandma's in the House

Is Michael Jackson in a temporary crypt or a cooler at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills?

Will he be buried there or permanently interred at Neverland Ranch?

Burial Watch '09 continues. Day 14. No end in sight.

Meanwhile, one member of Michael's family ~  his beloved maternal grandmother, Martha Bridges ~ is definitely buried there.  Here's photographic proof obtained when we paid respect to her this morning.

Snapped at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles, CA) 7/9/2009

Flowers courtesy of my thoughtful friend and fellow FLHH explorer, Fifi.

More photos from today's visit are filed here.

To learn more about lovely Martha and to leave her a virtual flower, please visit her Findagrave.com memorial page.