Category Archives: Homicide

April 15, 1908: Accused Wife Killer Says ‘Everything Went Black’

Posted on April 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 15,1908: Quong Wai, who is fighting a deportation order, says he is an American born in San Francisco. He says immigration officers arrested him at a streetcar station without reason. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages, Homicide, Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

April 11, 1958: Johnny Stompanato inquest

Posted on April 13, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 11, 1958: The Mirror publishes excerpts from the inquest of Johnny Stompanato. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Johnny Stompanato, RIP

Posted on April 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 5, 1958: Cheryl Crane fatally stabs Johnny Stompanato at the home of Lana Turner, 730 N. Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills. Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Front Pages, Homicide, Mickey Cohen | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

November 12, 1960: Former Mirror Writer Beaten to Death – Update

Posted on March 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

Revisiting a cold case from 1960: The hammer murder of reporter/rewrite man Roby Heard. Continue reading →

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March 5, 1959: Blinded by Bullet, Officer Shoots Gunman Who Killed Partner

Posted on March 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 5, 1959: Police Officer Ector A. Garcia, known for his skill in sketching crime suspects, kills the man who shot his partner despite being blinded by gunfire. Garcia became a noted police artist, publishing the book “Portraits of Crime.” Continue reading →

Posted in #East L.A., art and artists, books, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on March 5, 1959: Blinded by Bullet, Officer Shoots Gunman Who Killed Partner

Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, March 2026

Posted on March 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case includes a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a possible appearance on Michael Connelly’s podcast. Continue reading →

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February 29, 1932: Body Found in Closet of Vacant Home

Posted on March 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 29, 1932: Nailed up in the closet of an unoccupied house at 2318 Pontius Ave.., West Los Angeles, the body of Tomas Moreno (or Towas Morino), 43-year-old Japanese, was discovered yesterday by friends. Continue reading →

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February 7, 1863: Smallpox Epidemic – Los Angeles

Posted on February 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 7, 1863: A smallpox epidemic of 278 cases sweeps Los Angeles, with 170 unvaccinated and 146 vaccinated. Continue reading →

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February 3, 1939: Nuestro Pueblo

Posted on February 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 3, 1939: Times artist Charles Owens and writer Joe Seewerker visit the San Pedro breakwater. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, February 2026

Posted on February 3, 2026 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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February 2, 1938: Jelousy slaying

Posted on February 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 2, 1938: After watching The Times twist and turn to avoid saying exactly what the victims in the Paul Wright case were doing when they were shot, we finally get around to it–sort of. Hint: All had been drinking heavily. Continue reading →

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January 24, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 24, 1959: Paul Coates has the story about the fight over the body of Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer between his parents and his ex-wife. In the meantime, Switzer’s body remains in the morgue. Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Paul Coates, Television | Comments Off on January 24, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

January 20, 1947: ‘Good Night. Sleep Peacefully With Compliments of Jacks’

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1947: Florabel Muir recounts the murder scene of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. TW: graphic contents. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Trim Your Roses on January 15 to Remember Elizabeth Short

Posted on January 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 15: Today is the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s death. As is the custom, the Daily Mirror will be dark. Trim your roses in her memory. Continue reading →

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January 14, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 14, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 14, 1959: Paul Coates has an update on three boys, the oldest age 10, who killed their father as he slept. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, Columnists, Homicide, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 14, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

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 →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

December 3, 1957: Girl kidnapped

Posted on December 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

Revisiting the 1957 abduction and killing of Maria Ridulph from Sycamore, Ill. Continue reading →

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December 29, 1938: Bookie shot to death in Hollywood

Posted on December 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

By the end of 1938, Weldon sensed that he was a marked man and that death was not far off. He could have stayed out of Los Angeles and maybe he would have lived–at least for a while. But he … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, City Hall, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on December 29, 1938: Bookie shot to death in Hollywood

December 27, 1947: Youth Questioned in Georgette Bauerdorf Killing

Posted on December 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 27, 1947: Sheriff’s detectives question Robert White in the 1944 killing of Georgette Bauerdorf. Continue reading →

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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