Which Rolling Stones member died in a swimming pool accident in 1969, and what are the official and disputed circumstances?

Brian Jones, the founding guitarist and original leader of the Rolling Stones, died on July 3, 1969, in the swimming pool of his home, Cotchford Farm in East Sussex. He was 27. The official coroner’s verdict was “death by misadventure” caused by drowning while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. His blood alcohol level was high, and traces of a barbiturate were found.

But doubts have never really gone away. Some biographers and investigators point to inconsistencies: the pool wasn’t deep, Jones was a strong swimmer, and bruises on his body suggested he may have been held underwater. The doctor who signed the death certificate had a reputation for excessive leniency with celebrities. A builder working on the property, Frank Thorogood, later reportedly confessed on his deathbed to a taxi driver that he’d killed Jones during an argument. That claim remains unproven, but the case has never been formally reopened.