Category Archives: Homicide

Time Traveling With the L.A. Daily Mirror [Updated]

Posted on July 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Pier Angeli and friend with a reminder on Daylight Saving Time, 1958 I decided to import my old lmharnisch blog, devoted mainly to dissecting “The Black Dahlia Files” by Donald “Fake Document” Wolfe. Now there are posts going back … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 2008, 2009, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, Film, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | Tagged 1947, black dahlia, cold cases, lapd | 1 Comment

Bill James’ ‘Popular Crime’: Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on July 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

I have procrastinated about looking at Bill James’ “Popular Crime” because, as curious as it may seem, I don’t care much for “true” crime books. Even when they are well done (which is almost never) the subject matter is depressing … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged #crime and courts, 1947, black dahlia, books, cold cases, lapd | 4 Comments

Leesa Jo Shaner – Update

Posted on July 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Leesa Jo Shaner An attempt to resolve one of the nation’s most baffling unsolved crimes is quietly unfolding in federal court in Tucson: The mystery of Leesa Jo Shaner, who vanished May 29, 1973, on her way to the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1973, Cold Cases, Homicide | Tagged #1973, #Cold Cases, #homicide | 2 Comments

Attorney Storms Office, Seizes D.A.’s Bugging Equipment

Posted on July 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

July 15, 1941: Defense attorney Samuel Rummel (shot to death Dec. 11, 1950) breaks a door and seizes a dictograph wired to a microphone in his office in the William Fox Building, 608 S. Hill. Rummel was defending Deputy Charles … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Cold Cases, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Mickey Cohen, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged #crime and courts, #homicide, #la | Comments Off

7|12|2011 #history #museum #cold cases [Updated]

Posted on July 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

Sept. 19, 1890: Edison’s talking doll in the Sydney Journal. RECOMMENDEDRon Cowen in the Washington Post has a great story about scientists using optical scanning to recover a primitive recording made by Thomas Edison about 1889 for a talking doll. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cold Cases, History, Homicide, Museums | Tagged #Cold Cases, #history, #museum | Comments Off

Maria Ridulph: McCullough Denies Kidnapping, Killing Girl

Posted on July 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

Ted Gregory and Isolde Raftery of the Chicago Tribune, reporting from Seattle, have a jailhouse interview with Jack Daniel McCullough, suspected in the 1957 killing of Maria Ridulph. “You gotta have evidence. They have nothing,” McCullough tells Trib.

Posted in 1957, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Seattle | Tagged #1957, #Cold Cases, #homicide, #Maria Ridulph | 2 Comments

Maria Ridulph: Ex-Cop Had History of Abuse, Records Show

Posted on July 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

John O’Connor of the Associated Press files a story from Springfield, Ill., about affidavits submitted against Jack Daniel McCullough in the kidnapping and killing of Maria Ridulph. McCullough, a former police officer, was fired over accusations that he molested a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Maria Ridulph | Tagged #1957, #Cold Cases, #Maria Ridulph | Comments Off

The FBI Thins Its Files

Posted on July 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

I had the strangest experience Saturday when I was going through Ernest Hemingway’s FBI file. I was sure the buro had posted Louis Armstrong’s dossier — it’s brief and not terribly interesting except for the fact that it exists. Or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Homicide, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged #FBI, 1947, archives, black dahlia, cold cases, lapd | Comments Off

Man Held in 1957 Cold Case Killing of Maria Ridulph

Posted on July 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 3, 1957-April 26, 1958 Sycamore, Ill Note: Jack Daniel McCullough has been charged in the 1957 killing of Maria Ridulph. Here’s an article I wrote about the case in 2007. Maria E. Ridulph* was a 7-year-old girl from Sycamore, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Cold Cases, Homicide | Tagged #1957, #Cold Cases, #crime and courts, #homicide | 2 Comments

