Category Archives: Black Dahlia

January 8, 1907: A Cold Dose of Reality

Posted on January 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 8, 1907: Los Angeles is dealing with a severe coal shortage. Coal was rationed to five sacks per customer and the buyers had pick them up at the coal yard. “The only place that hasn’t complained for the lack of coal is hell.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, LAPD, Pasadena, Photography, Streetcars | Leave a comment

January 7, 1907: TLC

Posted on January 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 7, 1907: Elizabeth Mahler is one of the bright spots at Long Beach Hospital. Though she was engaged, she was courted by a patient’s business partner. The engagement was broken and wedding bells chimed…. Nine years later, divorce court. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Religion, Streetcars | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia and … Zodiac?? Ask Me Anything, January 2026

Posted on January 6, 2026 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything was devoted to debunking alleged claims (by an “amateur code breaker”) that the Black Dahlia and Zodiac murders were by the same killer. Continue reading →

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January 5, 1907: A Fatal Can of Beans

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1907: Food poisoning from aged cans of pork and beans kills three people staying at a mountain cabin. Continue reading →

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January 4, 1947: Angry Sailor Sets Fire to Skid Row Hotel After Being Rolled

Posted on January 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 4, 1947: 19-year-old mess cook second class Edward Pavlischak is so angry at being rolled for $30 while drunk in a hotel room that he sets fire to the place, killing 1 and injuring 5. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, Fires, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January 4, 1907: The Mayor Departs From His Prepared Remarks

Posted on January 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 4, 1907: Mayor-elect Arthur C. Harper lays aside his prepared speech and tells an audience that he would look at every department in city government and that he had complete faith in the Owens River project. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, City Hall, LAPD, Streetcars | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia and Zodiac … ‘Solved’?

Posted on December 24, 2025 by lmharnisch

A quick reaction to claims that the Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases have been solved using AI/machine learning/LLMs. I’ll have more to say in next month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia. Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: December 23, 1949 — Jury Finds Dr. George Hodel Not Guilty of Molesting Tamar Hodel

Posted on December 23, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 23, 1949: A jury of eight women and four men finds Dr. George Hodel not guilty of molesting his daughter Tamar. Continue reading →

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George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, December 2025

Posted on December 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 20, 2025: This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel, announcing the Black Dahlia Book Club, coming in January, that will take a long look back at the books and articles written about the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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Coming in January: The Black Dahlia Book Club!

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

Starting January 20, I will be changing the George Hodel Ask Me Anything to the Black Dahlia Book Club, considering all the things that have been written about the Black Dahlia case, whether it’s forthcoming books or pulp magazine articles from the 1940s. At YouTube.com/LMHarnisch Continue reading →

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‘Ask Me Anything’ on George Hodel – December 16

Posted on December 9, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will do an Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel next Tuesday, December 16, at 10 a.m. Pacific time on YouTube. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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December 4, 1911: Man Arrested for ‘Masquerading in Female Attire’

Posted on December 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 4, 1911: Clarence Westfall, 22, is arrested for masquerading in female attire when the boat from San Diego docks in San Pedro. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, December 2025

Posted on December 2, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case includes a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a brief introduction to the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is December 2

Posted on November 25, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@lmharnisch) next Tuesday, December 2, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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November 20, 1947: Bobby-Soxer Kills Girl, 5

Posted on November 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 13, 1947: Joyce, 13, forces Myretta Jones, 5, to undress, then smashes her with a rock and a shovel until she’s dead. Why? Joyce said she didn’t know. Continue reading →

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November 19, 1941: Hollywood Model Dies of Botched Abortion

Posted on November 19, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 19, 1941: Angelka Rose Gogich was 18 when she died at Glendale Emergency Hospital after undergoing an abortion. She had be working as a model, hat check girl and dancer under the name Rose Ann Rae. Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Abortion, Art & Artists, Black Dahlia, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Medicine, Obituaries | Tagged | 1 Comment

George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, November 2025

Posted on November 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 18, 2025: This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel in the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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‘Ask Me Anything’ on George Hodel – November 18

Posted on November 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will do an Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel next Tuesday, November 18, at 10 a.m. Pacific time on YouTube. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, November 2025

Posted on November 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, including a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and why the Black Dahlia case shouldn’t be treated as a game of “Clue.” Continue reading →

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George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, October 2025

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 28, 2025: This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel in the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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