Eternal Celebrity Worship: Grave Over Marilyn Monroe for Sale

Aug. 24, 2009— -- A Beverly Hills widow is auctioning off the crypt above iconic actress Marilyn Monroe's resting place, offering to evict her dead husband's remains for the highest Ebay bidder.

What's the price of this case of eternal celebrity worship gone wild?

By the time the online auction closed Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern time, the winning bid among the 25 submitted was $4,602,100.

The original staring price for the crypt at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery was $500,000 when the listing went up on Ebay on Aug. 14.

Elsie Poncher told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story, that she wants to use the money she raises to help pay off the $1.6 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home. Her husband Richard Poncher, has been entombed in the crypt since he died 23 years ago.

Calls to Elsie Poncher were not immediately returned.

The newspaper reported that Richard Poncher bought the two crypts from baseball great Joe DiMaggio in 1954, who was divorcing Monroe at the time.

If Richard Poncher is rolling over in his grave at the thought of being removed from his resting place above Monroe, it won't be the first time.

His wife told the LA Times that her husband's dying wish was to be placed in the crypt facing downward toward Monroe.

After the funeral was over Elsie Poncher told the funeral director about her late husband's last request.