Such is the mysterious case of Bobby Fuller and the famous 2-minute song “I Fought the Law.” The Sunny Curtis song,which most famously opens with the verse, “Breakin’ rocks in the hot sun, I fought the law and the law won, I fought the law and the law won,” took the Bobby Fuller Four to popularity. Bobby Fuller died on my birthday, July 18, in the year 1966, just a few months after the song was released.
The case of Bobby Fuller always interested me, and no, this is not just because he was born on my brother’s birthday, Oct. 22, and died on mine. While that is certainly odd, what intrigues me is the perplexing crime scene and police conclusion.
“I Fought the Law” had just become a top ten hit when Bobby Fuller was found dead in his mother’s automobile, which was parked outside of his Hollywood apartment. The doors of the car were unlocked, the windows closed, and there was no key inside the car. When the police reported to the gruesome scene Fuller was found, according to a witness, with traces of blood on his face, chest bruised, covered with gasoline. A slew of crime scene miscues eventually led to a suicide listing by the coroner. This was changed a few months later to accidental because of inhalation of gasoline. An interesting circumstance. The case was “solved” and stashed away. I think we need the people from “Cold Case” Many believe this was a murder. I do not know.
Check out this interesting press release by Bryan Thomas: http://www.kellyhogan.com/bands/rock/fuller.html
“I Fought the Law”:
The Music Court 
Pretty near impossible for a person to drink enough gasoline to kill himself..You would be constantly throwing up after each guzzle…Eddie Nash seems right for the murder…Rumor has it Bobby didn’t take the warning to heart about gangsters and girlfriends..and jealousy..
“Of all the laments uttered by men-the worst of all.is.Oh what might have been”
That is a great quotation and very true.
Just a couple of other things regarding Bobby Fuller..When his Mom found him dead in her car..within a few minutes of when she had been out seeing if maybe her car was parked in a wrong are..Now ..who drove that car into it’s place..it sure as hell wasn’t Bobby..He was in full rigor..meaning …he must have been dead for at least a few hours..body was bruised.Gasoline poured all over Bobby…This much we know…It is really a hard thing to deal with because the LAPD listed him as a suicide..lie..They did no investigating whatsoever of the many strange things about his death ..as to make that Cop Shop more like their Keystone Brothers..I wonder what might have happened if a big reward had been offered to the first liar who brought enough evidence for a conviction..?..AND this..It probably means zilch to Bobby’s tragedy..but his older half brother ..was murdered some 15 years before Bobby’s murder..Randy Bobbys bass player and brother needs to do what he should have done back than become a loud voice for a reinvestigation..and his silence is a very uinsettling adedum to this thing
Yeah. I concur. This must be reinvestigated. The proof that the ruling was wrong is so evident. It would only be correct.
Hello Matt..I am happy that at least one more person see’s
how scandalous this entire tragedy was handled..and forgotten..Probably the main reason I am so keenly interested is because I was like a 12 yr. old little pain in the ass kid that was like almost magically connected with a guy that Bobby loved…Buddy Holly was my her when rock and Roll was being invented..When I learned that Buddy was dead..I was devastated..The same feeling I would have 6 years later when Bobby was murdered..I was a Marine doing my first sight-seeing visit to Vietnam..and I knew about death and such..but the connection with Bobby was his love of rockabilly music and he was so much like Buddy..it was spooky..anyway..I bore you with blather..But I believe there is plenty of evidence
..and plenty of money and clout from Stars that owe Bobby justice..Tell me ..Matt..What is your interest..?..Why are you into this old mystery..I applaud you friend..Steve Berry
Thanks for the comment Steve. I do not mind the “blather.” I love to hear how music affects different people and your story is an interesting one. You most certainly have a more personal connection, having lived through the era. I am only 21. I am interested because I, like you, love rock n’ roll and rockabilly music. Fuller’s recording of “I Fought The Law” is not only a classic, but also it was an attempt to keep some true rock n’ roll alive in 1965, when the rockabilly genre had mostly faded away.
Also, I also found the case to be interesting because of the sketchy way it was handled. It is seemingly an obvious example of a police mistake that has never been corrected. It is something that should be looked at again. I am not saying that a different ruling will most definitely be achieved, but, it is unfair to Fuller’s memory that his death has just simply gone done as a suicide, when evidence points to the fact that it was probably something more malicious.