Six of the murders have notes left with significantly unusual signatures. Elizabeth Short was born July 24th, 1924 in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. Paul was not located, and the murder is still unsolved. On Oct. 12, 1944, Bauerdorf was found face down and semi-nude in her bathtub by a maid and janitor. Having trouble reading this image? Unsolved Mysteries: The Los Angeles Horror Murders | by Michael East | True Crime Detective 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. About $100 was taken from her purse, and her car was stolen, yet there were other extensive valuables throughout her impressive abode. 1940s Archives - Deranged LA Crimes Deranged LA Crimes a., Los Angeles Killer Claims New Victim, (May 13, 1947). This includes, for example, the fact that Short was restrained. She named him as Grant Wyatt Terry and stated after a whirlwind romance that involved a marriage proposal after just two days, he absconded with a diamond ring, $700 in cash and her car. None of them were harmed, and it appeared that John had been targeted. Georgette Bauerdorf bears quite the resemblance to Short. The Betty Broderick story is one of San Diego's most notorious murder cases ever. Elizabeth's mother had told her daughter that her father was probably dead, but one day he came back and wanted to be part of the family. It is derived from fantasy, and it is what the killer wanted from the victim. What adds poignance to Hodel's . a., L.A. Police Quiz Sailor in Brutal Rape, Murder (June 17, 1949). Joan Robinson Hill died at the age of 38 of unknown reasons. He began acting in silent films and by 1914 he was a well-respected director. Crime, mayhem and sin in Los Angeles, 1920s-50s: in pictures - Wallpaper* Two more women on the list of unsolved homicides of women during the 1940s. It stated F*** Y** PD. Undoubtedly social norms played a part in just how much attention cases were given, with transients, prostitutes and working-class women given far less attention than the problems of those in Hollywood and Bel Air. While she may have appeared to be "The Merry Widow," those suffering from depression often hide it very well, particularly in the 1940s when a socialite heiress would have been expected to behave in a certain way. The case of Joan Robinson and Dr. John Hill poses a little of both, for it is a case that could be considered unsolved and yet the general public believes that they know who the killers were, which makes the case all the more notorious. She had one son David Wrather named after his father (Jeannes first husband) a wealthy oilman in Texas. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. He was familiar with knives and may use cutting implements in his profession, which will be respectable. The Locations of L.A.'s 100 Most Memorable - Los Angeles Magazine Newspaper clippings in the FBI's Elizabeth Short file. Kali Ann Poulton was the "apple of her mother's eye," and an only child. Of all the women in . Mondragon was dumped just a mile from where Winters was found. Although his history of homicide in Los Angeles was not yet complete or vetted for errors when he passed away in 2005, he kindly shared his data so that other researchers can use them. Lauras daughter Audrey who was 8 at the time of the murder, said that the next day the father asked the 5-year-old daughter Janet to bury this shoe in the back yard and never discuss it again. Very few are remembered by the public, even though some were slaughtered and mutilated after death. Half-truths and lies became the norm as differing newspapers looked to one-up their rivals and beat their last scoop for the headlines. Over the years, many have looked at the Black Dahlia killing as part of a series and attempted to identify linked cases. He cleaned the blade and left it at the scene. If not learned during the war, its possible the perpetrator perhaps had links to organized crime in Los Angeles, knew somebody who did. When Betty married her sweetheart, Dan Broderick, she thought her fairy tale life was well underway. She was hit on the head and strangled to death with a belt from mens pajamas. The body was severely mutilated, with a gruesome set of cuts on either side of the face, creating it a prop-like smile, and one of the breasts had been mutilated, giving the investigators evidence of torture. This murder was never solved. On the day itself, Short lied to her then-boyfriend Robert Manley that she was meeting her sister, perhaps because she was again moving on from Manley or she was meeting another man. However, claims that police in the 1940s were unaware of what a serial killer was and couldn't connect crimes is both incorrect and absurdist, with H.H. They stated that there were: "deplorable conditions indicating corrupt practices and misconduct by some members of the law enforcement agencies of this county. Maybe LA's most famous murder of all time: Elizabeth Short was found cut in half in a field in Leimert Park on January 15, 1947. There he saw the prize fighter hunched over the woman. Gardner was never indicted for the Ora Murray killing, and while everyone agreed he was a con man and swindler, few believed