1 00:00:07,750 --> 00:00:10,470 We begin this morning with singer Maurice Gibb 2 00:00:10,470 --> 00:00:12,350 who died during the night in Miami. 3 00:00:12,350 --> 00:00:17,190 Maurice Gibb was one-third of global megaband, The Bee Gees. 4 00:00:19,390 --> 00:00:22,110 In a career spanning four decades, 5 00:00:22,110 --> 00:00:26,630 the Bee Gees sold over 220 million records. 6 00:00:26,630 --> 00:00:29,470 They were best known for their disco classics, 7 00:00:29,470 --> 00:00:33,830 high-pitched singing voices and bouffant hairstyles. 8 00:00:33,830 --> 00:00:35,030 We always called ourselves triplets, 9 00:00:35,030 --> 00:00:37,230 just something went wrong with Barry, you know? 10 00:00:37,230 --> 00:00:40,350 While his brothers sang lead vocals, 11 00:00:40,350 --> 00:00:44,030 Maurice was the hidden talent that held the band together. 12 00:00:44,030 --> 00:00:46,550 Barry was the brains behind the band, 13 00:00:46,550 --> 00:00:49,070 Maurice was the musical director. 14 00:00:49,070 --> 00:00:52,670 He just had a sense of how the sound should fit together. 15 00:00:52,670 --> 00:00:54,230 Argh! 16 00:00:54,230 --> 00:00:57,230 But on Wednesday January 8th 2003, 17 00:00:57,230 --> 00:01:01,270 Maurice Gibb collapsed in agony at his Miami home. 18 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:05,510 He died four days later at the age of just 53. 19 00:01:05,510 --> 00:01:06,590 (ECG BLEEPS) 20 00:01:06,590 --> 00:01:09,430 Maurice Gibb's death came out of nowhere. 21 00:01:09,430 --> 00:01:12,630 According to those around him, he was a fit and healthy guy. 22 00:01:12,630 --> 00:01:13,990 It was a normal day. 23 00:01:13,990 --> 00:01:15,870 He was normal, he didn't look sick. 24 00:01:15,870 --> 00:01:18,670 Why Maurice went from healthy 25 00:01:18,670 --> 00:01:23,950 to collapse, to death, in four days is a mystery. 26 00:01:23,950 --> 00:01:26,470 I intend to determine exactly what happened to him 27 00:01:26,470 --> 00:01:28,630 in those final days that led to his death. 28 00:01:37,150 --> 00:01:41,630 Dr Michael Hunter is a world-renowned forensic pathologist. 29 00:01:42,510 --> 00:01:45,150 He's performed over 4000 autopsies 30 00:01:45,150 --> 00:01:47,830 to investigate and reveal the cause of death. 31 00:01:49,110 --> 00:01:53,710 Today he's the chief medical examiner in one of America's biggest cities. 32 00:01:53,710 --> 00:01:57,790 This is the autopsy report for Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees 33 00:01:57,790 --> 00:02:00,870 and from the information within this concise report, 34 00:02:00,870 --> 00:02:06,430 I can build a picture of the final days, hours and minutes of his life. 35 00:02:06,430 --> 00:02:11,270 I hope to determine why one-third of the world's most famous pop trio 36 00:02:11,270 --> 00:02:14,790 died suddenly and unexpectedly in the hospital. 37 00:02:20,270 --> 00:02:22,230 Three weeks before his death, 38 00:02:22,230 --> 00:02:25,950 Maurice celebrates his 53rd birthday with his two children 39 00:02:25,950 --> 00:02:32,230 Samantha and Adam and his wife Yvonne 40 00:02:32,230 --> 00:02:34,830 at one of their homes in Miami. 41 00:02:36,030 --> 00:02:37,870 Right before he died, 42 00:02:37,870 --> 00:02:41,750 Maurice seemed to be in the semi-retired pop star lifestyle. 43 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:43,870 He spent all his time with his family. 44 00:02:43,870 --> 00:02:47,350 In the months prior to his death, 45 00:02:47,350 --> 00:02:50,150 The Bee Gees had been taking a break from touring 46 00:02:50,150 --> 00:02:53,910 but Maurice is busy with his music, working on new material. 47 00:02:53,910 --> 00:02:56,990 He was jamming and composing with Michael Jackson. 48 00:02:56,990 --> 00:02:59,630 He had composed a couple of string pieces. 49 00:02:59,630 --> 00:03:02,030 He was working on a couple of film soundtracks. 50 00:03:02,030 --> 00:03:06,830 He seemed to be living a really happy, contented life. 51 00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:13,670 The autopsy report tells me that Maurice was 5'8" and 149lbs. 52 00:03:13,670 --> 00:03:18,190 That's a body mass index of 22.6, a very healthy weight. 53 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:25,550 Maurice's trim physique is partly due to his passion for paintball, 54 00:03:25,550 --> 00:03:27,990 a hobby he had taken up in later life. 55 00:03:29,790 --> 00:03:33,910 Maurice fell into paintball and he called it the most rock'n'roll thing 56 00:03:33,910 --> 00:03:35,510 he ever found, 57 00:03:35,510 --> 00:03:37,990 and he opened a paintball store in North Miami 58 00:03:37,990 --> 00:03:41,110 called Commander Mo's Paintball Shop. 59 00:03:41,110 --> 00:03:44,870 He sponsored a paintball team. 60 00:03:44,870 --> 00:03:47,190 Maurice loved him some paintball. 61 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:51,710 To all appearances, he seems to be in good shape for his age. 62 00:03:51,710 --> 00:03:54,790 Maurice just seemed to be the pinnacle of health. 63 00:03:54,790 --> 00:03:58,790 He was one of the ones that we'd see out and about, you know, 64 00:03:58,790 --> 00:04:02,230 very energetic, very active person. 65 00:04:04,230 --> 00:04:07,350 Dr Hunter is examining Gibb's autopsy report 66 00:04:07,350 --> 00:04:09,590 to investigate the cause of death. 67 00:04:09,590 --> 00:04:14,910 The first thing I notice is a fresh 12-inch surgical wound 68 00:04:14,910 --> 00:04:17,030 running up his torso. 69 00:04:17,030 --> 00:04:19,350 From its position on the abdomen, 70 00:04:19,350 --> 00:04:22,550 I can see that it was the result of major surgery 71 00:04:22,550 --> 00:04:23,750 on Maurice's digestive system 72 00:04:23,750 --> 00:04:27,950 and from its freshness, it seems to be a very recent procedure. 73 00:04:27,950 --> 00:04:30,630 Dr Hunter has found another clue in the report 74 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:33,590 which also points to recent surgery. 75 00:04:33,590 --> 00:04:36,070 I notice that Gibb's vocal cords are swollen 76 00:04:36,070 --> 00:04:38,030 and this is due to intubation - 77 00:04:38,030 --> 00:04:41,510 placing tubes in his throat to help him breathe. 78 00:04:41,510 --> 00:04:44,550 Intubation is used in medical emergencies 79 00:04:44,550 --> 00:04:47,990 when someone's unconscious and has difficulty breathing. 80 00:04:47,990 --> 00:04:50,230 It's clear from the report 81 00:04:50,230 --> 00:04:53,910 that Maurice had undergone emergency surgery on his digestive system 82 00:04:53,910 --> 00:04:55,830 prior to his death. 83 00:04:55,830 --> 00:04:58,790 I want to know what role surgery played 84 00:04:58,790 --> 00:05:01,870 in the events which led up to Maurice Gibb's death. 85 00:05:01,870 --> 00:05:05,270 In the aftermath of Maurice's death, 86 00:05:05,270 --> 00:05:09,030 the world was asking the same question. 87 00:05:09,030 --> 00:05:12,310 Dr Hunter believes the answer to this mystery 88 00:05:12,310 --> 00:05:15,110 lies buried in Gibb's autopsy report. 