June 14, 1957
Los Angeles

Charles Hilbert Dodd was eager to kill someone. If he couldn’t find his
estranged wife, Dolores, then he’d shoot whomever he could get.

Armed with a 16-gauge shotgun, Dodd, 47, of 6415 Balcom Ave., Reseda, showed up at the home of a casual acquaintance, Charles A. Barlow, 35, 13005 Chandler Blvd.   "You’ve got to make a telephone  call … got to help me find my wife," Dodd said.

When Barlow told Dodd that he couldn’t come in the house until he put
down his shotgun, Dodd fired, hitting Barlow in the hand, then
barged into the living room and fired twice more, shooting Barlow in
both legs.

Dodd waved the shotgun and told Barlow and his wife, Joyce, 23, "drive
me somewhere and be quick about it." Dodd pushed the couple outside,
but let Joyce go back into the house to get the car keys. As Dodd
forced Barlow to walk to the corner where Dodd’s car was parked, Joyce
called the police. [Note: I know none of this makes sense, but the man was out of his mind–lrh]

In the meantime, Barlow got a cane out of Dodd’s car and began hitting
him with it. Joyce Barlow returned and began wrestling with Dodd over
the shotgun, but he pushed her away and shot her husband in the
abdomen.

Then he shot himself in the head.

Joyce, a recent immigrant from England, told police that although they
didn’t know the Dodds well, Dolores Dodd had briefly been to their home
shortly before Dodd arrived. Police said Charles Dodd had been charged
with domestic abuse and on June 4 was sentenced to a year’s probation.

What became of Joyce Barlow and Dolores Dodd? No further information is available.

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