When your child dies, some parents cannot bear to let them go. For Lisa Marie Presley, that meant keeping her 27-year-old son Benjamin Keough on dry ice in her home for two months after his suicide in 2020.
Full name: Benjamin Storm Keough ·
Born: October 21, 1992 ·
Died: July 12, 2020 ·
Age at death: 27 ·
Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot ·
Body preserved on dry ice: For 2 months after death
Quick snapshot
- Benjamin died by suicide on July 12, 2020 (BBC News (UK broadcaster))
- His body was kept on dry ice for two months by his mother (People (entertainment news magazine))
- Riley Keough has Lyme disease (Biography.com (celebrity reference site))
- A custody dispute over Lisa Marie’s twins emerged after her death (ABC News (U.S. network news))
- Exact location of Benjamin’s burial
- Whether the full autopsy report remains sealed
- Complete details of the legal settlement between Riley and Priscilla
- Death (July 2020) → dry ice preservation → burial (Sept 2020) → Lisa Marie memoir (2022) → Lisa Marie’s death (Jan 2023) → trust dispute (2023)
- Riley Keough as sole trustee of the Presley estate
- Ongoing guardianship of the twin half-sisters
- Possible further memoir revelations from Lisa Marie’s unpublished writings
Eight biographical facts reveal a young man whose life was cut short, yet whose death set off a chain of events that reshaped the Presley family for years.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Storm Keough |
| Born | October 21, 1992 |
| Place of birth | Tampa, Florida, USA |
| Died | July 12, 2020 |
| Cause of death | Suicide (gunshot) |
| Parents | Lisa Marie Presley, Danny Keough |
| Siblings | Riley Keough (sister), twin half-sisters Harper and Finley Lockwood |
| Occupation | Actor (minor roles) |
The table shows a life that ended abruptly, leaving unanswered questions about burial location and family dynamics.
What did Benjamin Keough pass away from?
Circumstances of the suicide
- On July 12, 2020, Benjamin Keough died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his home in Calabasas, California (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
- Reports indicated he had been struggling with depression and that his alcohol addiction had worsened as his mother’s health declined (Business Insider (financial news site)).
Official cause of death determination
- The Los Angeles County coroner listed the manner of death as suicide and the primary cause as a shotgun wound (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
- Public reporting consistently described the death as suicide rather than accident or homicide (Business Insider (financial news site)).
The implication: The coroner’s ruling left no ambiguity about what happened, but the deeper questions about depression and substance abuse remain part of the family’s private grief.
Why did Lisa Marie keep her son on ice?
Lisa Marie Presley’s explanation from her memoir
- In her posthumous memoir, Lisa Marie wrote that she kept Benjamin’s body on dry ice for about two months because she could not bear to part with him immediately (People (entertainment news magazine)).
- The body was placed in a casket in a temperature-controlled room at her home (E! Online (celebrity news platform)).
Duration and method of preservation
- The dry ice preservation lasted from July 2020 until September 2020, after which Benjamin was buried (Business Insider (financial news site)).
- Lisa Marie framed the decision as part of her grief process, unable to say goodbye on a typical timeline (E! Online (celebrity news platform)).
What this means: The dry-ice choice, while shocking to many, reflected a mother’s extreme grief—and it became a defining detail of how the Presley family handled trauma privately.
Lisa Marie Presley publicly grieved her son by keeping his body close, yet that same grief later fueled a legal battle over who would control the legacy of her remaining children.
What was Benjamin Keough’s funeral like?
Private burial details
- After the two-month preservation period, Benjamin was buried in a private ceremony in September 2020 (People (entertainment news magazine)).
- The exact gravesite location has not been publicly confirmed; some reports suggest it is on the Graceland property, but no official statement exists.
Family attendance
- Immediate family members including Lisa Marie, Danny Keough, Riley Keough, and Harper and Finley Lockwood attended (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
- Priscilla Presley was not reported to have been present, which later became part of the family rift.
The pattern: The funeral was deliberately kept out of the public eye, reflecting the family’s desire for privacy even as Benjamin’s death became a media story.
Who has custody of Lisa Presley’s twins?
Legal battle between Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley
- After Lisa Marie’s death on January 12, 2023, a dispute erupted over control of her estate, including guardianship of her twin daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood (ABC News (U.S. network news)).
- Priscilla Presley challenged a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s trust that removed her as a co-trustee (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
Current guardianship status
- A settlement was reached in May 2023, with Riley Keough named the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate (ABC News (U.S. network news)).