89 00:05:15,110 --> 00:05:17,190 My investigation has to focus 90 00:05:17,190 --> 00:05:20,390 on why Maurice Gibb had this medical emergency 91 00:05:20,390 --> 00:05:24,110 and why, in spite of the surgical intervention, he died. 92 00:05:25,870 --> 00:05:30,630 Born in 1949 and brought up in a deprived part of Northern England, 93 00:05:30,630 --> 00:05:35,070 twins Maurice and Robin Gibb started performing from a young age 94 00:05:35,070 --> 00:05:38,150 with their older brother, Barry. 95 00:05:38,150 --> 00:05:41,950 The Bee Gees grew up in absolute gutter poverty. 96 00:05:41,950 --> 00:05:46,750 They had nothing and the boys began to sing on street corners. 97 00:05:46,750 --> 00:05:53,230 Maurice never really had a childhood and this affected all the Bee Gees 98 00:05:53,230 --> 00:05:55,830 but it seemed to have affected Maurice particularly. 99 00:05:55,830 --> 00:05:59,990 In 1958 when Maurice was just nine years old, 100 00:05:59,990 --> 00:06:02,830 the Gibb family emigrated to Australia. 101 00:06:02,830 --> 00:06:04,550 Along with Barry and Robin, 102 00:06:04,550 --> 00:06:07,430 there was older sister Lesley and baby brother Andy 103 00:06:07,430 --> 00:06:09,630 who later also had success as a singer. 104 00:06:09,630 --> 00:06:11,710 To earn pocket money, 105 00:06:11,710 --> 00:06:15,990 the brothers formed a band entertaining crowds at car races. 106 00:06:15,990 --> 00:06:18,790 They would sing on the back of a truck 107 00:06:18,790 --> 00:06:20,790 and people would throw money at them. 108 00:06:20,790 --> 00:06:23,710 It was kind of like upmarket busking, I suppose. 109 00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:26,270 Before long, they were discovered, 110 00:06:26,270 --> 00:06:29,510 their close-knit harmonies and confidence apparent 111 00:06:29,510 --> 00:06:32,630 even on early TV appearances. 112 00:06:38,390 --> 00:06:41,030 They called themselves The Bee Gees - 113 00:06:41,030 --> 00:06:45,190 short for 'Brothers Gibb' - and soon started racking up hits. 114 00:06:45,190 --> 00:06:49,070 They actually were something of quality 115 00:06:49,070 --> 00:06:51,750 other than just a novelty act, these three little kids. 116 00:06:54,350 --> 00:06:57,550 With Barry and Robin alternating on lead vocals, 117 00:06:57,550 --> 00:07:00,190 and Maurice providing instrumentals, 118 00:07:00,190 --> 00:07:03,990 from the late '60s, their career took off worldwide. 119 00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:07,350 In 1977, The Bee Gees' music 120 00:07:07,350 --> 00:07:10,750 provided the perfect soundtrack for John Travolta's disco dancing 121 00:07:10,750 --> 00:07:13,830 in the film 'Saturday Night Fever'. 122 00:07:13,830 --> 00:07:16,430 This was the best-selling soundtrack album in the world 123 00:07:16,430 --> 00:07:17,950 for the next 15 years 124 00:07:17,950 --> 00:07:20,990 and propelled The Bee Gees to superstardom. 125 00:07:20,990 --> 00:07:25,670 They could never have dreamed that Night Fever and Staying Alive 126 00:07:25,670 --> 00:07:29,230 and How Deep Is Your Love would be such huge number ones. 127 00:07:34,870 --> 00:07:38,310 Stadium Diner, Miami Beach, Florida. 128 00:07:42,110 --> 00:07:46,590 Four days before his death, Maurice arrives for lunch with his family. 129 00:07:49,230 --> 00:07:52,710 It was like a dream. 130 00:07:52,710 --> 00:07:56,710 I mean Maurice right here in our little diner enjoying his food 131 00:07:56,710 --> 00:07:58,350 and being nice with all of us 132 00:07:58,350 --> 00:08:01,590 and introducing himself and being very friendly with everybody! 133 00:08:01,590 --> 00:08:03,270 He was a very warm person. 134 00:08:03,270 --> 00:08:06,430 This is one of Maurice's favourite haunts, 135 00:08:06,430 --> 00:08:09,030 a place he feels he can escape the limelight 136 00:08:09,030 --> 00:08:11,190 and just melt into the background. 137 00:08:14,110 --> 00:08:16,310 He would always have a veggie omelette, 138 00:08:16,310 --> 00:08:18,190 he would like it sauteed in the pan, 139 00:08:18,190 --> 00:08:19,670 he didn't like it cooked on the grill. 140 00:08:19,670 --> 00:08:21,190 He'd have hash browns 141 00:08:21,190 --> 00:08:23,350 and he would always pretty much eat the same thing. 142 00:08:23,350 --> 00:08:27,110 Dr Hunter has found something in the report 143 00:08:27,110 --> 00:08:30,670 which reveals why Gibb was cautious about his diet. 144 00:08:32,470 --> 00:08:36,750 I notice in the autopsy report that Maurice is allergic to strawberries. 145 00:08:36,750 --> 00:08:39,990 That's an unusual and potentially lethal allergy 146 00:08:39,990 --> 00:08:43,310 but I see there's no evidence that he has eaten strawberries 147 00:08:43,310 --> 00:08:46,510 and I'd imagine he was very careful to avoid them. 148 00:08:49,590 --> 00:08:51,070 Not long into the meal, 149 00:08:51,070 --> 00:08:53,830 Maurice starts complaining about pains in his stomach... 150 00:08:55,550 --> 00:08:58,590 ..but he's discrete and ignores the discomfort. 151 00:09:00,630 --> 00:09:02,830 Gibb's stomach pain is the first sign 152 00:09:02,830 --> 00:09:05,550 that there's something going wrong with his digestive system 153 00:09:05,550 --> 00:09:08,670 and there are a lot of possible causes that we need to consider. 154 00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:12,510 The most obvious reason is food poisoning 155 00:09:12,510 --> 00:09:16,150 but this rarely results in major abdominal surgery. 156 00:09:16,150 --> 00:09:18,670 It usually causes nausea and vomiting 157 00:09:18,670 --> 00:09:21,630 and there was no report of Maurice being sick 158 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:23,670 so I think we can rule that out. 159 00:09:25,870 --> 00:09:27,430 It was a normal day. 160 00:09:27,430 --> 00:09:29,110 He was normal, he didn't look sick. 161 00:09:30,510 --> 00:09:33,990 Whatever is troubling Maurice Gibb seems to pass 162 00:09:33,990 --> 00:09:36,950 and he and his family finish their meal. 163 00:09:38,190 --> 00:09:41,430 Knowing that Gibb will soon undergo emergency surgery, 164 00:09:41,430 --> 00:09:45,150 the pain he was suffering in the diner is a warning sign. 165 00:09:45,150 --> 00:09:47,030 Underneath the surface, 166 00:09:47,030 --> 00:09:49,830 there's something going catastrophically wrong 167 00:09:49,830 --> 00:09:53,350 but at this stage, Maurice was feeling only mild discomfort. 168 00:09:53,350 --> 00:09:55,030 He had no clue what lay ahead. 169 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,040 The Gibbs are home from the diner. 170 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,080 Argh! Dad? Dad?! 171 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,560 Maurice suddenly collapses in excruciating abdominal pain. 172 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:27,200 (KEYPAD BLEEPS) His son Adam calls 911. 173 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,160 Argh! Something's wrong with him! 174 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,720 Two conditions that can cause this instantly spring to mind - 175 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,280 appendicitis and peptic ulcer. 176 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:40,320 A peptic ulcer can be a very nasty condition 177 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,200 causing severe stomach pain and internal bleeding. 