Editing The Day the Music Died (section)

==Subsequent investigations==
On March 6, 2007, in [[Beaumont, Texas]], Richardson's body was [[exhumation|exhumed]] for reburial. Forest Lawn Cemetery moved his body to a more suitable area after plans were made to erect a bronze statue near his gravesite to accompany a newly received historical marker. As the body was to be placed in a new casket while above ground, the musician's son, Jay Perry Richardson, took the opportunity to have his father's body re-examined to verify the original coroner's findings and asked forensic anthropologist [[William M. Bass]] to carry out the procedure.

A longstanding rumor surrounding the accident, which this re-examination sought to confirm or dispel, asserted that an accidental firearm discharge took place on board the aircraft and caused the crash. It had also been speculated that Richardson initially survived the crash and crawled out of the wreckage in search of help before succumbing to his injuries, prompted by the fact that his body was found farther from the plane than the other victims. Bass and his team took several X-rays of Richardson's body and eventually concluded that the musician had indeed died instantly from extensive, unsurvivable fractures to virtually every bone in his body. No traces of lead were found from any bullet, nor any indication that he had been shot. Coroner Smiley's original 1959 report was, therefore, confirmed as accurate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockin50s.com/exhumation.htm |first=Bill |last=Griggs |title=Big Bopper Exhumation |access-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707224948/http://www.rockin50s.com/exhumation.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 18, 2007 |title=Autopsy of 'Big Bopper' to Address Rumors About 1959 Plane Crash |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701976.html |access-date=April 26, 2015 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628223810/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701976.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2015, the NTSB received a request to reopen the investigation into the accident.<ref name=KITV28252437>{{cite web |url=http://www.ktiv.com/story/28252437/2015/03/03/board-considering-reopening-plane-crash-investigation |title=Board considers reopening investigation into plane crash that caused the death of Buddy Holly |publisher=KITV |date=March 3, 2015 |access-date=March 4, 2015 |archive-date=March 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305000051/http://www.ktiv.com/story/28252437/2015/03/03/board-considering-reopening-plane-crash-investigation |url-status=dead }}</ref> The request was made by L. J. Coon, a retired pilot from [[New England]] who felt that the conclusion of the 1959 investigation was inaccurate. Coon suspected a possible failure of the right [[V-tail#Ruddervators|ruddervator]], or a problem with the fuel system, as well as possible improper weight distribution. Coon argued that Peterson may have tried to land the plane and that his efforts should be recognized.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2015/03/03/transportation-board-considers-reopening-buddy-holly-crash/24315777/ |title=NTSB considers reopening Buddy Holly crash case |author=Kilen, Mike |work=[[The Des Moines Register]] |date=March 4, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/04/buddy-holly-plane-crash-investigation-re-opened |title=Buddy Holly plane crash: officials consider reopening 1959 probe |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Pilkington, Ed |date=March 5, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2015 |archive-date=March 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305204139/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/04/buddy-holly-plane-crash-investigation-re-opened |url-status=live }}</ref> The NTSB declined the request in April 2015, saying that the evidence presented by Coon was insufficient to merit the reconsideration of the original findings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Buddy Holly crash investigation will not be reopened |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2015/04/28/buddy-holly-plane-crash-investigation/26498071/ |access-date=April 1, 2016 |work=The Des Moines Register |agency=Associated Press |date=April 28, 2015}}</ref><ref name=Advertiser/>