CA CA - Elizabeth Short 'Black Dahlia', 22, Los Angeles, 15 Jan 1947

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

I've been thinking about this case (a documentary on this case is on the Discovery channel right now)...

Whoever killed Elizabeth is some form of psychopath. Don't most of these people kill multiple times? From my understanding they keep killing until they die or are caught. So technically, shouldn't there be more victims, either before or after? Does anyone know the likelyhood of a murderer recommitting? How often do murderers kill more than once? And I mean people who murder strangers, not DV or family related killings...
 
Has anyone seen the DVD of the movie,The Black Dahlia? I just rented it last night, and it was pretty awful. Lots of really disturbing gory parts and the focus of the movie was more about the cops lives who were affected by her murder(although I must admite Josh Harnett made for some very appealing beefcake/eye candy!!!;) ;) ) than on the murder itself. I also didn't understand at the end of the movie who "Georgie" was. Was that the only reference to suspect Dr. George Hodel??? Other than that, the movie ignored him and seemed to focus in the wrong direction on other suspects. It was really twisted. Anybody else's opinions???
 
LinasK said:
Has anyone seen the DVD of the movie,The Black Dahlia? I just rented it last night, and it was pretty awful. Lots of really disturbing gory parts and the focus of the movie was more about the cops lives who were affected by her murder(although I must admite Josh Harnett made for some very appealing beefcake/eye candy!!!;) ;) ) than on the murder itself. I also didn't understand at the end of the movie who "Georgie" was. Was that the only reference to suspect Dr. George Hodel??? Other than that, the movie ignored him and seemed to focus in the wrong direction on other suspects. It was really twisted. Anybody else's opinions???
Click to expand...
My dh and I watched it the other night. I walked out and thought it was confusing and my dh said it was terrible!
It is a great story, I am surprised it was not good.

We went and saw Zodiac last night and it was a real snooze.
 
Elizabeth Ann Short, also known as, the Black Dahlia was born on July 29, 1924, at Hyde Park, Massachusetts. Short was murdered on January 14, 1947. Her mutilated body was found in a vacant lot in a residential area of Los Angeles, CA. Short was identified through the FBI Identification Division files. Numerous persons were questioned in the murder of Short, but her killer was never found.

Source:
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Freedom of Information Privacy Act

LINK:
http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/short_e.htm

I recently got the DVD of this movie. The DVD contains some interesting commentary and notes on the actual case. In it, the book's author indicates that he mixed together a lot of different experiences and thoughts in writing the book, and that he does not feel the case will ever be solved.

As a movie, I thought it was rather well done - as a work of fiction. As most others have pointed out, however, the actual known facts of the case are rather lightly touched upon in the movie. This is not a movie in the style of CSI and its many recent TV clones, but rather in the Noir style of the old murder mystery movies of the 1940's.
 
Much of Hodell's book has panned out including endless files about his father. I think the man found the answer. His father was also a pedophile & hosted sick sex parties too. It's a book that is worth the read.
 
I watched a Cold Case Files special on Black Dahlia a few months ago. There is a reporter in SanFran (I think, maybe is is SanDiego) who was doing an in-depth piece on Elizabeth and her murder. During the course of his research he started studying who owned what in the area Liz was found -especially the plot her body was discovered on. What he found was the family who owned the land and a house next door used to be Liz's neighbor's when she was growing up - Liz and her family had attended their son's wedding and he was even able to find a photograph with the two families together. The patriarch of that family was a surgeon and he was living in that house next to the plot where Elizabthe's Shorts mutilated and grossly violated body was found.

Interesting? I have tried googling the article and I can find nothing. Did anyone else see this episode?
 
adam263 said:
I haven't seen the episode, but the person you're talking about is Larry Harnisch. Please see my post earlier.
Click to expand...


Thanks......normally I read previous posts but obviously not this time. I will be very interested to read his book. From what I have heard his theory seems pretty plausible.
 
The book Severed was pretty good, but I thought the writing was rather choppy and jumped back and forth. Good photos though (but gory). I didn't like the movie at all. I didn't even watch the whole thing. What I did see didn't even seem to be about her, just the investigators. I need to get some other books to compare theories. The Hodel theory sounds like a good one, but since I read Severed first, I'm more inclined to believe it at this time.

ETA, thanks Adam. Just checked out most of Larry Harnish's site. Had to bookmark it to read at my leisure. Hmmm.... makes me feel like a rube regarding the Severed book. What does he say "25% lies and 50% made up" or something like that? I'll have to read more at his site. Thanks so much for the link.
 
I watched a pretty interesting documentary over here (UK) on Sky tv a couple of weeks ago--it's part of a series hosted by Brit journalist, Sam Kiley. He looked at 3 of the possible theories & decided that none were probable, after all. One was the theory about the cop's father...I have to say, I don't think he did it, despite his perverted nature. Anyway, one point really got my notice, and that is that people always want to assume it was a doctor or a surgeon or somebody with a medical background of some sort. However, he interviewed this FBI profiler (who discounted the 3 suspects) and this pathologist from the LA coroner's office & both agreed that it wasn't as 'neat' of a job as everyone is led to believe, that it was, in fact, a bit messy--jagged edges & suchlike. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy (like if you had done dissecting in a biology course) or say, a butcher, by profession, for example, could have been responsible.