he was capable of murder. In fact, I think there may have been more than one killer. Crimes revealed other reasons. Ex-Cop Cites New Evidence His MD Father Was Serial Killer - NBC Los Angeles Los Angeles's most famous murder, The Black Dahlia refers to Elizabeth Short, who was murdered in 1947. He was never charged with the murder, but his son Steve Hodel wrote a book called The Black Dahlia Avenger, in which he accused his father of the murder. I, (February 17, 1948). Her anus was notably stretched, and while no semen was present, this does not exclude digital penetration or the use of a foreign object. She was not yet a star, but she was a show girl. Posed with her legs open, the killer is exposing to the world which he believed Short was and what she had done to him. Probably the most infamous unsolved crime in Los Angeles History was the mutilation-murder of Elizabeth Short, the "Black Dahlia." Her severed body was discovered in the Crenshaw District on January 15, 1947. Police surmised it was a day worker that was around the neighborhood. Her husband wanted to continue; the women were bored. Over 7 decades ago multiple murders were not called serial killings, but chain murders. Lillian Dominguez (15) was walking with her sister Angie(17) and her friend Andrea Marquez(17) in Santa Monica, the trio was coming home from a dance. It seems likely there may have been a brief liaison. In the letter, Beth states that she would like to move to Chicago and become a fashion model. She was sexually assaulted with a 14-inch tree branch. He passed a lie detector test and the police moved on. The man covered the prize fighter with a revolver, tied him to the sink with his belt and left. There were so many unsolved murders of women in the 1940s that in 1949, the Grand Jury launched an investigation into the failure of the police to solve the cases. Also, the fact that he lived so close by fits the profile of the killer who enjoys watching people discover his slayings while staying dangerously close to the action. While utilizing a thuggish Glasgow smile and beating points toward low intelligence, the explicit attempts to hide evidence show an opposing level of cunning. . Los Angeles was a cruel city, one where dreams of stardom and better city life often came crashing down amongst the seedy underworld of poverty, bars, clubs and organized crime. Ora Murrayis often the first victim of such a proposed serial killer. Within hours there was an alibi letter mailed to the police. There is little here to suggest a link with Short with no mutilation noted and Bauerdorfs body left at the location of the murder, not being removed or posed. Hollywood is a place of glamour but it can also be a dangerous place. There was a flood of military personnel, and war workers during the 1940s, transients. Her skirt and clothes twisted around her body. They somehow believed murder was the better option. Paul later invited everyone to take a ride in his flashy blue convertible coupe (Hodel, 2018). Laura Eliza Trelstad was 37 and the mother of 3 young children when on May 12, 1947 she was brutally murdered. She was beaten to death, hit in the head with a blunt instrument and then stomped. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Billy Wilder's Barton Keyes, and Roman Polanski's JJ 'Jake' Gittes: three iconic private investigators who popularised the Los Angeles crime story in the 20th century - a good man traveling solo through a hot, seedy, grimy city, where bad things happen to bad people. William Heirens was arrested and found guilty of the murders, yet there has always been significant doubt about his actual guilt. William Desmond was a man of distinction, education, class and elegance. All Rights Reserved. By the time his daughter was a teenager, Ash was a wealthy oil tycoon and Joan was a sought-after debutant. He was about 510 dark curly hair. His knowledge that blood and fingerprints could identify him shows at least some knowledge of police methods. A stick 14 inches long and inch thick was shoved up in her body. 2) There is flurry of police activity as investigators seek each victim's last male companion. The RMS Olympic is the broken ship at the bottom of the North Atlantic commonly referred to as "Titanic" in the biggest insurance fraud in world history pre-9/11. Her husband was eventually arrested and tried for the murder. I noticed reading all of those papers from the 1940s that was true. The killer shows intelligence and cunning but a tendency for explosive violence. The suspect claimed that he was forced to confess after being tortured by the police. On Aug. 24, this theory would seem to be reinforced when her purse was found in a phone booth a few miles away. There was a message written across her stomach in her own red lipstick, which earned her the name of the Red Lipstick Murder. One such disorganized killer would be Jack the Ripper. Nov. 11, 1988 12 AM PT. ", "Paul" suggested he and the two women all go for a drive together. She came out west to visit her sister and her husband, Latona and Oswald Leinann. [55] Hall, an Episcopal priest, had apparently been having an extramarital affair with Mills, who