Grim Sleeper No. 139

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  grim_sleeper139_adjust  

  grim_sleeper139_mail_slot02  

Grim Sleeper No. 139 has a bit of interesting signage that says “The Mail Slot” and gives a phone number that appears to be 419-0395. I’m not able to locate this number or business, so I’m assuming it’s defunct. Does the “82” indicate 1982? A car in the background looks like a Volkswagen Beetle but otherwise identifying the cars will take more research.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson
Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, No. 76  

  Grim Sleeper No. 76  
  Grim Sleeper, No. 78  

  Grim Sleeper No. 78  

These ladies, plus Nos. 75 and 77, have a labret, or piercing, in their lower lip.   No. 76 also has a tattoo on her chest, but I’m not going to speculate on whether it says “Kendreay” because I can’t clarify the image adequately

Grim Sleeper, No. 76

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 75 Grim Sleeper, No. 76

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 77 Grim Sleeper, No. 78
Grim Sleeper, No. 77 Grim Sleeper No., 78

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Reagan May Call Economic Emergency

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  image  

  Dec. 18, 1980, Comics  

Dec. 18, 1980: With the prime lending rate at 21% and expected to rise to 23% or 25% (welcome to 1980 and the Carter administration!) President-elect Ronald Reagan is weighing whether to declare an economic emergency when he takes office. 

Notice the twin two-column stories at the bottom of the front page. In Times’ layout style of this era, these were called “corner stories” and prevailed for years. Also notice that one of them deals with Gov. Jerry Brown using tax money for political purposes (he reimbursed the money) and that his chief of staff was Gray Davis.

On the jump, the rest of George Skelton’s first-rate analysis of what Reagan did wrong on his first trip to Washington as governor and what he did right as president-elect.

Skelton says: “Most veterans of the Reagan era now agree that the former actor's initial poor relationship with the Legislature resulted from a combination of his ignorance of the subtle ways of government and his then basic disrespect for politicians generally.”

"He and all the people around him had the feeling that all the members of the Legislature were a bunch of bums, which is not to say some weren't," said a former Republican state officeholder.

Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Front Pages, Ronald Reagan, Television | 2 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper No. 75

  
  Grim Sleeper, No. 77  

This is a different sort of puzzle. Grim Sleeper No. 75, top, and No. 77, have a tattoo that reads “Kendreay, RIP or HIP” and they both have a piercing (called a labret) in their bottom lips, but one woman is much heavier than the other.  

Grim Sleeper No. 75 Grim Sleeper, No. 77

 

  Grim Sleeper No. 75  

Above, No. 75’s tattoo.

  Grim Sleeper, No. 77  

And No. 77’s tattoo.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-97, Maxine — Updated

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

Grim Reaper, No. 96 Grim Reaper, No. 97
Nos. 96, left, and 97, right, seem to be the same woman. And in No. 97, she’s wearing a name tag that says “Maxine.” The shape of her name tag is quite distinctive. Does anyone recognize it?

[Update: This is a Taco Bell uniform.]

 Grim Reaper, No. 97

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

Posted in Crime and Courts | 7 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 59 Grim Sleeper, No. 81

It seems that Grim Sleeper Nos. 59, left, and 81, right, show the same woman and may have been taken at the same time.  No. 81 is dated May 8, 2006, which may or may not be accurate. Grim Sleeper, No. 81
  Grim Sleeper, No. 81  

Grim Sleeper, No. 81 The background in No. 81 shows quite a bit of “shade-tree mechanic” material. At left, there are some old traffic cones and some piece of a car (maybe an alternator?) in a Capri Sun box.

And here’s a set of plastic shelves full of motor oil, spray bottles, coolant (Valucraft is sold at AutoZone) and other auto-related  material. Grim Sleeper, No. 81

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, Dec. 17, 1960

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 17, 1960, Comics  
  “Quiet, Dreena … I must think!”  

Dec. 17, 1960: Members of the Associated Plumbing Contractors of L.A. pool their Christmas party money to build an elaborate model train layout for the disabled children at Casa Colina in Pomona, Matt Weinstock says.