178 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,480 And Dr Hunter believes he's found a probable cause 179 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,520 in Maurice Gibb's lifestyle. 180 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,800 Smoking can be a key factor in developing stomach ulcers. 181 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,640 Reportedly, Maurice Gibb was a heavy smoker... 182 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,160 ..a habit he started as a young man. 183 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:12,160 When we were travelling to London, you couldn't smoke on the plane 184 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,320 and Matt Bonelli, the bass player at the time, 185 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,760 and Maurice raced off of the plane to grab their smoke. 186 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:24,240 Gibb's lifetime of smoking appears to have had a significant effect 187 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,200 on the health of his heart. 188 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:31,920 I can see from the autopsy that Maurice also had atherosclerosis. 189 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,080 This is a potentially serious heart condition 190 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:39,000 where his arteries are clogged by plaque. 191 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,720 His smoking is a major risk factor for this. 192 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,160 As a heavy smoker, Maurice was also at high risk 193 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,120 of developing a stomach ulcer. 194 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,040 But do Maurice's sudden pains match the symptoms? 195 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:57,680 Stomach ulcers tend to come on very gradually 196 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:01,280 and are unlikely to cause sudden abdominal pain. 197 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,880 Appendicitis is a much more likely cause. 198 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:08,800 An appendicitis is a painful inflammation of the appendix, 199 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,480 a pouch connected to the large intestine. 200 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,040 The inflammation can build over several hours. 201 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,160 If it's not removed quickly, 202 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:20,120 the appendix can burst with life-threatening complications. 203 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,040 Could a burst appendix have been what was causing Maurice 204 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:25,360 such agonising pain? 205 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:29,480 Soon after Maurice's son calls 911, 206 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,520 the emergency services arrive 207 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:35,360 and he's rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach. 208 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,080 (GROANS) 209 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,960 Doctors are trying to work out the underlying cause. 210 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:52,600 I've investigated and dismissed the most obvious causes 211 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:56,160 such as food poisoning, allergies and peptic ulcer. 212 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,960 An appendicitis is another possibility 213 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,760 but there's nothing in the autopsy report 214 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:04,800 that suggests this was an issue. 215 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:09,080 But Dr Hunter has found new clues in Gibb's toxicology report. 216 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,000 It suggests he was using illicit drugs. 217 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,360 The toxicology report notes that there were cannabinoids 218 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:19,400 in Gibb's urine 219 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,920 and this tells me that he had recently used marijuana. 220 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,080 Back in their heyday, Maurice and his BeeGee brothers 221 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,480 lived the rock'n'roll lifestyle to the full. 222 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,160 The '70s were a crazy time. 223 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,280 If I'd been in the band back then, 224 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:47,080 at this point, I might be dead or in jail. 225 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,120 But when The Bee Gees were topping the charts in the '70s, 226 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,280 drugs were very much part of the scene. 227 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,760 All bands have squeaky clean images 228 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,360 and then you go behind the hotel room door 229 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,640 and you find out there's a whole bacchanal going on. 230 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,000 Sex drugs and rock'n'roll. 231 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,880 Reportedly, The Bee Gees were no exception 232 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:20,720 but could smoking pot have contributed to Maurice's death? 233 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,520 I've never come across a case in which I've considered cannabis 234 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,000 being the direct cause of someone's death. 235 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,400 There are traces of cannabis in his urine 236 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,600 and I think that suggests that he's an occasional user. 237 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,960 But often cannabis can be considered a gateway drug. 238 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,360 Is it possible Maurice used more dangerous drugs 239 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,520 during the band's heyday? 240 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:57,080 Cocaine was introduced to wide popular use in the early '70s 241 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,600 and people overdid it. 242 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,320 You didn't know what was a safe dose, 243 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:08,360 what could lead to psychosis, what could lead to death. 