sang in the church choir. A beautiful woman, who told him no or used him to buy her dinner and drinks could be at real risk of violence, and ultimately murder. The torso was a few feet away from the legs. In the Short case, that need and signature is sexual anger and involves mutilation and humiliation. These guys chose their girlfriends over their wives, but didn't want to deal with a divorce. French was found dead on Feb. 10, 1947, just a month after the Black Dahlia. So that night June 27, 1943, Letona, and Ora went dancing at the Zenda Ballroom. She had been garroted with a length of clothesline that had been knotted. These killings left police stumped and questions lingering for decades. Forget divorce; these murderers lived by the credo "Til death do us part." Lets start with Ora Murray (42), also known as the Gardenia murder. who wondered how his daughter could have been vibrant and alive on Friday and pronounced dead on Tuesday. The writer claimed he drove Kern and "a prizefighter" to the crime scene, and the two entered. John was becoming critical of his wife and her hobbies, and began to detest her father Ash Robinson. Who knows what I would have discovered if I were reading the papers consistently. Lillian was slightly behind the other girls. The entire body had been sawed in half at the waist. At first officials thought she had fallen in her tub until someone requested a second look. Her skirt was tangled around her hips, and her jacket had been twisted around her body. a. , Fear Felt for Missing Widow, (August 25, 1949). Despite the popularity of true crime stories, murders are always brutal and disturbing. Copyright 2023 Empire Media Group, Inc. Front Page Detectives is a registered trademark. Young, attractive and brunette, Bauerdorf was the daughter of an oil tycoon and a known socialite. Likewise, Spangler's name is often raised about the potential Dahlia linked cases, yet also has very little to connect it beyond the link to Hollywood and the victim again being young, dark-haired and attractive. She was found murdered June 13, 1949 in the back of her husbands convertible sedan. The case was sensationalized immediately by the Los Angeles Times and the corpse was named The Black Dahlia. Inside the unsolved disappearance of Jean Spangler | EW.com Lacerations to the anus may suggest a knife. Posted at 10:39 PM in Books, Current Affairs, Religion, Television, Weblogs | Permalink. It would soon become clear that Linda was having an affair with Dan and reaping all of the rewards in life that Betty Broderick had worked for. Lillian shouted, He touched me. Seconds later she yelled, I cant see, and then she fell to the ground dead. It seems almost certain some of the unsolved killings listed may have been carried out by the same individual, while others had clear suspects that authorities merely failed to convict. Stephen Knight's book "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution" convinced me the Ripper was actually several Freemasons including the Royal Physician, the Royal Coachman, the Royal Painter and they were assisted by Freemasons in the Whitechapel constabulary, Scotland Yard and the London newspaper. Graphics by Leavett Biles / Los Angeles Times . Joan pleaded with her father that John was a good man from a good home, and Ash knew that if he were to use too much common sense at this time, his daughter would resent him. Ash went from poverty to wealth by using his instincts and being unafraid of hard work. In fact, when examining Taylor's coat, it appears that the killer was hugging him when he was shot. The whole thing stunk to Ash Robinson. Police knew immediately that the body had been completely washed clean and posed. She died of asphyxia due to strangulation. Witnesses described a young man later identified as Ralph Kyle (23) getting out of the Springers car, then walking down the street. She was given what is today known as a "Glasgow smile," a facial injury that originated amongst Scotland's street gangs. Newspapers in 1947 alone from the Montana Standard Register to the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen, Texas called them victims of the Los Angeles Killer, what the Los Angeles Times referred to as a sadistic, sexual killer. Kahn, Alexander, Mother of 3 Children Latest Los Angeles Victim of Murder, (May 13, 1947). Even so he was acquitted. 'The underbelly of Los Angeles was festering like oranges rotting in the . Spangler had recently appeared as an extra with Kirk Douglas forYoung Man With a Horn, and he immediately contacted police to eliminate himself as the "Kirk" in the letter. View an alternate. Eric Monkkonen was the author of many studies of urban crime and violence. Dance Halls were prevalent all over the world during WWII. The killing of Lillian Dominguez on Oct. 2, 1947, also raised alarms and was linked to the Black Dahlia by some, yet it truthfully bears little relation to the case. She was beaten about the head and strangled, which was the cause of death. