Category Archives: LAPD

November 12, 1958: Teenage hitchhiker killed

Posted on November 12, 2026 by lmharnisch

November 12, 1958: Daryle Kelch, 17, was kidnapped and killed while hitchhiking. His murder was never solved. Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD, Obituaries | Leave a comment

November 12, 1941: Crowds Line Broadway for Armistice Day Parade

Posted on November 12, 2026 by lmharnisch

November 12, 1941: Crowds line Broadway in downtown Los Angeles for the annual Armistice Day parade, which marked the end of what used to be called the Great War or the World War – until we had another one. Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, A Kinder, Simpler Time, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Streetcars, Theaters, Tom Treanor, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia Book Club–Coming November 17, 2026

Posted on November 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The next session of the Black Dahlia Book Club is November 17 at 10 a.m. Pacific time on YouTube.com/LMHarnisch In this session I’ll discuss Theodora Keogh’s “The Other Girl.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Voices — Christine Collins, November 10, 1930

Posted on November 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

November 10, 1930: Aimee Dunne, Christine Collins’ sister, writes to the prison board about parole for Walter Collins. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Leave a comment

Voices — Christine Collins, November 9, 1930

Posted on November 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

November 9, 1930: The woman whose tragedy inspired the movie ‘Changeling’ tells her story in her own words. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, November 2026

Posted on November 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, I gave a behind the scenes account of making the 2001 documentary James Ellroy’s Feast of Death Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

October 31, 1957: Trick or Treat Murder

Posted on October 31, 2026 by lmharnisch

October 31, 1957: The Trick-or-Treat Murder. Joan and Goldyne planned for months on killing hairdresser Peter Fabiano on Halloween. Investigation revealed that Fabiano had recently reconciled with his wife, Betty, after separating over her relationship with Joan. Continue reading →

Posted in #gays and lesbians, 1957, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on October 31, 1957: Trick or Treat Murder

October 28, 1938: Mayor investigates honorary LAPD badges

Posted on October 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

October 28, 1938: Mayor Fletcher Bowron calls for an investigation into so-called juice badges given to celebrities and others by the LAPD. This eventually resulted in an overhaul of the badge to its current design. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Downtown, Front Pages, LAPD, Politics | Comments Off on October 28, 1938: Mayor investigates honorary LAPD badges

October 28, 1907: Former LAPD Chief Calls It ‘Most Detestable Job Ever Created’

Posted on October 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

October 28, 1907: A former LAPD chief says the job is the worst in the city. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on October 28, 1907: Former LAPD Chief Calls It ‘Most Detestable Job Ever Created’

Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming October 27, 2026

Posted on October 13, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The Black Dahlia Book Club will meet a week later than usual: October 27 at 10 a.m. Pacific time at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. Up for charity auction, a signed first edition of Michael Connelly’s ‘The Drop.’ Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Books and Authors, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming October 27, 2026

October 9. 1907: Trellis, The Confidence Woman

Posted on October 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

October 9, 1907: She was known as Trellis C. Harris or Trellis Blessing—or Edna Hall. But her method was always the same. She would commit some theft, then fake an epileptic fit, spitting up blood from a capsule hidden in her mouth. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Pasadena | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on October 9. 1907: Trellis, The Confidence Woman

Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, October 2026

Posted on October 6, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, I discussed Michael Connelly’s suppression of exculpatory evidence in Killer in the Code, which alleges that Marvin Margolis killed Elizabeth Short and hints that he killed Georgette Bauerdorf. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, October 2026

October 1, 1910: ‘A Terrible Roar’

Posted on October 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

October 1, 1910: The Los Angeles Times Building is bombed by labor radicals, killing 20 employees. Continue reading →

Posted in 1910, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Fires, Labor, LAPD | Tagged , | Comments Off on October 1, 1910: ‘A Terrible Roar’

Reminder: My Next Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia Case Is October 6

Posted on September 29, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The next Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case is at 10 a.m. Pacific time Tuesday at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch The next Black Dahlia Book Club is October 27 at 10 a.m. on my YouTube channel. See you then! Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Reminder: My Next Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia Case Is October 6

Voices — Christine Collins, September 28, 1931

Posted on September 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

September 28, 1931: George Anderson of the Los Angeles Railway system, writes a letter to prison officials saying he has no objection to parole for Walter Collins, who was sentenced for holding up the railway. The murder of Collins’ son was the basis for the Clint Eastwood film ‘Changeling.’ Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1931, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Transportation | Comments Off on Voices — Christine Collins, September 28, 1931

September 28, 1907: L.A. Motorcycle Club Backs Ban on Loud Pipes

Posted on September 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

September 28, 1907: Members of the Los Angeles Motorcycle Club have written to officials in support of a measure banning loud exhaust pipes on motorcycles. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, City Hall, LAPD, Transportation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on September 28, 1907: L.A. Motorcycle Club Backs Ban on Loud Pipes

Black Dahlia Book Club for September 2026

Posted on September 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

The Black Dahlia Book Club for September 2026 is posted on youtube.com/@lmharnisch/streams Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia Book Club for September 2026

September 13, 1963: Woman’s Body Found Behind Wall in Highland Park Home

Posted on September 13, 2026 by lmharnisch

September 13, 1963: Joseph Lewis of Highland Park wasn’t terribly concerned when his wife, Anna, disappeared. It was only when her daughter returned from vacation that police were notified. Continue reading →

Posted in 1963, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Suicide | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

September 10, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on September 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

September 10, 1931: Christine Collins, whose experiences inspired the Clint Eastwood movie ‘Changeling,’ writes to the warden seeking release for her husband, Walter. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1931, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on September 10, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

Black Dahlia Book Club — Coming September 15, 2026

Posted on September 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The next session of the Black Dahlia Book Club is Tuesday, September 15, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. I will discuss the LAPD files in the Black Dahlia case and conclude the charity auction of Michael Connelly’s ‘The Narrows.’ Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia Book Club — Coming September 15, 2026