Reiner Scoffs at Report of New Monroe Death Probe

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner Friday branded as “irresponsible almost beyond description” a suggestion that the Los Angeles County Grand Jury may reopen the investigation into the 1962 death of actress Marilyn Monroe.

“This would be no more than a pretend criminal investigation,” Reiner said. “Hasn’t anyone heard of the statute of limitations?”

Reiner accused the grand jury foreman, Sam Cordova, of being the unnamed source of a City News Service story reporting that the grand jury is expected to reopen the Monroe case, which was the subject of a 1982 review by the office of then-Dist. Atty. John Van de Kamp.

“For (Cordova) to take it upon himself to act as if he is personally the grand jury is incredibly irresponsible and only serves to discredit the entire grand jury process,” Reiner told reporters he had summoned to his office in the Criminal Courts Building.

Reiner did not present specific evidence proving that Cordova was the source of the story, but said, “We’re convinced it’s Cordova.”

Cordova, reached at his office, acknowledged that he released a statement to the media earlier in the day. However, he said he did not tell City News Service that the grand jury will reopen the Monroe investigation.

“When I gave them information, they may have interpreted what I said differently,” Cordova said. “I didn’t make a categorical statement that this is going to happen, because I don’t know.”

Of Reiner, Cordova said: “I think he misspoke without getting the facts. . . . He could easily have checked this thing out.”

In his statement to the news media, Cordova said he has referred to the grand jury’s Criminal Justice Committee a request by the Board of Supervisors for a review of certain aspects of the Monroe case.

The request, made at the behest of Supervisor Mike Antonovich, was prompted by a letter sent to Antonovich by Robert F. Slatzer.

Slatzer wrote that while working as a consultant for the ABC-TV news program “20/20,” he learned of facts that suggested a “cover-up” of the circumstances surrounding Monroe’s death Aug. 5, 1962, including a suggestion that Monroe died six hours earlier than officially reported.

Reiner said no purpose would be served by reopening the case, which was investigated extensively as recently as 1982. In a report on the 1982 investigation by Van de Kamp’s office, then-Assistant Dist. Atty. Ronald H. Carroll said, “Although factual discrepancies exist and unanswered questions surfaced in our probe, the cumulative evidence available to us fails to support any theory of criminal conduct relating to her death.”