Category Archives: Homicide

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

Posted on April 15, 2008 by lmharnisch

Below, an old-fashioned lunatic–really crazy–is on trial in the killing of his ex-wife, who used to sleep with a knife under her pillow. He uses the “everything went black” defense … The Police Board appoints a committee to study scam … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages, Homicide, Music | Tagged | Comments Off on April 15, 1908: Accused Wife Killer Says ‘Everything Went Black’

April 11, 1958: Johnny Stompanato inquest

Posted on April 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

April 11, 1958 Los Angeles Note: This is an encore post from 2008. The Mirror published excerpts of the coroner’s inquest in the death of Johnny Stompanato. Several crucial paragraphs about the stabbing are, unfortunately, illegible in my scan of … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on April 11, 1958: Johnny Stompanato inquest

April 11, 1958

Posted on April 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Gosh, I don’t remember "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent" coming to my neighborhood theater when I was a kid. And no, it’s not on Netflix! "The Astounding She Monster" is not a title that leaves much to the imagination, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on April 11, 1958

Paul Coates

Posted on April 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

April 10, 1958 Well, this is fairly odd. We didn’t write a word about this shooting and I can’t imagine the reason. Let me take that back. I can think of one reason we wouldn’t have written about it. I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Homicide, LAPD, Paul Coates | Tagged , | 1 Comment

April 10, 1958

Posted on April 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

Half a century does nothing to erase the pain of this picture. The young man is David Greenstein and he’s being comforted by his mother, Gladys, after a coroner’s jury ruled that his slaying of his father, Rubin, was justifiable … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 10, 1958

Girl strangled

Posted on April 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

April 4-June 12, 1958 Los Angeles "I think I just killed a girl."Cary had killed her, all right. Strangled her with her sweater. Afterward, he drove around the Valley with her slumped under the dash until the left front wheel … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Girl strangled

April 9, 1958

Posted on April 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, a review of a concert at the Million Dollar Theater (coming up May 11: Mariachi Vargas!) Below, Mickey Cohen touches off a sensation by releasing Lana Turner’s love letters to Johnny Stompanato. Quote of the Day: "In all my … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Mickey Cohen, Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on April 9, 1958

April 9, 1938

Posted on April 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Cleveland’s notorious "Torso Killer" strikes again. Below, a defense expert examines bomb fragments in the Harry Raymond case … The 40 women in the 1st Street School Americanization class stage a fashion show. I’ll have to do a little … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD, Politics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 9, 1938

April 8, 1958

Posted on April 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Al Jolson in blackface as the lead in "Porgy and Bess" while African Americans play all the other roles? Now there’s a casting idea that takes my breath away. Philip Scheuer interviews Ira Gershwin and notes that the lyricist … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on April 8, 1958

Paul Coates

Posted on April 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

April 7, 1958 I’ll post more on this story soon. Stay tuned….

Posted in Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

April 7, 1958

Posted on April 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, the quarrel between Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato that led to his death may have begun over whether he was going to accompany her to the Academy Awards! Below, some of the type is missing from the jump of … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on April 7, 1958

Cheryl Crane

Posted on April 5, 2008 by lmharnisch

Photograph by the Los Angeles Times Cheryl Crane in a heavily retouched photograph published April 6, 1958, while she was being held in the stabbing death of Johnny Stompanato. This is one of the most heavily repainted photographs I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Johnny Stompanato, RIP

Posted on April 5, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, the Mirror brings out an extra on the Johnny Stompanato killing.

Posted in Front Pages, Homicide, Mickey Cohen | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

April 4, 1908

Posted on April 4, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Opening Day in the Pacific Coast League. Below, a bitter legal battle in which a woman is seeking a court order barring her husband and his adopted children from selling any of their real estate because she would receive … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Front Pages, Homicide, Sports | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 4, 1908

Death in La Puente

Posted on March 29, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 29, 1958 Two cars cruised La Puente on a Friday night. One car carried Fred Avila, 20, and three unidentified young women. The other carried four young men from La Puente: Manuel Garcia, 19; Refugio Luna Jr., 20; John … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Death in La Puente

March 20, 1958

Posted on March 20, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, more layoffs, this time in Los Angeles’ auto assembly plants in South Gate, Van Nuys and Maywood, recall the recurring theme of unemployment in recent columns by Matt Weinstock and Paul Coates. Below, the Navy discovers that a mystery … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodgers, Front Pages, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on March 20, 1958

Body dumped

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 4-May 7, 1958 Riverside A couple of Pinal County deputies found the new Fiat, wrecked and abandoned in Florence, Ariz., with a bloodstain in the backseat and a charge slip dated the previous day from a gas station in … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Body dumped

Sleepy Lagoon

Posted on March 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

Aug. 3, 1942 Los Angeles I received several requests for Times stories on the Sleepy Lagoon case after we published the obituary of Manuel Reyes, who was wrongly convicted in the slaying of Jose Diaz. This is our first story … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Front Pages, Homicide | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay

Posted on March 5, 2008 by lmharnisch

Regular reader Callbox Sam pointed out this item on EBay: A copy of the Feb. 8, 1947, Herald-Express with the Page 1 story about Joseph Dumais’ confession in the Black Dahlia killing. Dumais conned Army investigators (but not the LAPD) … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , | 1 Comment

March 5, 1958

Posted on March 5, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, note the longstanding popularity of mysteries–alas, the Daily Mirror won’t be doing mystery tunes anytime soon. Below, a prowler who cures his nausea by being a peeping Tom is arrested near the scene of the Marjorie Hipperson killing …  … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , | 1 Comment