Paul Coates dips into his mailbag…. and

CONFIDENTIAL TO BERTHA, SALLY AND ROSALIE: If you want male companionship in Miami this winter, better bring your own.

Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, Dec. 17, 1960

Plane Crash Survivor Dies, Dec. 17, 1960

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

 
 

  Dec. 17, 1960, Mirror Cover  

Dec. 17, 1960: Maurice Zolotow’s biography of Marilyn Monroe ends with a portrait of the actress’ continual insecurity, professionally and personally. And Zolotow adds a postscript on Monroe and Yves Montand.

“The breakup that was to make Arthur Miller another ex-Mr. Marilyn Monroe, like Jim Dougherty and Joe DiMaggio, had been presaged by the declining status of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright in the Monroe menage as well as in the world of the stage. And also by rumors and jokes that emanated from Hollywood,” Zolotow says. 

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Front Pages, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, No. 141  

Grim Sleeper No. 141 appears to be a Polaroid marked Deborah B. Cleveland, Sept. 18, 2001, although there seems to have been some hesitation about the “18,” as if the writer started with 28 and changed his mind. It is also marked “B.K.A. Chocolate.” If you boost the contrast, you can see the double mirrors outside the passenger’s window, but that’s all.

Grim Sleeper No. 142 is a detail from this photo that crops out the handwriting. 

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | 3 Comments

Grim Sleeper No. 149

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Grim Sleeper No. 149  

8101 S. Western
Grim Sleeper photo No. 149 has quite a bit of detail. The picture apparently shows Frenchie’s Patio Soul Food, which was located 8101 S. Western Ave. (323) 753-2614. The only mention in The Times is a 1998 story by Jocelyn Stewart about an annual day of dialogue on race relations begun in 1995 after the L.A. riots.

A quick look at a map might fill in some blanks. The restaurant was just around the corner from 1728 W. 81st St., the home of Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie David Franklin Jr.

But we run into some problems. According to Property Shark, 8101 S. Western Ave. is a restaurant/cocktail lounge built in 1977.

  8101 S. Western  

Which is clearly not what we find on Google maps street view.

Aha, this was built in 2006.

  grim_sleeper149_mirror  

We can also see a little bit more of the neighborhood reflected in the right side-view mirror. I’ve flopped it (we’re starting with a reflection in a mirror) to show what we would see if we were standing by the van and looking back. This appears to be the north side of West 81st Street.

  81st Street  

  Grim Sleeper sticker  

On further examination, I found a couple of interesting things in the van. The first is some sort of humorous bumper sticker on the passenger’s sun visor.

  Grim Sleeper 149 registration  

And there also appears to be some sort of vehicle registration fixed to the windshield.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

 

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 3 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Dec. 17, 1940

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  image  

  Dec. 17, 1940, Snow  

  Dec. 17, 1940, Snow  

Dec. 17. 1940: Watching Mae West stroll down the avenue, I always catch myself musing on the sway of all flesh, Jimmie Fidler says.

Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Nightclubs, Transportation | 1 Comment

Grim Sleeper No. 166

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  grim_sleeper166_d_johnson  

  grim_sleeper166_d_johnson  

Grim Sleeper No. 166 is wearing an ID badge reading “Ms. D. Johnson, N.A.” If I had to guess, I would say this was taken professionally and is some sort of graduation picture, and I would assume that D. Johnson was a nurse’s aide.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 2 Comments

Movieland Christmas Mystery Photo

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

Photograph by Bill Murphy/Los Angeles Times
Here’s a mystery fellow with a mystery pet!
Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 13 Comments

Never Seen Again — Update

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  George Ripley Fuller  
  June 15, 1956, Fuller  

I recently heard from relatives of Dr. George Ripley Fuller, who was the subject of a Paul Coates column in July 2007 and a follow-up post a few days later. Fuller’s story was one of several baffling accounts published in the late 1950s about brilliant men, usually scientists, who mysteriously vanished. One of the more unusual cases was that of Albert Clark Reed, a scientist who disappeared on his way to Caltech and turned up six years later as a groom at Santa Anita. 

