• The long-lost bust of Jim Morrison was found by French police 37 years after its theft.
• The sculpture had been missing since 1988 and was discovered during an investigation unrelated to the theft.
• Artist Mladen Mikulin crafted the bust to honor Morrison’s 10th death anniversary in 1981.
• Fans continue to visit Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise cemetery, one of the most famous in the world.
• The circumstances surrounding Morrison's death remain clouded in mystery, with varying accounts.

French police have recovered by chance the long-lost bust of American singer Jim Morrison, stolen from his grave at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris 37 years ago. The sculpture, which has been missing since 1988, was found during a search connected to an unrelated fraud case led by the Paris public prosecutor's office, according to CBS News and South China Morning Post.

The bust, created by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, was placed on Morrison's grave in 1981 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death. It was reported found by the financial and anti-corruption brigade of the police, which has not named any suspects in the original theft, according to Le Monde and BBC.

Morrison's grave continues to attract rock fans from around the globe, drawing visitors who leave messages and tributes in the form of graffiti on surrounding tombstones. The investigation that led to the bust's recovery has raised questions about whether the cemetery intends to return the sculpture to its original location, as no official communication has occurred regarding its return, reports Los Angeles Times.

The exact circumstances of Morrison's death remain enigmatic, with many public accounts stating that he died from cardiac arrest in a bathtub. However, journalist Sam Bernett suggested in a 2007 book that Morrison's actual cause of death was a heroin overdose, complicating his legacy, noted by CBS News and South China Morning Post.