Buddy Holly's Autopsy Report Has Some Disturbing Details

This article includes graphic descriptions of fatal injuries. 

More than 65 years after his passing, the shock surrounding Buddy Holly's death has scarcely wavered. Of course, as a promising young star who died long before turning 30 (Holly was just 22 at the time of his death), it stands to reason that many have continued to mourn his loss and wonder what might have been. Even so, there's no question that the disturbing details in his autopsy report have also played a role in the enduring sadness over the years. 

As seen in the 1959 report, Holly's injuries were horrifically extensive. The coroner on duty listed wounds across the singer's body, from lacerations on his face to fractures in his chest, arms, and legs. Of his chest injuries, the coroner wrote that they had been severe enough to completely alter the degree of density. "The consistency of the chest was soft," he wrote. However, by far the most devastating were the singer's head injuries. In addition to Holly having bled from his ears, the coroner wrote, "The skull was split medially in the forehead and this extended into the vertex region. Approximately half the brain tissue was absent."

Given the extent of his injuries, it's heartbreaking but unsurprising that Holly had to be identified by his fingerprints. 

As many will know, Buddy Holly wasn't the only celebrity to have been critically injured in the fateful accident. J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens were also on board. All three of the stars were killed in the plane crash, as was their pilot Roger Peterson. The aircraft accident report said that Holly, Richardson and Valens had actually been thrown from the aircraft upon impact. 

Sadly, although the accident was thought to have taken place within minutes of takeoff at around 1 a.m., it wasn't until after 9:30 a.m. that the wreckage and the bodies were found. There had been no witnesses to the crash itself, as it had taken place in an open field. 

As for what actually caused the accident, the Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the pilot had taken the flight knowing he may fly through instrument conditions (essentially, flight conditions that would require him using equipment rather than his own vision), despite not being qualified at that point to do so. Tthe investigation also concluded that the weather report provided to Peterson hadn't included flash advisories that may have clarified just how dangerous the situation was. Ultimately, the investigation found that Peterson had lost visibility and likely descended thinking he was ascending, which was what led to the aircraft flying into the ground at a high speed. 66 years later, we're still keeping Holly, Richardson, Valens and the Peterson's loved ones in our thoughts.