One thing I noted in my 2007 post was the apparent disinterest of Fuller’s relatives in his disappearance. I received this e-mail from one of Fuller’s nephews and I’m sharing it as an update.

My name is Walter Atherton Fuller III.  My grandmother and grandfather were Marjorie and Walter A. Fuller Sr.  (parents of George Ripley Fuller) My father was W. Atherton Fuller Jr. (brother of George Ripley Fuller) Today the oldest of my three sisters told me of this LA Times blog article about the disappearance of my uncle George.  Our father didn't talk much about his brother. We only met him once in New York while we were visiting our grandparents during Thanksgiving. I have a pastel portrait of my uncle George when he was a young boy. It was in our house when we were growing up in Maine. We brought it to California when my dad passed away. The portrait resembled our son and until recently hung over our mantle.

George's other brother , Leroy, lived with his family in Virginia. We saw Leroy and his family often when they came to visit us in Maine.

What concerned me in the blog article was the next to the last paragraph.

"Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Fuller's disappearance is that his family took absolutely no interest in it. Neither of his brothers, one living in Maine and the other in Florida, nor his parents set foot in Los Angeles as far as I can tell and apparently they had little interest in solving what became of him."

We were all very young when our uncle disappeared.  His disappearance devastated my grandmother. True, they did not travel to California to follow-up on the investigation of his disappearance, but to say they apparently had little interest in finding out what became of him seems a stretch. My grandparents kept in constant touch with investigators. Every year at Christmas she and my grandfather would set a light outside and leave it on for 24 hours. As far as the mystery being solved, we were told that they found his remains years later when doing road construction, near the spot where the car was originally located. My dad didn't talk much about him, just that he had some emotional problems.

ALSO

Paul Coates on Dr. George Ripley Fuller

Never Seen Again

Posted in Education, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Never Seen Again — Update

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | Comments Off on Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52

Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  grim_sleeper_51-53_final  

Here are three more photos that seem to belong together, Nos. 51-53. Perhaps the women will be more recognizable in context with one another.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson
Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 5 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, 56-57  

Here’s another pair of photos that belong together. Maybe these women will be more recognizable in context with one another. No. 56 is on the right, No. 57 is on the left.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson


Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | Comments Off on Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57

Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49

Posted on December 16, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, 48-49  

 
I noticed in going through the LAPD’s photos in the Grim Sleeper case that several images were taken from one photo. Here’s Nos. 48 and 49, pasted back together. Maybe these women will be more recognizable in context with one another. 

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

The Grim Sleeper on the Daily Mirror

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 4 Comments

Matt Weinstock, Dec. 16, 1960

Posted on December 16, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 16, 1960, Comics  

Dec. 16, 1960: Matt Weinstock has the story of a cat that was taken to West Hollywood because its Bunker Hill home was to be torn down, but made its way back because it was evidently homesick. 

CONFIDENTIAL TO "SO IN LOVE": He may mean it when he says he loves you, but that doesn't mean he intends to leave his wife.

Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, art and artists, classical music, Columnists, Comics, Downtown, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, Dec. 16, 1960

127 Die When Planes Collide Over New York

Posted on December 16, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 16, 1960, Cover  

Dec. 16, 1960: The collision of two airplanes over New York is one of the terrible news stories of my childhood. Stephen Baltz, 11, survived the crash but died of his injuries

His father, William said at a news conference: “Stevie tried awfully hard because my son was a wonderful boy — not because he was my son, but because he was Stevie.

"We thought that he would have been a tremendous and outstanding man, but we were not privileged to see him grow into manhood."

On the jump, Paul Coates writes about the problems a man and his pregnant wife have in dealing with Los Angeles hospitals in the days when they were free to turn away everyone who couldn’t pay. 

And Tony Curtis says his famous line, that kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler, in Maurice Zolotow’s “The Real Marilyn Monroe.” 

Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Paul Coates | Comments Off on 127 Die When Planes Collide Over New York