‘Zoot Suit’ and history – Part 1

Posted on June 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

I was extremely fortunate to attend Wednesday night’s showing of “Zoot Suit” and hear remarks by the panel that preceded the show. Betto Arcos moderated a session with director Luis Valdez, Rose Portillo (Della), Edward James Olmos (El Pachuco) and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, 1943, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Latinos, Music, Stage, Theaters, Zoot Suit | Tagged #1942, #1943, #courts, #fashion, #film, #hollywood, #LAPD, #Latinos, #music, #theaters, 1947, black dahlia, cold cases, lapd | 4 Comments

The Daily Mirror Is Moving

Posted on June 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

I’m moving to LADailyMirror.com Henry Fuhrmann, one of the assistant managing editors at The Times, likes to say: “Always take the high road. The view is nicer up there.” Henry is my friend, as well as my supervisor, and he … Continue reading →

Posted in Countdown to Watts, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, UFOs, World War II | 23 Comments

Mack Ray Edwards’ Legacy of Grief

Posted on June 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

Note: The Times is reporting that Mack Ray Edwards is a suspect in the 1961 disappearance of 7-year-old Ramona Price outside Santa Barbara. Here’s a 1959 column that Paul Coates wrote about one of Edwards’ victims. Today marks an anniversary that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, 1959, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

Immigrants Overwhelm San Diego!

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

San Diego has everything a family might want: A moderate climate and jobs in the expanding defense industries. But there’s no place to live. Rep. John H. Tolan (D-Oakland) is holding hearings in San Diego on the plight of migrants … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Environment, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Immigration, LAPD, San Diego, Transportation, World War II | Tagged 1947, black dahlia, cold cases, lapd | 1 Comment

‘Hunchback Killer’ Arrested, June 8, 1941

Posted on June 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 8, 1941: For some time, I have been coming across stories about Alfred Horace Wells in going through the 1941 clips — “hunchback killer” is not a nickname that’s easy to forget. But I haven’t done anything on him … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1941, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler, May 26, 1941

Posted on May 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 26, 1941: PITTSBURGH, May 25 (AP) — A man's leg was found along the Ohio River at suburban Moon Township tonight and detectives seeking the remainder of the body said it was probably "another … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off

Yorty Seeks to Limit L.A. Mayors to Two Terms

Posted on May 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 3, 1961: The Times editorial page backs Mayor Norris Poulson, who lost to challenger Sam Yorty. Although Yorty advocated a two-term limit for mayors, he served three terms and was seeking a fourth when he … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, art and artists, Caryl Chessman, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Comments Off

Garden Grove Teenagers Find Severed Head

Posted on May 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

Lampson Avenue and Knott Street via Google street view. April 30-May 18, 1961: Three Garden Grove teenagers riding their bikes along Lampson Avenue near Knott Street, an area of tomato fields, find … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, art and artists, Crime and Courts, Homicide | 1 Comment

From the Stacks – ‘Portraits of Crime’ (1977)

Posted on April 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

Two years after writing about LAPD Det. Ector Garcia, I finally located a copy of his book, “Portraits of Crime,” which arrived in the mail from the U.K. while I was on vacation. No one will ever mistake … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1977, books, Crime and Courts, Downtown, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Hollywood Division, Homicide, LAPD, Pages of History, San Fernando Valley, Venice Division, West Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

‘The Chinese Murder,’ April 29, 1891

Posted on April 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

April 29, 1891: The Times reports the death of a Chinese woman named Ah Gue/Goot Gue, who was shot in the abdomen by her husband, Wong Ark/Gam Duck, outside a brothel on Apablasa Street. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1891, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off

Paul Coates, April 13, 1961

Posted on April 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

April 13, 1961: An Anaheim man found some gold-colored flecks in the backyard and tested them for gold by putting them in a half-teaspoon of mercury that he heated over the stove, poisoning his family, Paul Coates says. “Spade … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Homicide, Paul Coates | Comments Off