Category Archives: #courts

December 22, 1938: Jealous husband kills wife with ax

Posted on December 22, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 22, 1938: Virgilio Spinelli kills his wife, Rose, because she was going to run off with another man. He was convicted and executed in the gas chamber May 17, 1940. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1938, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | 2 Comments

December 21, 1930: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on December 21, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 21, 1930: Christine Collins, whose experiences inspired the movie “Changeling,” writes to the warden wishing him a Merry Christmas, even though parole was denied for her husband. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on December 21, 1930: Voices — Christine Collins

December 14, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 14, 1931: Christine Collins, whose tragedy inspired the film ‘Changeling,’ writes to prison officials about trying to find work for her husband, Walter, in case he is paroled. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1931, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on December 14, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

December 13, 1953: Father charged with leaving son, 4, in car parked on skid row

Posted on December 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 13, 1953: Police find Kenny Ross, 4, sleeping in a car parked on skid row. He’s taken to Juvenile Hall and his father is charged with child endangerment. Kenny wants to be a writer and asks for a typewriter for Christmas. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1953, Front Pages, LAPD | Comments Off on December 13, 1953: Father charged with leaving son, 4, in car parked on skid row

December 11, 1938: Breakfast of death; voodoo cult killings

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1938: A family’s ‘Breakfast of Death’; Voodoo Killer Suspect Seized; Man Dressed as Woman Found Hanging From Tree Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1938, Food and Drink, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on December 11, 1938: Breakfast of death; voodoo cult killings

December 9, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 9, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 9, 1959: A reporter for Ici Paris is assigned an interview with Caryl Chessman, and Matt Weinstock has the story. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, art and artists, broadcasting, Caryl Chessman, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Television | Comments Off on December 9, 1959: Matt Weinstock

December 2, 1958: Model stabbed, dumped off mountain highway

Posted on December 2, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 2, 1958: Model Charlotte Trosper is found stabbed to death in a clump of bushes off Angeles Crest Highway. Boyfriend Gerald Feasby was convicted in the killing. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Courts, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Homicide | Comments Off on December 2, 1958: Model stabbed, dumped off mountain highway

December 1, 1938: California prepares to execute two killers at San Quentin

Posted on December 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 1, 1938: California prepares to use the new gas chamber for two executions rather than the previous method of hanging. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1938, @news, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Politics, Religion, Sports | Comments Off on December 1, 1938: California prepares to execute two killers at San Quentin

November 27, 1968: O.J. Simpson wins Heisman

Posted on November 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 27, 1968: O.J. Simpson wins the Heisman Trophy after a remarkable two-year career at USC. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, broadcasting, Current Affairs, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Sports, Television | Comments Off on November 27, 1968: O.J. Simpson wins Heisman

November 26, 1958: LAPD honors dead officer’s heroism

Posted on November 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 26, 1958: The LAPD posthumously honors Sgt. Gene Nash with a Medal of Valor after he died following a shootout with robbery suspects. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, Cemeteries, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD, Television | Comments Off on November 26, 1958: LAPD honors dead officer’s heroism

November 25, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on November 25, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 25, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of a desperate young mother, her husband in jail and her children going hungry, rejected by all welfare and assistance programs, who abandons her children in a church. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Columnists, Paul Coates, Richard Nixon | Comments Off on November 25, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

November 23, 1938: Nuestro Pueblo — Lincoln Heights

Posted on November 23, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 23, 1938: Artist Charles Owens and reporter Joe Seewerker visit Sam’s Lunch Room, across from the Lincoln Heights Jail. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Food and Drink, Homicide, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo | Comments Off on November 23, 1938: Nuestro Pueblo — Lincoln Heights

November 22, 1930: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on November 22, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 22, 1930: The Rev. R.P. “Fighting Bob” Shuler urges parole for Walter Collins, imprisoned husband of Christine Collins. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on November 22, 1930: Voices — Christine Collins

November 21, 1919: Wife Divorces ‘Girlish’ Army Officer

Posted on November 21, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 21, 1919: Woman divorces Army officer who wears a girdle. “I always wanted a form like yours,” he wrote. “You will have quite a girl for your hubby.” Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #gays and lesbians | Comments Off on November 21, 1919: Wife Divorces ‘Girlish’ Army Officer

November 19, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on November 19, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 19, 1959: A convicted robber who escaped from jail talks to Paul Coates about why he did it and whether to surrender to police. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, Columnists, Front Pages, Paul Coates, Transportation | Comments Off on November 19, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

November 18, 1958: Mickey Cohen pal back from the dead

Posted on November 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 18, 1959: Mickey Cohen pal is back from the dead! Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Mickey Cohen | Comments Off on November 18, 1958: Mickey Cohen pal back from the dead

November 16, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on November 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 16, 1959: Erle Stanley Gardner tells Paul Coates: “The basic problem facing law enforcement today is one of public relations.” Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, books, Columnists, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

November 16, 1958: I Want to Live — The Barbara Graham murder case

Posted on November 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 16, 1958: Five years after the execution of Barbara Graham in the Mabel Monahan killing, the story comes to the screen in the Robert Wise film “I Want to Live!” by Nelson Gidding and Don Mankiewicz, starring Susan Hayward in an Oscar-winning performance. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, San Fernando Valley | Comments Off on November 16, 1958: I Want to Live — The Barbara Graham murder case

November 15, 1909: Finds ‘Husband’ Is Woman

Posted on November 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 15, 1909: Dr. Alice Bush of Oakland sues for divorce, charging that her husband, R.K. Morgan, failed to disclose something rather important. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #gays and lesbians, Homicide | Comments Off on November 15, 1909: Finds ‘Husband’ Is Woman

Voices — Christine Collins, November 14, 1930

Posted on November 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 14, 1930: James Borton writes to the warden about the parole hearing for Christine Collins’ husband, Walter. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on Voices — Christine Collins, November 14, 1930