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, one of the most well-known silent movie stars of the time, was accused of murdering actress Virgina Rappe, 30, at a Labor Day party in 1921 held to celebrate Arbuckle's. Unsolved Mysteries: The Los Angeles Horror Murders Laurence Springer and his friend Benny Moritz went down to the coroners office to I.D. Sometimes those closest to us are the ones most dangerous to us. Laurence said she closed up shop he went to pick her up from work. Frank French was her 4th marriage, and at that time she began to drink, I could not find any reason necessarily, but their marriage was volatile on both sides. Disorganized killers often come from broken homes and have significant sexual issues. The women and the year they died are: Ora Murray 1943 Georgette Bauerdorf 1944 Elizabeth Short 1947 Jeanne French 1947 Laura Trelstad 1947 Dorothy Montgomery 1947 Lillian Dominquez 1947 Gladys Kern 1948 It was the last time Letona would see her sister alive. LA's most notorious murder sites, mapped - Curbed LA Famous Unsolved Murders And The Terrifying Serial Killers Behind Them Her murder remains unsolved. Like the murder of Elizabeth Short, there have been no leads in Jeanne French's case in decades. a., TV Actress Feared Victim of Sex Fiend, (October 12, 1949). It was after these murders that the killings throughout Los Angeles began to be linked together. Associated Press, Jean Spangler Believed Victim in Dahlia Series, (October 12, 1949), St. Louis Star and Times. Now she has no tattoo to flash, her face is ruined. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Once upon a time, there were actual movie stars in the 1920s1950s who had incredible poise, class and glamor. As one newspaper once opined, "When the legend outshines the truth, print the legend." a. Slain Womans Husband Freed (August 2, 1947). Brown was shot and stabbed. She went to pick up her daughter Maycille(15) at a dance recital in the playground. Ash Robinson doted on his lovely daughter Joan Robinson. In 1947, a Month After the Black Dahlia, the "Lipstick Murder" Shocked Johnny Roselli shot JFK from the storm drain and Chuck Harrelson(Woody's father) shot from a building in that crossfire killing. Williams, Vera, Shades of the Black Dahlia; Long Beachs Pajama String, (March 18, 1956). Today an apartment building sits on that site, but I suggest reading the article and then the comments, it is where, Jen Thornhill, Audreys daughter interacts with the commenters. was slashing the . She went to visit him hours before she was killed. Stella had to cancel due to a business meeting. She left the house stating she was going to meet her husband to discuss increasing her support. Betty found the keys to his house, not hard to do because her four children had a set, and crept into her former husband's home and shot both he and Linda while lying in bed. a., Letter Tells Details of L.A. Louise Springer (28) had her own beauty shop in Los Angeles. In 1973, an 11-year-old Girl Scout, Linda O'Keefe, was abducted and murdered while walking home from school. Her sister-in-law Jean was helping her with Christine, so all the bases were covered. After the war there was a mass return of soldiers, many with horrific cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Which I find interesting, as she was strangled, a part of a towel shoved down her throat. A newspaper headline in the FBI file on Elizabeth Short. He was persuaded to front him a home in Los Feliz, a restricted area. The children were sent to relatives after their mother died and stayed separated until 1986, when they made contact. The Case Short's corpse was bisected at her midsection, and her face had . Both Springer and the car would be found three days later, with the victim garroted with a length of clothesline. When bibulous gang member Walter Ivans kills a man in a car accident, Paul refuses to help clear him. The crime remains unsolved to this day. With an alcohol problem, she had become something of a drifter and had last been seen in bars the night before. They found a white gardenia under body, which is why her murder is labeled the White Gardenia Murder. Accounts differ on the woman, with her age variously given as 42 or 43 years old and with previous work in Hollywood, either as a studio musician or legal secretary. She had been ambushed, raped and strangled by an intruder who had unscrewed the night light on the porch to ensure it wouldn't illuminate the area. 5 Days after her disappearance, her white handbag was found in a telephone booth next to a supermarket in Los Angeles. Short's public hair was shaved, and the region was covered in slashes, feces were in her stomach, and her body had been posed with her legs spread. So for Elizabeth Short, she could solve her financial problems, her feelings of being unloved, and actually better herself at the same time by becoming a movie star. However, it was far from the only brutal killing that shocked the city, nor the only case to go unsolved. This article lists 10 famous parents who killed their children, including some of the most famous child murders and celebrities who killed their family. It seems likely that the Black Dahlia's killer kept Short bound and hidden in a private location and derived pleasure from the injuries inflicted on her. Her face was swollen