244 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,240 Cocaine played a significant role 245 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:16,800 in the life and death of The Bee Gees' younger brother, Andy. 246 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,680 With his trademark Gibb falsetto, 247 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:25,480 Andy had a successful solo career with hits such as Shadow Dancing. 248 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:30,320 He was born nine years after Maurice but never joined The Bee Gees. 249 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:36,480 Yet as a solo artist, he racked up six top ten singles in the US. 250 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:43,040 But Andy also battled a drug addiction and died in 1988. 251 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:44,400 Andy Gibb could not handle 252 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:48,040 what came along with being a famous Gibb brother. 253 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,120 He had a terrible cocaine addiction 254 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,800 and he got clean but he died of a heart attack. 255 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:59,080 Andy's official cause of death was an infection of the heart. 256 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,080 Years of cocaine abuse weakened his immune system 257 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,440 making his heart more susceptible to disease. 258 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,040 Could Maurice have shared his brother's coke habit, 259 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,400 and could it have contributed to his death? 260 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,240 Of course one's decision to take drugs is an individual choice. 261 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:17,520 There is a school of thought that suggests 262 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,080 that, you know, you're genetically predisposed 263 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:24,520 to the way that you deal around drugs - so how addicted you become, 264 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:25,800 the effects that they have on you. 265 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:31,920 Maurice was open about the fact he'd briefly tried cocaine in the past. 266 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,280 He did cocaine for about six months in the late '70s 267 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,880 and to his credit, he said, "I can't do this any more." 268 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,200 The autopsy report doesn't show any trace of cocaine 269 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:45,880 or its breakdown product 270 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,520 and these can stay in your system for many days 271 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:49,960 so it's pretty clear to me 272 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:51,720 that he wasn't using cocaine around the time of his death. 273 00:16:55,980 --> 00:17:00,980 Early evening, Wednesday January 8th 2003, 274 00:17:00,980 --> 00:17:06,420 Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami, four days before his death. 275 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:13,180 Unsure about the cause of Maurice's chronic abdominal pain, 276 00:17:13,180 --> 00:17:17,660 the doctors keep him in overnight for observation. 277 00:17:18,660 --> 00:17:20,860 He's given morphine as pain relief 278 00:17:20,860 --> 00:17:24,620 and exploratory surgery is planned for the following morning. 279 00:17:24,620 --> 00:17:27,740 Having ruled out illegal narcotics, 280 00:17:27,740 --> 00:17:32,260 Dr Hunter is now considering a different type of addiction. 281 00:17:33,820 --> 00:17:38,260 There is another drug that can be fatally toxic if taken to excess. 282 00:17:38,260 --> 00:17:40,020 It can affect many different organ systems 283 00:17:40,020 --> 00:17:42,980 including that of the stomach and the liver 284 00:17:42,980 --> 00:17:48,140 and it's a drug that Maurice was known to have enjoyed - alcohol. 285 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:54,940 Maurice was fresh to fame when he had his first taste of alcohol. 286 00:17:54,940 --> 00:17:57,620 It was none other than his hero John Lennon 287 00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:02,540 who reportedly offered 17-year-old Gibb his first serious drink. 288 00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:06,900 John Lennon offered him a scotch and soda, 289 00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:08,700 and Maurice said, 290 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:12,180 "If John Lennon had offered me cyanide, I would have drunk it." 291 00:18:12,180 --> 00:18:15,380 He said that five months before, he was reading fan magazines 292 00:18:15,380 --> 00:18:18,620 and now he was in a club with John Lennon and Keith Moon. 293 00:18:19,860 --> 00:18:23,220 Now famous enough to hang out with his idols, 294 00:18:23,220 --> 00:18:26,580 this brief encounter with Lennon in 1967 295 00:18:26,580 --> 00:18:30,660 kick-started Maurice's lifelong love affair with the bottle. 296 00:18:30,660 --> 00:18:35,140 Maurice was the raver. He was the nightclub guy. 297 00:18:35,140 --> 00:18:39,220 He was the guy who was living the Saturday Night Fever existence. 298 00:18:39,220 --> 00:18:41,820 They were just kids who suddenly had all this money 299 00:18:41,820 --> 00:18:44,580 and so it made Maurice a little insane, 300 00:18:44,580 --> 00:18:46,740 as I think it would do to any 18-year-old 301 00:18:46,740 --> 00:18:50,140 who suddenly had $20 million in his pocket. 302 00:18:50,140 --> 00:18:55,980 In 1969, Maurice married pop singer Lulu 303 00:18:55,980 --> 00:18:59,780 but the couple separated after four years of marriage. 304 00:18:59,780 --> 00:19:03,700 Alcohol was the reason the marriage broke down. 305 00:19:06,180 --> 00:19:07,780 They fought all the time. 306 00:19:07,780 --> 00:19:09,580 They were apart for long periods 307 00:19:09,580 --> 00:19:11,380 and Lulu ended the marriage 308 00:19:11,380 --> 00:19:13,980 because she just couldn't get Maurice to stop drinking. 309 00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:16,620 Maurice's battle with the bottle escalated 310 00:19:16,620 --> 00:19:18,860 throughout the late '60s and '70s 311 00:19:18,860 --> 00:19:21,780 as the band went from hit to hit. 312 00:19:21,780 --> 00:19:24,260 Must have been huge pressures on The Bee Gees, 313 00:19:24,260 --> 00:19:27,060 huge pressure to deliver the next hit single. 314 00:19:27,060 --> 00:19:29,260 It's a constant barrage. 315 00:19:29,260 --> 00:19:31,460 "This is a great song but where's the next one coming from?" 316 00:19:33,140 --> 00:19:38,180 And all the while, there were growing tensions between the brothers. 317 00:19:40,060 --> 00:19:44,700 Barry was the alpha in this group and Robin resisted him strenuously 318 00:19:44,700 --> 00:19:47,540 and all the tension in the band sprang from that. 319 00:19:47,540 --> 00:19:52,420 Maurice had the tragedy of having forced upon him 320 00:19:52,420 --> 00:19:55,460 the role of the enabling middle brother. 