Crypt Above Marilyn Remains Unsold

The attempts to sell the vault above Marilyn Monroe have failed for a second time.

The latest auction of the marble crypt did not fetch any bids, according to organiser Eric Gazin, of AuctionCause.com. A $4.6m bid fell through in August when Elsie Poncher first tried to sell her late husband's tomb. Mr Gazin said several people were pre-approved to bid on the crypt at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. But when it came down to it, none of them came forward to take part. The family is now "weighing their options", added Mr Gazin.

Mrs Poncher is trying to sell the space of her husband, allegedly buried face down above Monroe, to pay off the mortgage on her Beverly Hills home, according to reports. His remains would be moved sideways to a neighbouring plot to make room for the new occupant, said Mrs Poncher.

The space next to Monroe's vault was sold in 1992 to the publisher of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, for $75,000. Other stars buried at the cemetery include Farrah Fawcett and Dean Martin.