I wish I could find the programme! Checked YouTube, but only found some of his other progs.
 
kitbits said:
I watched a pretty interesting documentary over here (UK) on Sky tv a couple of weeks ago--it's part of a series hosted by Brit journalist, Sam Kiley. He looked at 3 of the possible theories & decided that none were probable, after all. One was the theory about the cop's father...I have to say, I don't think he did it, despite his perverted nature. Anyway, one point really got my notice, and that is that people always want to assume it was a doctor or a surgeon or somebody with a medical background of some sort. However, he interviewed this FBI profiler (who discounted the 3 suspects) and this pathologist from the LA coroner's office & both agreed that it wasn't as 'neat' of a job as everyone is led to believe, that it was, in fact, a bit messy--jagged edges & suchlike. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy (like if you had done dissecting in a biology course) or say, a butcher, by profession, for example, could have been responsible.
Click to expand...

I've often wondered the same thing. In the 30s in New York City, a young woman (last name Voss, or Vass, its been a few years since I read the articles) was found dismembered and placed into suitcases which were left along a city street. At first, LE believed the same thing, that a doctor or other medical professional had to be responsible.
After investigating, they determined the murder had been committed by her boyfriend, a young Chinese man who worked in a restaurant (cutting meat all day).
 
shadowangel said:
I've often wondered the same thing. In the 30s in New York City, a young woman (last name Voss, or Vass, its been a few years since I read the articles) was found dismembered and placed into suitcases which were left along a city street. At first, LE believed the same thing, that a doctor or other medical professional had to be responsible.
After investigating, they determined the murder had been committed by her boyfriend, a young Chinese man who worked in a restaurant (cutting meat all day).
Click to expand...

Hi, shadowangel--that's a really good comparison...& ultra creepy too :s yeah, that FBI profiler was quite adamant about people not being so focussed on that aspect. Kiley also spoke to another woman from (I *think*) the coroner's office who said that when they body was first discovered, the officials really botched the early stages of the investigation because there were reporters & all sorts of people milling about and getting in the way & destroying what we now know would have been important forensic evidence--things just used to be handled so sloppily in those days, unfortunately.

I rather think that it's going to be one of those cases, like Jack the Ripper, that will be speculated about forever & remain unsolved.

But then...ya never know!
 
I rather think that it's going to be one of those cases, like Jack the Ripper, that will be speculated about forever & remain unsolved.

But then...ya never know!

My thoughts exactly.
 
adam263 said:
I rather think that it's going to be one of those cases, like Jack the Ripper, that will be speculated about forever & remain unsolved.

But then...ya never know!

My thoughts exactly.
Click to expand...

ITA also. I think the case is much too old, too many people have died and as was mentioned earlier, the case was rather sloppily handled and forensics was not like it is today. But it sure is intriguing to sleuth about!
 
BeavisMom62 said:
ITA also. I think the case is much too old, too many people have died and as was mentioned earlier, the case was rather sloppily handled and forensics was not like it is today. But it sure is intriguing to sleuth about!
Click to expand...

oh indeed! i never get tired of hearing fresh theories or re-exploring these cases :)
 
claudicici said:
....does anyone know if she was buried or cremated....could she be exhumed...
Click to expand...

I found this website, however I do not know the accuracy of the information.

http://www.bethshort.com/faq.htm


Exactly where is Elizabeth Short buried?
Beth is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California, originally named Plot 6, Grave 913. From what we hear, it is not wise to ask for information about the site or Beth Short from cemetery personnel, and I've also heard that they may have altered plot numbers to keep outsiders away from Beth's grave. You will likely be turned away. "It is apparent according to another person who has written that the plot numbers have been moved around, possibly due to the publicity." More explicit directions are: Going down the main drag, just past the fountain, take the drive going left. Go up the hill to the right of a large dark crypt. Her grave should be there.
Click to expand...

and:

The current numbering for the site is Plot #66, Marker #798.
It's recommended you obtain a map from the cemetery office which is located immediately to the right as you enter the cemetery.

When you enter the cemetery you immediately come to a large fountain. Continue around this and proceed east bound on the main drive. You will encounter two more fountains. Continue a short distance past the second of these additional fountains and on the left side of the roadway you will see the "Hillside Mausoleum". Stop and park.

Beth's grave is on the hillside above this mausoleum and to the right a bit. The hillside she is buried on faces due south. If you stand facing the hillside you will see to the right of the mausoleum, concrete stairs going up the hillside. Plot 66 is on the left side of these stairs. Her grave is about half way up the hillside and about 10 yards to the left of the stairs.
Click to expand...

http://www.bethshort.com/gravesite.jpg (picture of Beth's headstone)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is DeKalb County John Doe (2022)?

Members online

... and 112 more.
Total: 2,499 (members: 113, guests: 2,386)

Online statistics

Members online
113
Guests online
2,386
Total visitors
2,499
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
601,837
Messages
18,130,484
Members
231,159
Latest member
Chrissy321
Back
Top