321 00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:58,260 I mean who wants to hang out with their brothers all day anyway? 322 00:19:58,260 --> 00:20:01,660 But to be in a band touring around the world, recording, 24/7? 323 00:20:01,660 --> 00:20:07,500 Arguments over the direction the band was taking flared up easily, 324 00:20:07,500 --> 00:20:10,620 often resulting in one of the trio walking out. 325 00:20:10,620 --> 00:20:16,860 One particularly bad fight resulted in Robin leaving the band for a year. 326 00:20:16,860 --> 00:20:19,100 I think the dynamic in the band 327 00:20:19,100 --> 00:20:21,060 stressed Maurice and Robin tremendously 328 00:20:21,060 --> 00:20:23,300 and I think Maurice turned to alcohol 329 00:20:23,300 --> 00:20:26,700 as a way of suppressing whatever tensions and anger that rose in him. 330 00:20:26,700 --> 00:20:30,420 Soon Maurice's addiction to alcohol 331 00:20:30,420 --> 00:20:34,020 was starting to become obvious to those around him. 332 00:20:35,420 --> 00:20:39,020 People often talk about you know what makes one an alcoholic 333 00:20:39,020 --> 00:20:41,060 or you know when does drinking become a problem? 334 00:20:41,060 --> 00:20:42,700 And I think one of the indicators of that 335 00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:46,580 is that when it stops being confined to something social, 336 00:20:46,580 --> 00:20:50,260 something in the home and begins getting out of control, 337 00:20:50,260 --> 00:20:52,700 going into places, into environments 338 00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:55,020 where it shouldn't be, like the workplace. 339 00:20:55,020 --> 00:21:01,780 He talks of storing 20 bottles in various places in Criterion Studios. 340 00:21:01,780 --> 00:21:03,620 He stopped playing in the studios, 341 00:21:03,620 --> 00:21:06,260 he stopped contributing to the song arrangements. 342 00:21:06,260 --> 00:21:11,820 He just sang harmony and tellingly, on the tour of all the disco era, 343 00:21:11,820 --> 00:21:13,860 Maurice never played bass on stage. 344 00:21:13,860 --> 00:21:16,300 Long-term drinking causes fatal liver problems. 345 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:19,620 If Maurice continued to drink heavily throughout his life, 346 00:21:19,620 --> 00:21:22,140 then he may have ended up developing a chronic liver problem 347 00:21:22,140 --> 00:21:23,380 such as cirrhosis 348 00:21:23,380 --> 00:21:27,100 leading to abdominal pain and possibly even collapse. 349 00:21:32,540 --> 00:21:38,100 With the help of his second wife, Yvonne, who he married in 1975, 350 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:41,940 Maurice managed for a time to control his drinking. 351 00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:52,860 But in 1988, 15 years before he died, 352 00:21:52,860 --> 00:21:58,460 the death of his younger brother Andy sent him spiralling out of control. 353 00:21:58,460 --> 00:22:02,100 Maurice upped his drinking to really toxic levels after Andy died 354 00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:05,620 and he entered a state of more or less walking unconsciousness 355 00:22:05,620 --> 00:22:09,460 for several years, from the amount of alcohol he was drinking. 356 00:22:10,380 --> 00:22:13,740 The experience of a bereavement and the feelings of grief and loss 357 00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:17,260 are arguably one of the most profound and difficult moments 358 00:22:17,260 --> 00:22:18,580 any of us will go through. 359 00:22:18,580 --> 00:22:22,900 Now, if you have a history of being depressed 360 00:22:22,900 --> 00:22:27,180 or perhaps even of using ways to avoid pain, 361 00:22:27,180 --> 00:22:32,940 then it's not surprising that a lot of people find that following grief, 362 00:22:32,940 --> 00:22:35,300 that they'll kind of revert back to those old ways. 363 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:36,420 They'll go back into the darkness, 364 00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:38,220 revert back into those ways of coping. 365 00:22:38,220 --> 00:22:42,820 Had Maurice continued drinking after his younger brother Andy died? 366 00:22:42,820 --> 00:22:45,500 And could this have contributed to his own death? 367 00:22:49,510 --> 00:22:52,590 October 1991, Miami Beach. 368 00:22:52,590 --> 00:22:54,750 Gibb had been on a brandy binge. 369 00:22:54,750 --> 00:22:57,070 Morning, ladies! How are you today? 370 00:22:57,070 --> 00:22:58,790 What's going on? I'm having breakfast. 371 00:22:58,790 --> 00:23:00,030 What do you think I'm doing? 372 00:23:00,030 --> 00:23:01,510 What are you doing with that in your hand? 373 00:23:01,510 --> 00:23:06,150 Gibb's drinking brought the situation to a head. 374 00:23:06,150 --> 00:23:07,990 Sam, go and get your bag. 375 00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:11,710 Maurice's wife decided she was sick of his drinking. 376 00:23:11,710 --> 00:23:14,030 I've had enough. I'm leaving. 377 00:23:14,030 --> 00:23:15,190 All you've done... I don't think so. 378 00:23:15,190 --> 00:23:18,310 All you've done to help me along the way... 379 00:23:18,310 --> 00:23:22,230 In his inebriated state, Maurice lost control... 380 00:23:22,230 --> 00:23:25,630 (WHIMPERS) 381 00:23:25,630 --> 00:23:28,230 ..and pulled a loaded gun on his family. 382 00:23:28,230 --> 00:23:31,190 Put the gun down. I don't want to put it down. 383 00:23:31,190 --> 00:23:34,430 Leave her out of it. Just leave your mum alone. 384 00:23:34,430 --> 00:23:37,790 Fearful for their lives, Yvonne fled with the children. 385 00:23:48,070 --> 00:23:50,150 Hi, it's me. 386 00:23:50,150 --> 00:23:54,030 The following day, Maurice was overcome with guilt 387 00:23:54,030 --> 00:23:57,110 and begged his family to come home. 388 00:23:57,110 --> 00:23:59,710 His wife told him she was not coming back 389 00:23:59,710 --> 00:24:02,110 until he did something about his alcoholism 390 00:24:02,110 --> 00:24:03,910 and Maurice went into rehab the next day 391 00:24:03,910 --> 00:24:07,030 and I think that speaks to his devotion to his family 392 00:24:07,030 --> 00:24:10,070 and his understanding that he had a problem. 393 00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:18,590 Hi, darling. You alright? You sure? 394 00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:22,630 To ensure that Maurice never threatened his family again, 395 00:24:22,630 --> 00:24:26,470 he asked his daughter Samantha to throw away his gun. 396 00:24:26,470 --> 00:24:29,270 Just throw it away, just get rid of it. 397 00:24:33,550 --> 00:24:37,350 Hello, everybody, I'm Maurice and I'm an alcoholic. 398 00:24:37,350 --> 00:24:39,550 GROUP: Hello, Maurice. Thank you. 399 00:24:39,550 --> 00:24:41,990 Maurice became dedicated to his sobriety. 400 00:24:41,990 --> 00:24:44,990 He revealed in an interview that he gave the following year, 401 00:24:44,990 --> 00:24:48,150 he was now attending AA meetings. 402 00:24:49,270 --> 00:24:50,750 Argh! 403 00:24:50,750 --> 00:24:53,470 Was the crippling pain causing Maurice to collapse 404 00:24:53,470 --> 00:24:58,310 before his death in 2003 brought about by a relapse? 