On the morning of January 9, 1947, Elizabeth Short, “The Black Dahlia,” left the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was temporarily staying, to try again to find an audition. Although she was just beginning to be known in the Hollywood world, it was true that she was not yet enough to consider herself a career actress. However, the 22-year-old, who came from Medford, Massachusetts, to make a name for herself and achieve fame, believed in the possibility of being discovered by a talent scout. So he spent a significant amount of his time trying to find contacts that would allow him to land his long-awaited first leading role. On that day he announced to the person in charge of this place that he was about to meet, which he called “providential.”
This was the last time the actress was seen alive. On January 15, his body was found in an abandoned parking lot in Leimert Park in Los Angeles. The body bore signs of torture and was mutilated in many ways. Among them, a rose tattoo she had on her thigh was cut open and then inserted into her vagina. In addition, his face was disfigured, with two deep wounds opening at each corner of his lips. Finally, he was dismembered, washed in bleach and bled dry. Everything for later cut up the remains with surgical precision and throw them into the undergrowth.
This discovery has the city scared and the media obsessed. Almost a year Los Angeles Times published daily updates on the progress of the case. And this despite the fact that the grim details of what happened went beyond the notorious discussion about the hidden interests behind the murder, and became part of the notorious debate. But the most alarming thing is that as the investigation continued, one thing emerged. Elizabeth Short was kidnapped for almost a week, then subjected to all kinds of horrors, and then killed. An inexplicable circumstance for the state police and, later for the FBI agents involved in the case.
Fear spreads across the cinematic mecca
News of the dismembered body initially shocked North America as it took two days to identify the body. The FBI finally achieved this by comparing the body’s fingerprints to their file. Elizabeth Short was arrested in 1943 for underage drinking. Therefore, his identification had to go through several bureaucratic processes that protected the file. But when it finally turned out that she was an aspiring Hollywood actress, The tone and way of solving the crime has completely changed.
The brutal nature of the murder became the central theme of all reports related to the investigation. From the fact that the crime scene was surrounded by journalists for several weeks (which could contaminate the area or spoil possible leads) to false anonymous calls with information that could not be verified. All in order to try to refute this or at least get fresh data on the case. Soon, Elizabeth Short’s crime turned into a scandal that shook the judicial and criminal world. Moreover, each murder revelation pointed to a crime planned over several months around an apparently anonymous woman. What caused such a murderous rage against the aspiring actress?
Although police made little progress, the scandal surrounding the case became a national obsession. Los Angeles Times He called the case the “Black Dahlia Murder” and made the investigation daily front-page news. On the other hand, influential Los Angeles Examiner He devoted entire pages to describing the intricate details of how the body was found and the condition it was in. Specific data became known thanks to several so-called special editions of the newspaper – publications in the form of fan magazines that were sold from hand to hand. The worst thing: how the body was skinned and cut up. What did the killer suggest? with the means and knowledge for a brutal crime in the heart of Hollywood.
Faceless killer in the middle of golden Hollywood
On January 24, the city police received an envelope addressed directly to the newspapers. The package contained Short’s birth certificate, allegedly stolen after her death, an address book, business cards and several photographs of the actress. There was also a letter, created from magazine clippings, which indicated that the sender was the killer. It would also be the last they knew of him or his involvement in the murder.
By then, investigators had reached a dead end. The body was cleaned by the killer in such a way that no incriminating fingerprints were left on it. There were none in the place where he was found. Officials even investigated the possibility that, due to the medical examination used to dismember the body, the killer could have been a member of the medical union or the police. However, there were no signs or progress in this direction either. After the package, There was a new commotion and an immediate wave of pressure to solve the case.
However, the evidence was so weak that a $10,000 reward was offered. Which caused a wave of false informants and more than ten accusations of guilt. By August 1947, 750 Los Angeles Police Department investigators were working on the case. There were raids, more than 20 arrests of possible suspects who were later exonerated before connections were attempted, and other unsolved murders. But not one The possible scenarios put forward by the police went beyond mere hypotheses.
The victim and what surrounded her
While all of the above was happening, Elizabeth Short was being severely punished. So he ended up becoming a symbol of the debauchery of the Mecca of cinema. Speculation and crazy theories filled the front pages of newspapers. It has been suggested that his death was part of a demonic ritual and even a consequence of what was said to be his promiscuous personal life. Amid the media frenzy surrounding the murder, “The Black Dahlia” became synonymous with perversion. Moreover, when the chilling details of the humiliation suffered by the victim appeared on the pages of newspapers. From sexual violence, suffering from deformity even while alive, until it looked like a series of brutal attacks that seemed like exemplary punishments.
All the previous chaos reached such a dramatic level that it shocked and worried the public. In the midst of the debate over coverage, in addition to the notorious fight between prosecutors and the press, everything seemed to get out of control. This is when Los Angeles Examiner He brought in Short’s mother and subjected her to all kinds of pressure to obtain testimony about the victim’s childhood and early youth. Something that was carried out behind the back of the police and in fact without any intervention. there is no legal support that would allow them to do something like that.
In late 1947, the famed newspaper founded by William Randolph Hearst issued a tepid apology, likely to avoid legal action from Short’s family. However, this case remains an example of exploitation of the media and abuse of journalistic resources. In addition, as one of the most widely publicized events in Hollywood history. By 1949, although the case was still officially open, it was believed that there was no new evidence. after a package containing Elizabeth’s belongings arrives at her former home.
Basic hypothesis about the criminal
In 2003, Los Angeles Police Department detective Steve Hodel published a book. Black Dahlia Avenger: Mastermind of Murder. In the text, the official reveals a thorough investigation in which he is convinced that his own father, George Hodel, was the killer. From the discovery of receipts for concrete bags with the exact weight and size of those found around Elizabeth’s body, to the doctor’s long history of abuse. The truth is that the writer seems to have pieced together a long series of clues about his family’s troubled past, including suspicions. about another murder – to support his theory about the death of Elizabeth Short.
According to the book, George Hodel would always kill an actress after becoming sexually obsessed with her. This forced him to not only come up with an elaborate plan, but also to spend time and effort trying to harm him. However, other than Steve Hodel’s cautious conclusions, there were no clear conclusions about what might have happened to the young translator. As one of the most famous unsolved cases in the world, the great mystery surrounding his death remains part of Hollywood’s dark myth. Currently, Elizabeth Short is buried in Mountain View in Oakland, California.
Source: Hiper Textual
