How the mystery of Francisco Pizarro was solved

Wrong Bones in That Sarcophagus: 444 Years Later, Mystery of Pizarro Is Laid to Rest

February 10th, 1985 | WILLIAM D. MONTALBANO | Times Staff Writer

LIMA, Peru—The life and bloody assassination of Francisco Pizarro are well-documented. The mystery, however, did not begin until after his death–and it has endured for four centuries.

Now, scientific detectives say they have finally solved The Case of the Conqueror’s Bones. Unmasking an impostor mummy along the way, the investigators say they have positively identified the bones of the elusive Pizarro, enabling them to reconstruct a 444-year-old murder in startling detail…