405 00:24:58,310 --> 00:25:00,830 Yes. Ambulance. There's something wrong with him. 406 00:25:00,830 --> 00:25:04,550 Dr Hunter is searching for telltale signs of alcoholism 407 00:25:04,550 --> 00:25:06,990 in Maurice's autopsy report. 408 00:25:06,990 --> 00:25:09,110 If Maurice had fallen off the wagon 409 00:25:09,110 --> 00:25:12,990 and was drinking heavily in the weeks and months prior to his death, 410 00:25:12,990 --> 00:25:14,790 the evidence of that would be in the liver. 411 00:25:16,190 --> 00:25:18,670 The liver filters toxins from blood. 412 00:25:18,670 --> 00:25:21,750 With prolonged alcohol misuse, 413 00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:24,390 it loses some of its ability to break down fats 414 00:25:24,390 --> 00:25:27,230 which can build up over time. 415 00:25:27,230 --> 00:25:32,310 A fatty liver is a sign that someone has a current drinking problem. 416 00:25:32,310 --> 00:25:36,150 I can see from Gibb's autopsy that his liver is of normal weight 417 00:25:36,150 --> 00:25:38,430 and there is no evidence of fatty liver disease. 418 00:25:38,430 --> 00:25:42,310 At the time that he died, he was sober. 419 00:25:42,310 --> 00:25:46,070 But I'm interested to see whether his early excessive drinking 420 00:25:46,070 --> 00:25:48,150 led to more severe liver damage, 421 00:25:48,150 --> 00:25:51,270 possibly the root of his abdominal pain. 422 00:25:51,270 --> 00:25:54,750 Even though Maurice gave up drinking in later life, 423 00:25:54,750 --> 00:25:57,750 his excessive alcohol consumption as a younger man 424 00:25:57,750 --> 00:26:00,950 could have caused irreversible scarring to his liver, 425 00:26:00,950 --> 00:26:03,630 a condition called 'cirrhosis'. 426 00:26:04,870 --> 00:26:07,670 Cirrhosis affects the liver's ability to function, 427 00:26:07,670 --> 00:26:11,430 is irreversible and can lead to death. 428 00:26:11,430 --> 00:26:17,790 But surprisingly, when Maurice died, his liver appears normal. 429 00:26:17,790 --> 00:26:20,110 Despite his years of alcohol use, 430 00:26:20,110 --> 00:26:23,750 Gibb's autopsy shows that his liver had absolutely no signs of cirrhosis 431 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:26,110 or any other serious problem. 432 00:26:26,110 --> 00:26:29,710 It's described as smooth and uniform throughout. 433 00:26:29,710 --> 00:26:34,310 It would seem that true to his word, Maurice had given up alcohol 434 00:26:34,310 --> 00:26:37,670 and remarkably done his body no real damage. 435 00:26:38,910 --> 00:26:47,230 Wednesday January 8th 2003, evening, Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami. 436 00:26:47,230 --> 00:26:52,070 On the VIP ward, Maurice's doctors start to consider 437 00:26:52,070 --> 00:26:55,190 the root of his pain might be something more obscure. 438 00:26:58,830 --> 00:27:00,550 He's kept in overnight 439 00:27:00,550 --> 00:27:04,590 while they manage his pain and plan exploratory surgery. 440 00:27:04,590 --> 00:27:12,030 (ECG ALARMS BLARE) 441 00:27:12,030 --> 00:27:15,150 But around 4:00am on Thursday January 9th, 442 00:27:15,150 --> 00:27:18,190 Maurice Gibb goes into cardiac arrest. 443 00:27:18,190 --> 00:27:20,870 Will you please get someone to come? 444 00:27:20,870 --> 00:27:22,910 Come on! 445 00:27:27,750 --> 00:27:29,630 OK, stand back. 446 00:27:29,630 --> 00:27:32,550 The resuscitation team rush to Maurice's aid. 447 00:27:32,550 --> 00:27:34,550 OK - shock. (DEFIBRILLATOR WHINES) 448 00:27:34,550 --> 00:27:38,470 Stand back. (DEFIBRILLATOR WHINES) 449 00:27:38,470 --> 00:27:39,670 Shock. 450 00:27:39,670 --> 00:27:44,110 Powerful shocks from a defibrillator manage to restart his heart... 451 00:27:47,790 --> 00:27:50,990 ..but Gibb's life still hangs in the balance. 452 00:27:50,990 --> 00:27:54,630 He's rushed straight into the operating room. 453 00:27:55,950 --> 00:27:58,150 His condition markedly worsened 454 00:27:58,150 --> 00:28:00,670 and required immediate medical intervention. 455 00:28:00,670 --> 00:28:03,870 I'd first be looking for something like a catastrophic haemorrhage 456 00:28:03,870 --> 00:28:06,030 or an issue with his intestine. 457 00:28:07,710 --> 00:28:10,590 Gibb now undergoes exploratory surgery. 458 00:28:10,590 --> 00:28:15,110 His doctors decide to look at his intestine for some kind of blockage. 459 00:28:15,110 --> 00:28:19,470 Intestinal blockages can be caused by many different factors, 460 00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:23,390 often a complication of Crohn's or bowel cancer. 461 00:28:23,390 --> 00:28:28,750 But in all cases, this condition is potentially life-threatening. 462 00:28:30,590 --> 00:28:32,190 In the operating room, 463 00:28:32,190 --> 00:28:35,750 the surgeons discover Maurice does have an intestinal blockage 464 00:28:35,750 --> 00:28:39,190 but it's an extremely unusual type. 465 00:28:40,830 --> 00:28:45,030 He's found to have a malrotated small intestine. 466 00:28:45,030 --> 00:28:49,870 This is a condition which Maurice would have had since birth. 467 00:28:49,870 --> 00:28:51,990 As the baby develops in the womb, 468 00:28:51,990 --> 00:28:53,990 the small intestine develops outside of the body 469 00:28:53,990 --> 00:28:56,390 at the base of the umbilical cord. 470 00:28:57,750 --> 00:29:00,710 The small intestine then performs a complex rotation 471 00:29:00,710 --> 00:29:04,310 to position itself correctly back into the body. 472 00:29:04,310 --> 00:29:07,070 If something goes wrong during this process, 473 00:29:07,070 --> 00:29:10,510 then the small intestine will move into an abnormal location 474 00:29:10,510 --> 00:29:12,990 and this is known as malrotation. 475 00:29:12,990 --> 00:29:17,110 Undiagnosed, malrotated intestine can twist 476 00:29:17,110 --> 00:29:19,590 and that can cause intense pain. 477 00:29:20,350 --> 00:29:23,390 Malrotation is normally corrected in infancy. 478 00:29:23,390 --> 00:29:26,470 The chances that an adult finds that they still have this 479 00:29:26,470 --> 00:29:28,550 is one in a million. 480 00:29:28,550 --> 00:29:31,750 Undiagnosed malrotation can be incredibly dangerous. 481 00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:36,590 The intestine can twist at any time, choking off blood flow to the bowel. 482 00:29:36,590 --> 00:29:38,710 Most people have no idea that they have it 483 00:29:38,710 --> 00:29:40,870 until it puts their health in grave jeopardy. 484 00:29:40,870 --> 00:29:46,150 Maurice's pain at the diner and eventual collapse at home 485 00:29:46,150 --> 00:29:50,350 occurred when without warning, his intestine started to twist. 486 00:29:50,350 --> 00:29:52,470 Breathe! Come on! 487 00:29:53,910 --> 00:29:56,830 His gut was effectively strangling itself, 488 00:29:56,830 --> 00:29:59,790 cutting off the blood supply to part of his intestine 489 00:29:59,790 --> 00:30:02,110 and starving it of oxygen. 490 00:30:03,350 --> 00:30:07,270 The twisting can happen extremely fast over a course of an hour or so. 491 00:30:07,270 --> 00:30:09,750 When it does, there's a short window in which to operate 492 00:30:09,750 --> 00:30:12,390 before the intestine starts to die. 493 00:30:12,390 --> 00:30:16,630 The affected part of the intestine must be removed quickly 494 00:30:16,630 --> 00:30:19,630 or it will result in death. 