Woman killed

 

1958_0204_modlin_2

1958_0204_noonan_hed

Feb. 4, 1958

Los Angeles

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They were just four kids out driving around, all jammed in the front
seat as Robert cruised South Los Angeles. Judy was sitting next to him.
Then there was George and a 16-year-old girl whom the newspapers never
identified.

George was carrying a .38 revolver under his jacket and either he or
the girl pulled it out to show it to everyone. Robert told him to
unload the gun, so George dumped the bullets on the floor of the car.
Robert took the gun, pointed it out the window and pulled the trigger,
but it didn’t fire, The Times said.

As he handed the gun back to George, Judy grabbed it and it fired,
striking her in the left temple, news accounts say. The three of them
dumped the car at 53rd Street and Denker Avenue. That’s where police found Judy Larene Noonan, dead. The 21-year-old woman lived at 3839 W. 58th St. and was the mother of two children.

While Robert looked for a telephone to report the shooting, George and the teenage girl went to 46th Street and Western Avenue,
where he dumped the gun and she got him a change of clothes because he was covered with
blood.

Murder charges were dropped against Robert Lawrence Miller, 20, 4221 Kansas Ave., and George Lee Modlin, 19, 1753 W. 55th,
after a coroner’s jury ruled that the slaying was an accident. However,
they were charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Miller had a record
of felony arrests and Modlin was out on bail
after being arrested on charge of burglary, The Times said. The girl
was released to her parents and was never charged. 

The Times never reported anything further about the case.

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in #courts, Homicide, LAPD and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Woman killed

  1. Unknown's avatar zabadu says:

    I’m always amazed that in the 50s, women looked so old! She’s 21? Same with the young girl that pulled the man off the bridge. Thank God severe hairstyles and makeup have changed.
    I think they probably shot her myself. But what do I know?

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  2. christina gutierrez's avatar christina gutierrez says:

    Judy was my aunt. She was killed before I was born. My Mother and her were sisters. She is still missed today. I wish that I would have had a chance to meet her. I have heard many stories about her and she sounds like she was a beautiful person. Love ya Aunt Judy!
    Christina

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