case 1

Hello, everyone. The first case that I will be discussing will be that of my namesake. The Black Dahlia case. Without further ado, let’s get down to it. Discretion is advised due to the graphic nature of the case and images attached.

Black Dahlia

Location: Norton Ave. Los Angeles, California

Date: January 15, 1947

Victim: Elizabeth Short

Details:

                A young, beautiful brunette on the fringes of popular Hollywood society, Elizabeth Short was an aspiring actress in early 1947. She was 22 years old and hoping for a bright future. Tragically, her dreams were abruptly cut short in January 1947. Despite her reputation of being a little too friendly with men, Elizabeth never asked to become what she did. The Black Dahlia.

                On the morning of January 15, 1947, a mother walking with her child on Norton Avenue approached the corner of 39^th and Coliseum to see what she thought to be a store mannequin. The truth was much worse. The body of Elizabeth Short lay sprawled grotesquely in the grass, and the subsequent investigation would rock Los Angeles for the next 70 years.

                According to Time.com, Elizabeth’s body had been severed in half and drained of blood. But perhaps the worst aspect was the decimation that had been wrought on her once beautiful face. The killer had cut deep gashes on each side of her mouth, creating an eerie, perpetual smile. The case and scene were so gruesome that the brutality shocked even detectives.

                The media had a field day with the “Dahlia” case, and according to some reports, the story was front page news for nearly two months following the murder. Despite a thorough investigation by LAPD, the case remains unsolved, though, in the early days of the investigation, a multitude of false confessions were obtained concerning the case. There was only ever one witness found, and there was very little obtained from this witness, save for information that a black sedan had been parked in the area early that morning. Eventually, the lack of witnesses and physical evidence took a toll on the case, and it went cold.

Suspects:

                Early in the investigation, LAPD was inundated with suspects due to the fact that they were treating everyone connected to Elizabeth as a suspect. By the end of the following year, the suspect list had grown to 192 names. L.A. District Attorney compiled a list of 22 people considered to be viable suspects. Of that 22, a handful remain suspects today. Currently a list of 11 people comprise the “most likely” suspect list. I will list the suspects below that I feel had the most opportunity/motive to have killed Elizabeth.

Mark Hansen:

                Hansen was one of the last people to speak with Elizabeth before her disappearance nearly a week before her body was discovered. It is also reported that Hansen allowed Elizabeth to live in his house on and off for about six months. Files from LA DA also indicate that Elizabeth had rejected Hansen’s sexual advances. That coupled with his inconsistent statements to police and items belonging to him being discovered with Elizabeth’s own items that were sent to the Examiner, make him a strong suspect to me.

George Hodel:

                George Hodel is a popular suspect in this case for various reasons, but he first came under suspicion after being accused of molesting his teenage daughter, Tamar. This led LAPD to planting microphones in Hodel’s home for approximately six weeks in 1950. During this period, detectives reportedly captured Hodel stating, “Supposin’ I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn’t prove it now. They can’t talk to my secretary anymore because she’s dead.” It is believed that said secretary was going to expose Hodel’s illegal medical practices. Multiple witnesses place Hodel as having known Elizabeth; possibly having a sexual relationship with her. Nude pictures of a woman believed to be Elizabeth were found in Hodel’s possessions. Hodel’s son, Steve, believes his father killed Elizabeth, as well as other women. And Steve has gone as far as to have cadaver dogs search the property that his father once owned. As a former detective, Steve, believes that there is solid evidence to name his father as the killer. I tend to agree that Hodel is a worthy suspect. He certainly had the medical training to commit the crime with great precision. Plus, to be honest, he’s a sketchy man.

To me, these are the most likely suspects, but I welcome friendly contradiction/conversation from any of you guys.

No matter who committed the crime, it was heinous, and an innocent woman lost her life. I can only hope that the murderer is one day identified.

References:

Blackdahlia.web.unc.edu                                content.time.com

http://www.biography.com

Other resources:

Buzzfeed Unsolved S 1 E 4- YouTube

Dateline NBC 48 Hours- “Black Dahlia Confidential” – 12/31/05