495 00:30:19,630 --> 00:30:23,230 Maurice's doctors need to act fast. 496 00:30:28,990 --> 00:30:31,390 When the intestine dies, it can't recover 497 00:30:31,390 --> 00:30:33,350 and if it's not removed quickly, 498 00:30:33,350 --> 00:30:35,590 that will lead to fatal consequences. 499 00:30:37,710 --> 00:30:39,550 The surgeons act fast, 500 00:30:39,550 --> 00:30:42,990 removing the affected parts of Gibb's small intestine. 501 00:30:42,990 --> 00:30:45,710 With this underlying problem resolved, 502 00:30:45,710 --> 00:30:50,550 Maurice's abdomen is sewn up and he's sent to the recovery room. 503 00:30:50,550 --> 00:30:54,110 It is perfectly feasible to live without part of your intestine. 504 00:30:55,630 --> 00:30:57,750 The healthy ends can be sewn back together 505 00:30:57,750 --> 00:30:59,910 and you can live a perfectly normal life. 506 00:31:11,570 --> 00:31:14,610 Older brother Barry Gibb joins the family. 507 00:31:14,610 --> 00:31:19,770 Maurice is in a coma but he's showing signs of recovery. 508 00:31:22,970 --> 00:31:26,090 There are even reports that he wiggles his toes 509 00:31:26,090 --> 00:31:28,730 and squeezes his daughter's hand. 510 00:31:28,730 --> 00:31:30,530 A hospital spokesperson 511 00:31:30,530 --> 00:31:34,570 announces that Maurice is in a critical but stable condition. 512 00:31:34,570 --> 00:31:36,010 Over in the UK, 513 00:31:36,010 --> 00:31:39,530 his twin brother Robin is confident things are looking up. 514 00:31:39,530 --> 00:31:41,810 He's stable, he's critical but stable. 515 00:31:41,810 --> 00:31:44,490 We've got our fingers crossed. That's the latest update. 516 00:31:46,050 --> 00:31:50,850 Maurice's progress over the next 72 hours is closely monitored... 517 00:31:52,970 --> 00:31:56,410 ..and his family still believe he's showing signs of improvement. 518 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:06,170 Saturday January 11th, 2003, late afternoon. 519 00:32:06,170 --> 00:32:11,770 Two days after the emergency surgery, Robin Gibb arrives from the UK. 520 00:32:11,770 --> 00:32:15,570 Hopeful that Maurice will soon come out of his coma, 521 00:32:15,570 --> 00:32:20,170 Robin joins Barry and Maurice's family in a bedside vigil. 522 00:32:20,170 --> 00:32:24,370 All they can do is wait and hope he'll recover. 523 00:32:29,530 --> 00:32:31,170 But by early evening, 524 00:32:31,170 --> 00:32:35,290 there are concerns that Maurice's vital signs are weakening. 525 00:32:43,050 --> 00:32:45,770 Around 11:00pm, the doctors tell the family 526 00:32:45,770 --> 00:32:48,250 that Maurice is showing little brain activity 527 00:32:48,250 --> 00:32:51,970 and is only being kept alive artificially. 528 00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:55,530 They now make the heart-breaking decision 529 00:32:55,530 --> 00:32:58,450 to switch off the life-support machine. 530 00:32:58,450 --> 00:33:03,650 At ten minutes past midnight on Sunday January 12th, 531 00:33:03,650 --> 00:33:07,130 Maurice Gibb dies. 532 00:33:07,130 --> 00:33:09,890 (FLATLINE ALARM BLEEPS) 533 00:33:09,890 --> 00:33:13,610 (SOBBING) 534 00:33:23,210 --> 00:33:24,930 Musicians, friends and fans have been lining up 535 00:33:24,930 --> 00:33:27,250 to pay tribute to the Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, 536 00:33:27,250 --> 00:33:28,450 who died in hospital today. 537 00:33:28,450 --> 00:33:30,010 He was just 53. 538 00:33:30,010 --> 00:33:33,450 A customer told me before I even heard it on the radio. 539 00:33:33,450 --> 00:33:36,450 "Did you hear that Maurice passed?" 540 00:33:36,450 --> 00:33:37,730 I was so shocked. 541 00:33:37,730 --> 00:33:40,970 I really thought Maurice would be the one of the Bee Gees 542 00:33:40,970 --> 00:33:42,050 who would last the longest. 543 00:33:42,050 --> 00:33:46,930 And suddenly one of our favourite musical acts was over, like that. 544 00:33:48,010 --> 00:33:52,490 For the family of course, an inconceivable tragedy. 545 00:33:54,570 --> 00:33:56,690 But forensic pathologist Dr Hunter 546 00:33:56,690 --> 00:34:01,570 believes there's still more to investigate about Gibb's death. 547 00:34:01,570 --> 00:34:04,970 There's still a mystery why Maurice actually died. 548 00:34:04,970 --> 00:34:07,930 His surgery was successful and he was recovering 549 00:34:07,930 --> 00:34:10,330 but three days later, he was dead. 550 00:34:10,330 --> 00:34:14,050 The day after Maurice's death, brothers Robin and Barry 551 00:34:14,050 --> 00:34:19,130 make angry accusations in news interviews, blaming the hospital. 552 00:34:22,890 --> 00:34:25,490 Barry and Robin raised a huge stink in the media 553 00:34:25,490 --> 00:34:28,530 and said that he had died because of medical incompetence 554 00:34:28,530 --> 00:34:31,890 and they intended to sue the hospital and the doctors. 555 00:34:31,890 --> 00:34:36,250 When Maurice went into cardiac arrest three days before his death, 556 00:34:36,250 --> 00:34:40,450 he was shocked back to life by the hospital resuscitation team 557 00:34:40,450 --> 00:34:44,130 but questions arise of a possible delay. 558 00:34:46,450 --> 00:34:49,490 Robin claimed there was no defibrillator unit 559 00:34:49,490 --> 00:34:52,610 on the VIP ward that Maurice was on. 560 00:34:52,610 --> 00:34:56,330 He alleged it took ten minutes for one to be brought to him, 561 00:34:56,330 --> 00:35:02,210 at which point Maurice would have suffered irreversible brain damage. 562 00:35:02,210 --> 00:35:05,730 Dr Hunter is re-examining Gibb's autopsy report 563 00:35:05,730 --> 00:35:08,650 to find evidence of a possible delay. 564 00:35:08,650 --> 00:35:12,370 During a cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping blood around the body. 565 00:35:15,010 --> 00:35:18,050 As a result, the brain is deprived of oxygen, 566 00:35:18,050 --> 00:35:20,290 causing the death of brain cells. 567 00:35:20,290 --> 00:35:22,930 If defibrillation does not happen quickly, 568 00:35:22,930 --> 00:35:25,930 with every second that passes, it's going to worsen brain damage 569 00:35:25,930 --> 00:35:29,810 and as this continues, the chances of survival drop. 570 00:35:30,970 --> 00:35:34,610 I see here the autopsy shows evidence of anoxia. 571 00:35:34,610 --> 00:35:39,090 That is a lack of oxygen to the organs, particularly the brain. 572 00:35:42,170 --> 00:35:46,570 Could this anoxia confirm there was a delay in resuscitation? 573 00:35:48,410 --> 00:35:50,570 Now Dr Hunter is pulling together 574 00:35:50,570 --> 00:35:53,090 all the separate strands of his investigation 575 00:35:53,090 --> 00:35:57,250 and believes he has found the real reason for Maurice Gibb's death. 576 00:35:59,130 --> 00:36:03,410 I think Gibb's entire body shut down and I now know why. 577 00:36:03,410 --> 00:36:06,330 After collapsing with acute abdominal pains, 578 00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:10,010 Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees had life-saving emergency surgery 579 00:36:10,010 --> 00:36:12,170 for a twisted intestine. 