and nearly black. Short was known as "a tease" and for brief relationships, engaging with many men but unwilling to take these relationships to a sexual stage. The father really had no contact with them. Suspicious, he went into the property himself and found the "prizefighter" had killed the woman. Top 10 Unsolved Mysterious Murders From The Early 1900s With her bag and purse open next to her and a watch stolen, the motive was clearly theft, and police identified a second such robbery linked to the suspect. Sharon spent the next several months living out the happiest time of her life as she anxiously awaited the birth of her son. a., Springer Murder Tips Flood Police, (June 18, 1949), Los Angeles Times. Taylor had no known enemies, was not involved in drugs, and was never seen running around with women. The flesh was removed from one of the breasts, and the skin removed from the leg where arose tattoo sat, the killer cut it away and gruesomely inserted it into her vagina. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Killing, (February 17, 1948). Frank said his landlady could vouch for him, that he did not leave his apartment. Forensics were limited at the time, and other than fingerprints there was not a lot of technology in which to solve crime. In any case, the affair clearly has nothing to do with the Black Dahlia nor any potential serial killer. Canteens were anything from restaurants to social clubs, often during the war they were on military bases for service men. Short was restrained and held prisoner before her death. She had inherited a fortune from her linoleum tycoon husband, Novice Boomhower, and the date of his disappearance was the sixth anniversary of her late husband's death. There was no identification, but an I.D. Many of these killings were of women. The killers were given the death penalty, but much to the disgust of Sharon Tate's mother Doris, the extremely left-winged politics of California overturned the ruling to life in prison. The witnesses around her at the canteen stated there was a swarthy male with dark hair who kept cutting into her dances with other men, trying to monopolize her time that night. The Murdered Women in L.A.'s 1940's Noire - Angelic Visions Taylor was advising Normand on good books to read so that she may improve her vocabulary and creativity. Find out what the police did 45 years later to catch her killer. While I was researching the Black Dahlia murder, I came across Steve Hodel and his book The Black Dahlia Avenger III. She had loaned him $700 and another $200 to buy an engagement ring. was made from a mark on her coat from a laundry. There are commonalities to the crimes, strangulation, beating, the assault with a stick, notes to the police on a few. She had been getting very close to Taylor over the past several months due to the fact that Taylor was well-read and distinguished, and Normand wanted to better herself, for she had been a model and actress since the age of 12 and had little education. He hadn't been in the city at the time, and police looked elsewhere. He drove the woman and the prize fighter to the house. 10 The New Orleans Axeman1918-1919. Your comment has not yet been posted. On the side was scrawled, We found at the beach Thursday night (Tribune, 1959). Unsolved Hollywood Murders | List of True LA Murder Mysteries - Ranker He rinsed the knife and wiped it with a handkerchief and left both behind. Despite claims of a Dahlia link, there was no sexual motive to the injuries inflicted, and despite being found nude, there was no posing of the body. Frank was arrested for punching her in the face at one point. Before looking at the cases that are potentially linked to the Black Dahlia affair, it is vital to understand what kind of person killed Short in January of 1947. On the other hand, disorganized killers frequently leave the victim at the site of the murder. Louise closed up her shop in the evening and then waited for the bus at the same place each day. 5 Famous Unsolved Old Hollywood Murders and Beyond The killer then took her lipstick and wrote the words "F*** YOU PD" on her stomach. By all accounts, Betty Broderick was the ultimate super mom. A police bulletin on Elizabeth Short's killing. When he came back, she was gone. Things heated up even more when John married Ann Kurth less than three months after his wife's death. However, they will be antisocial and show no remorse for their crimes. Given that the killer must have had sufficient time and privacy to carry out the killing and dismemberment alongside an evident cunning, it would have been more than possible for him to effectively hide the body elsewhere. He was accused of her murder but denied it. The next morning the janitor took his wife and went up to Georgettes apartment and found her floating in the bathtub. The vehicle matched the description given to police by Latona. She was wearing $25, 000 ($260,615.00 in 2019)worth of jewels that night as she was to meet a girlfriend, Stella Hunter. When Joan finally broke down to her father and told him that John has been acting strange and cold towards her, Ash wasted no time putting a detective on his son-in-law's tail.