The memoir of Lisa Marie Presley, titled From Here to the Great Unknown and posthumously completed by her daughter, Riley Keough, presents a heartfelt narrative about the profound loss of her son, Benjamin Keough. One of the most poignant disclosures is Lisa Marie’s choice to keep her son’s body on dry ice for a duration of two months following his tragic passing in 2020.
In her book, she elaborates on her reasons for preserving Benjamin’s remains in such a manner, highlighting her intense sorrow and the lingering uncertainties regarding his final resting place.
Benjamin Keough, the son of Lisa Marie and Danny Keough, passed away at just 27 years old, with the circumstances surrounding his death being ruled as suicide. Within the memoir, Lisa Marie reflects on her need for additional time to say farewell, a feeling that resonated with her own experience after her father, Elvis Presley, died in 1977. Lisa Marie remarked:
“In California, there is no legal obligation to bury someone immediately.”
For two months, she kept Benjamin’s body in a small guest house adjacent to her residence, inspired by her own journey after her father’s passing, which had allowed her to visit him at Graceland prior to his burial.
Lisa Marie considered how proximity to her father’s body had aided her in coming to terms with his death, expressing a desire for a similar opportunity to connect with her son.
“Having my dad in the house after death was immensely comforting, as I could spend time with him and converse,”she recalled.
Riley, who worked to finalize the memoir after her mother’s death in 2023, emphasized that it was vital for Lisa Marie to have this time with Benjamin.
“It was essential for her to have sufficient time to say goodbye to him, as she had done with her father,”she noted.
Lisa Marie Presley faced difficulty in saying goodbye to Benjamin Keough amid uncertainty about burial arrangements
Another element that delayed Benjamin’s burial was Lisa Marie’s indecision regarding his final resting place. She grappled with the choice of interring him at Graceland, the celebrated estate of Elvis in Memphis, or in Hawaii, a locale of personal significance for the family. This uncertainty prolonged the time Benjamin’s body remained on the family property.
Lisa Marie also reflected on her acclimatization to having Benjamin’s body nearby.
She frankly confessed, “I became so accustomed to him being there, caring for him. I think it would terrify anyone else, but for me, it felt right.”
Ultimately, Lisa Marie recognized that it was time to release her son. Riley shared that the family began to sense that Benjamin himself yearned for peace.
“We all felt a vibe from my brother that it was time for him to move on,”Riley recounted.
Lisa Marie too felt a connection, perceiving that Benjamin was trying to communicate with her:
“This is wild, Mom, what are you doing? What the heck!”
In addition to preserving Benjamin’s body, both Lisa Marie and Riley opted to honor him with matching tattoos. Benjamin had inscribed their names on his body—his mother’s on his hand and his sister’s on his collarbone. Riley reminisced how Lisa Marie arranged for a tattoo artist to come to their home while Benjamin’s body was still present, to recreate those tattoos. When asked for photos of Benjamin’s tattoos, Lisa Marie humorously responded:
“No, but I can show you.”
Riley also addressed her brother’s mental health struggles that eventually led to his untimely death. She revealed a text message Benjamin had sent to their mother shortly before he died:
“I think I have a mental health problem… something feels wrong with me.”
Riley expressed her grief that Benjamin had just begun to understand the seriousness of his struggles before his passing.
In the end, Benjamin was interred at Graceland, close to his grandfather, Elvis. Following her own passing in January 2023, Lisa Marie Presley was also laid to rest at Graceland.
From Here to the Great Unknown offers a deeply moving exploration of Lisa Marie Presley’s sorrow, her challenges in letting go, and her lasting bond with both her father and son.
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