580 00:36:13,250 --> 00:36:15,930 Initial prognosis was good 581 00:36:15,930 --> 00:36:20,850 but on Sunday January 12th, 2003, Maurice died. 582 00:36:22,170 --> 00:36:26,530 Maurice's abdominal pain was due to a congenital abnormality, 583 00:36:26,530 --> 00:36:28,970 malrotation of the small intestine. 584 00:36:28,970 --> 00:36:31,450 This led to twisting of the intestine 585 00:36:31,450 --> 00:36:35,010 and strangulation of blood flow to the intestine. 586 00:36:35,010 --> 00:36:37,530 Early surgery should have solved the problem 587 00:36:37,530 --> 00:36:39,450 but what went so wrong in Maurice's case? 588 00:36:43,650 --> 00:36:49,010 Deep in the autopsy report, Dr Hunter has found a vital clue. 589 00:36:49,010 --> 00:36:51,450 There's a line in the autopsy report that states 590 00:36:51,450 --> 00:36:55,450 "The distal duodenum and the entire ileum are surgically absent," 591 00:36:55,450 --> 00:36:58,410 and these are huge segments of Maurice's gut. 592 00:36:58,410 --> 00:37:00,770 This wasn't just one small loop of bowel, 593 00:37:00,770 --> 00:37:03,610 this was four-fifths of his entire small intestine. 594 00:37:03,610 --> 00:37:09,370 The twist in Gibb's intestines was high up close to his stomach. 595 00:37:09,370 --> 00:37:12,290 The result was that a large section of his gut, 596 00:37:12,290 --> 00:37:17,730 almost 16 feet of it, was starved of oxygen and died. 597 00:37:17,730 --> 00:37:20,170 When Maurice's gut died, 598 00:37:20,170 --> 00:37:24,330 his intestinal wall may have become thinner and possibly even ruptured. 599 00:37:24,330 --> 00:37:28,250 Bacteria in his gut, essential in digesting food, 600 00:37:28,250 --> 00:37:31,250 leaked out and into his abdominal cavity. 601 00:37:35,410 --> 00:37:39,090 Once in the blood stream, bacteria is extremely toxic. 602 00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:42,210 As it spreads through the body, it creates havoc. 603 00:37:42,210 --> 00:37:44,930 This is a process called 'septic shock' 604 00:37:44,930 --> 00:37:47,330 and as Maurice's body is fighting back, 605 00:37:47,330 --> 00:37:49,330 his blood pressure has dropped dramatically 606 00:37:49,330 --> 00:37:52,650 and his heart is starved for blood flow. 607 00:37:52,650 --> 00:37:57,290 Gibb's heart was possibly weakened by arthrosclerosis from his smoking 608 00:37:57,290 --> 00:38:00,650 and would have been struggling to pump blood. 609 00:38:01,850 --> 00:38:05,010 This led to his sudden cardiac arrest. 610 00:38:07,050 --> 00:38:09,210 I also see that Maurice had emphysema 611 00:38:09,210 --> 00:38:11,610 and this is from his many years of smoking, 612 00:38:11,610 --> 00:38:14,610 hampering his ability to oxygenate his blood. 613 00:38:14,610 --> 00:38:17,890 At the time of his cardiac arrest, 614 00:38:17,890 --> 00:38:20,970 Maurice's body was already shutting down. 615 00:38:22,330 --> 00:38:25,970 Dr Hunter believes the anoxia noted in his brain tissue 616 00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:31,530 was not down to delayed resuscitation but to the septic shock. 617 00:38:31,530 --> 00:38:33,530 With reduced oxygenation in the blood, 618 00:38:33,530 --> 00:38:35,610 his heart goes into cardiac arrest 619 00:38:35,610 --> 00:38:40,050 and with this decreased oxygen flow to the brain, he lapses into a coma. 620 00:38:40,050 --> 00:38:45,050 After his cardiac arrest, the doctors got Maurice into the surgery 621 00:38:45,050 --> 00:38:47,610 as soon as they realised his body was going into septic shock 622 00:38:47,610 --> 00:38:50,890 but by then, it was too late. 623 00:38:50,890 --> 00:38:53,610 He had an incredibly rare condition 624 00:38:53,610 --> 00:38:56,890 that they were unable to diagnose until its final stages. 625 00:38:56,890 --> 00:39:00,570 Just a few days after claiming Maurice's death 626 00:39:00,570 --> 00:39:02,890 was due to hospital negligence, 627 00:39:02,890 --> 00:39:06,570 Barry and Robin dropped the allegations. 628 00:39:06,570 --> 00:39:10,490 There was no medical malpractice and they did everything they could, 629 00:39:10,490 --> 00:39:14,410 and what happened to Maurice was perfectly typical of his conditions. 630 00:39:14,410 --> 00:39:18,130 And Barry and Robin retracted their anger, their threats of law suits, 631 00:39:18,130 --> 00:39:20,090 very, very quickly after that. 632 00:39:20,090 --> 00:39:25,530 For his whole life, Maurice Gibb had been a ticking timebomb. 633 00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:29,410 Sadly his diagnosis came too late. 634 00:39:29,410 --> 00:39:32,650 But even if Maurice had survived surgery, 635 00:39:32,650 --> 00:39:34,970 his life would have been very difficult. 636 00:39:34,970 --> 00:39:36,570 With so little of his gut left, 637 00:39:36,570 --> 00:39:40,130 he would have had problems digesting food and absorbing nutrients. 638 00:39:40,130 --> 00:39:41,930 This would have led to malnutrition, 639 00:39:41,930 --> 00:39:45,450 liver disease and likely a premature death. 640 00:39:45,450 --> 00:39:48,490 But the discovery of Maurice's condition 641 00:39:48,490 --> 00:39:51,090 was later to help his twin brother, Robin. 642 00:39:51,090 --> 00:39:55,290 In 2010, Robin Gibb was admitted to a hospital in the UK 643 00:39:55,290 --> 00:39:58,810 with similar abdominal pains. 644 00:39:58,810 --> 00:40:03,130 He was also found to be suffering from a malrotated intestine 645 00:40:03,130 --> 00:40:05,370 which was starting to twist. 646 00:40:05,370 --> 00:40:08,250 Being a twin with malrotation does not naturally mean 647 00:40:08,250 --> 00:40:10,850 that the other twin will have this abnormality 648 00:40:10,850 --> 00:40:13,330 but it is thought to be somewhat genetic 649 00:40:13,330 --> 00:40:16,890 so Robin could have an increased risk for this condition. 650 00:40:18,130 --> 00:40:21,290 Because of Maurice's earlier diagnosis, 651 00:40:21,290 --> 00:40:23,730 Robin's doctors knew what to look for 652 00:40:23,730 --> 00:40:26,570 and he was treated just in the nick of time. 653 00:40:26,570 --> 00:40:32,890 Following surgery, Robin Gibb made a full recovery 654 00:40:32,890 --> 00:40:39,890 but he later died from an unrelated colon cancer in 2012. 655 00:40:39,890 --> 00:40:44,130 Now Barry is the only surviving Gibb brother. 656 00:40:44,130 --> 00:40:46,250 I can't believe that I'm the eldest and I'm still here 657 00:40:46,250 --> 00:40:49,570 so it's all a bit shocking but there you go. 658 00:40:51,170 --> 00:40:57,290 On January 15th 2003, 200 family members and friends turned out 659 00:40:57,290 --> 00:41:03,090 to remember Maurice Gibb at a private funeral ceremony held in Miami Beach. 660 00:41:03,090 --> 00:41:07,370 RUCKER: Well, it was a sad affair but at the same time, 661 00:41:07,370 --> 00:41:11,690 there were a lot of funny stories, enlightening stories. 662 00:41:13,770 --> 00:41:17,770 I think of Maurice as being a good human being, 663 00:41:17,770 --> 00:41:19,370 emphasis on the 'human'. 664 00:41:21,050 --> 00:41:26,450 A liked person who happened to have a supreme musical gift 665 00:41:26,450 --> 00:41:32,130 and two brothers with whom he could express that musical gift. 666 00:41:32,130 --> 00:41:37,050 Maurice was the glue of The Bee Gees and few people remember him as such. 667 00:41:41,490 --> 00:41:41,890 Captioned by Ai-Media ai-media.tv