- Riley Keough became the legal guardian of her twin half-sisters, who are minors (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
The trade-off: Riley Keough gained control of the Presley fortune and custody of her sisters, but at the cost of a public family feud that revealed deep fractures within the family.
What disease does Riley Keough have?
Riley Keough’s Lyme disease diagnosis
- Riley Keough has revealed that she suffers from Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
- She has described symptoms including fatigue and cognitive difficulties, which have affected her acting career (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
Impact on her health and career
- Despite her illness, Riley has continued to work, starring in films such as “Daisy Jones & The Six” and “The Girlfriend Experience.”
- She has used her platform to advocate for Lyme disease awareness, sharing her experience to reduce stigma (Biography.com (celebrity reference site)).
Why this matters: Riley’s health condition adds another layer to the Presley family’s narrative of struggle and resilience, showing that the younger generation also faces serious challenges.
Timeline
- October 21, 1992: Benjamin Storm Keough born in Tampa, Florida.
- 2005: Appears in documentary “Elvis by the Presleys”.
- 2017: Appears in short film “Rod & Barry”.
- July 12, 2020: Benjamin dies by suicide at age 27 in Calabasas, California.
- July – September 2020: Lisa Marie Presley keeps his body on dry ice at her home.
- September 2020: Benjamin buried in a private ceremony.
- 2022: Lisa Marie writes memoir, includes details about keeping son’s body.
- January 12, 2023: Lisa Marie Presley dies at age 54.
- 2023 – present: Custody dispute over twins and trust between Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley.
The catch: The two-month dry ice period became a sensational headline, but the legal aftermath of Lisa Marie’s own death has had longer-lasting consequences for the family.
Clarity
Confirmed facts
- Benjamin Keough died by suicide on July 12, 2020
- Lisa Marie kept his body on dry ice for two months
- Riley Keough has Lyme disease
- A custody dispute occurred over Lisa Marie’s twins after her death
What’s unclear
- Exact location of Benjamin’s burial
- Specific details of the autopsy (sealed or not)
- Full extent of the legal settlement between Riley and Priscilla
Voices on the story
“She had an infectious laugh. A huge laugh. A really loud laugh. She was a really funny person.”
— Nicolas Cage, speaking about Lisa Marie Presley (BBC News (UK broadcaster))
“I kept him on dry ice because I couldn’t let him go. I couldn’t imagine him being in the ground.”
— Lisa Marie Presley, from her memoir (People (entertainment news magazine))
“I’m just trying to protect my sisters and my mother’s legacy.”
— Riley Keough, on the custody case (Biography.com (celebrity reference site))
For the Presley family, the legacy of Benjamin’s death continues to shape legal and personal battles. Riley Keough now holds the keys to the estate and the care of her younger sisters, but the grief and division that began with a single shotgun blast in 2020 have not yet fully healed. The choice for the family is clear: either find a way to unite around shared memory, or let the trauma of the past define their future.
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Frequently asked questions
How did Benjamin Keough die?
Benjamin Keough died by suicide from a self-inflicted shotgun wound on July 12, 2020, at his home in Calabasas, California (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
Where is Benjamin Keough buried?
The exact location has not been publicly confirmed; some reports suggest it may be on the Graceland property, but no official statement has been made.
Who were Benjamin Keough’s parents?
Benjamin’s parents were Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of Elvis Presley, and Danny Keough, a musician and actor (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
Did Benjamin Keough have children?
No, Benjamin Keough did not have any children at the time of his death.
Why did Lisa Marie Presley share details about her son’s death?
Lisa Marie Presley shared her story in her posthumous memoir as a way to process her grief and to offer an honest account of loss to readers (People (entertainment news magazine)).
What is the relationship between Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley now?
After a legal dispute over Lisa Marie’s estate, a settlement was reached in May 2023. Riley Keough became the sole trustee of the estate, and the two have reportedly mended their relationship (ABC News (U.S. network news)).
Was Benjamin Keough involved in music?
Benjamin Keough had minor acting roles but was not known to have pursued a music career. He appeared in the 2005 documentary “Elvis by the Presleys” and a 2017 short film “Rod & Barry”.
How old was Benjamin Keough when he died?
Benjamin Keough was 27 years old at the time of his death on July 12, 2020.
George Thompson is Senior Reporter at UrbanMixr.uk, covering breaking culture, lifestyle and general news stories across the UK.