Jayne Mansfield Autopsy Report Jun 2026

: The coroner, Dr. Nicholas Chetta, and the embalmer, Jim Roberts, both officially confirmed that her head remained attached to her body. Debunking the Decapitation Myth

Provide a timeline of and her reflections on the event

The official autopsy report, conducted by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, decisively disproves the decapitation myth. The report lists Mansfield’s official cause of death as "craniocerebral trauma with crushed skull and avulsion of cranium and brain."

Three of Mansfield’s children () riding in the back seat jayne mansfield autopsy report

The official cause of death listed on Jayne Mansfield’s death certificate is a . Specific Medical Findings

Deep cuts and abrasions caused by the shearing metal of the trailer and the shattered windshield.

Note on sources: This article is based on the archived files of the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, the Louisiana State Police report #00133-67, and investigative journalism from The New Orleans Times-Picayune and Raymond Strait’s biography, "Here They Are Jayne Mansfield." : The coroner, Dr

The autopsy report concluded that Jayne Mansfield died as a result of the severe head and chest injuries sustained in the accident. The cause of death was listed as "craniocerebral trauma," which refers to a type of brain injury caused by a severe impact to the head.

The most pervasive rumor surrounding Mansfield’s death is that she was completely decapitated. This myth was fueled by graphic news photographs showing a mass of blonde hair tangled in the crushed windshield of the Buick.

The most significant real-world outcome of the accident and subsequent investigation was the introduction of a new safety feature for vehicles: The report lists Mansfield’s official cause of death

The driver, Ronnie Harrison, also showed no signs of intoxication, reinforcing that the accident was likely caused by poor visibility (fogging chemicals) and a lack of underride guards on the truck.

Constructed of heavy steel bars, these safety devices are designed to prevent smaller passenger cars from sliding under a truck during a rear-end collision. Today, these safety features are still universally known in the trucking industry as