Investigative magistrate Jean-Daniel Tenthorey led the inquiry in its early phase. He told reporters in the week after the theft that investigators were “mystified” and that nothing new had developed. The tip line was active; police were receiving approximately fifty calls a day from people offering leads. Most of these amounted to nothing. A man claiming to have located earth from the grave near a 6,000-foot Alpine peak, using a divining rod, proposed a wider search. Police did not take him up on it.
The early theories ranged widely. Could it be the work of devoted fans trying to bring Chaplin’s remains to England, which he had once expressed some attachment to? Could it be politically motivated — right-wing extremists staging a gesture against a man they had always considered a communist sympathizer? Could it be souvenir hunters, or some form of organized crime? The lack of any demand or communication in the first weeks left everything open.
A Europe-wide search, including through Interpol, produced no immediate results. An early lead in Italy was followed up and came to nothing. The investigation extended to England following speculation about the fans theory. The English inquiry was also unproductive.
The empty grave remained empty for several more weeks. Then the calls began.
Part Four: The Empty Grave, Early Theories, and What Was Not Known
The discovery of the empty grave on March 2, 1978, generated international press coverage that was both immediate and, in some cases, incorrect. Understanding the gap between what was actually known at the time and what later became established fact is important for reading the case accurately.