Encouraged by his road manager Phil Kaufman, Parsons again visited the park after completing his latest recording sessions.

Parsons was declared dead on his arrival at High Desert Memorial Hospital, at 00:15 on September 19, 1973, in Yucca Valley, California.

[9] Initially, the San Bernardino County coroner declared Parsons' death to be from "natural causes, pending autopsy".

Kaufman then drove Fisher and McElroy back to Los Angeles in Parsons' Jaguar, to evade the police in case they were looking for the two women.

[12] Kaufman then proceeded to make phone calls to the San Bernardino Coroner's office and found out that the body was being moved to Los Angeles International Airport to be transferred to Western Airlines.

The cargo manager could not find the transfer request among his papers but assumed that it was a last-minute change and decided to release the body to the two men.

Kaufman signed the papers as "Jeremy Nobody", and proceeded to request a patrolman who parked behind the hearse to move his car away so he could load the casket.

As a result of his nervousness in the presence of the patrolman and his previous consumption of alcohol, Martin drove the car into a wall of the hangar, in front of the officer.

After singing an impromptu rendition of the song "Farther Along" while the casket was lowered, Parsons told Kaufman "don't let this happen to me" and explained to him his desire to be cremated and his ashes scattered in Joshua Tree.

[15] When they arrived at Joshua Tree, Kaufman opened the casket and poured in five gallons of gasoline, set the body on fire, and left.

[18] After mugshots of the believed perpetrators were shown to witnesses from the airport, Investigator Joe E. Hamilton declared that the police were close to the identification.

[20] While the two awaited judgment, the San Bernardino County Coroner declared to the press that Parsons' death was caused by "multiple drug abuse, in part due to overdose of whiskey, barbiturates, and cocaine".

[21] Kaufman and Martin were given thirty-day suspended jail sentences, fined $300 each for misdemeanor theft, and charged $708 for funeral home expenses.

Doctor Demento was the featured disc jockey and beer bottles with the figure of Parsons on the label and the inscription "Gram Pilsner: A stiff drink for what ales you" were served.

Shocked by the theft, failed cremation, and the fundraiser, the family regarded it all as a Kaufman publicity stunt and denied there could have been any promise between Parsons and his manager.

Room 8 is reserved by the current owner for people who ask specifically to stay there for its relation to Parsons, and it is not offered to walk-in guests.