Tag Archives: crime and courts

Millennial Moment: Former Head of California NOW Charged in Killing

Posted on October 11, 2013 by lmharnisch

Oct. 11, 1983: Patt Morrison has the story of Ginny Foat, the former head of the state chapter of the National Organization for Women, who was charged with helping her ex-husband beat a man to death with a tire iron. … Continue reading →

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The ‘Masked Marvel Murder’ – Part 3

Posted on October 9, 2013 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, we’re looking at the unsolved September 1943 killing of movie actor David G.G. Bacon, who appeared in the Republic serial “The Masked Marvel.” In Part 1, witnesses described Bacon driving erratically on Washington Boulevard, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — ‘Spirit of ’76’ as Propaganda

Posted on September 30, 2013 by lmharnisch

A still from the lost film “Spirit of ‘76” from Moving Picture World.   The United States’ Espionage Act was ratified in 1917 to punish those abetting the enemy, promoting military insubordination, or interfering with recruitment. Over the years, it … Continue reading →

Posted in 1917, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, World War I | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Married Couple Held in Blackmail of Single Woman for $27,000

Posted on September 27, 2013 by lmharnisch

Sept. 27, 1963: I always thought blackmail was something that only occurred in old Perry Mason episodes, but here’s an actual case and it’s quite strange. It involves a married man blackmailing a single woman. No really! According to a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1963, Animals, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Married Couple Held in Blackmail of Single Woman for $27,000

Sex Talk in Pasadena Canceled Due to Lack of Interest

Posted on September 12, 2013 by lmharnisch

Sept. 12, 1953: Angry San Fernando Valley residents picket Lockheed’s plant in Van Nuys after a jet trainer crashed, killing Phyllis O’Kray, 16504 Chase St., Sepulveda. Lockheed executive Courtland S. Gross expressed regret over O’Kray’s death and noted that the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1953, Aviation, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Joaquin Murrieta’s Head on Display in San Francisco

Posted on September 10, 2013 by lmharnisch

What exists of the Sept. 3, 1853, issue of the Los Angeles Star, in the collection at the Huntington, is online at USC (although it can only be viewed after it is downloaded due to some malfunction in the interface) … Continue reading →

Posted in 1853, African Americans, Animals, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Headline Happy’ by Florabel Muir

Posted on September 8, 2013 by lmharnisch

A copy of Florabel Muir’s “Headline Happy” has been listed on EBay for $75. Muir’s book is interesting, and tends to be priced high, but I would never pay that kind of money for a copy – especially with a … Continue reading →

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Rocket Builder Steals Truckload of Equipment From Caltech

Posted on August 22, 2013 by lmharnisch

Aug. 22, 1953: Fred Frank Wildemuth kills his wife because he didn’t want her to catch carbon monoxide poisoning from him. “I, the Jury” in 3-D at the Paramount theaters in Hollywood and downtown. A brilliant — and unidentified — … Continue reading →

Posted in 1953, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Music, Suicide | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Man Held in Killing of Ex-Marine — Part 2

Posted on August 14, 2013 by lmharnisch

As strange as the tale of Michael Timothy Cavanaugh had been, the case became even more bizarre once he was arrested. After several days of denying that he knew ex-Marine Ralph Welch, even though he was driving Welch’s car and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1953, 1956, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Jerry Giesler, Miracle Man

Posted on January 14, 2013 by lmharnisch

Photo: Walter Wanger, left, and Jerry Giesler. Courtesy of Mary Mallory. Long before Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, or F. Lee Bailey hit the scene, soft-spoken, circumspect Jerry Giesler iced his competition as Los Angeles’ top criminal defense … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Accused Killer, Shot in Courtroom, Convicted as He Dies

Posted on May 22, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 22, 1942: As the prosecutor finished his closing arguments in the trial of Mazo Shepherd, accused of killing a taxi driver, the victim’s nephew walked up to Shepherd and shot him in the head. Shepherd was taken from the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Homicide | Tagged | 5 Comments

Changeling Stories — Part 1

Posted on August 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

Police Capt. Jones and LAPD officers search the lake in Lincoln Park for the body of Walter Collins, Los Angeles Times, April 6, 1928. The boy claiming to be Walter Collins poses with Christine Collins, Aug. 18, 1928 Several regular … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay – Biscailuz Badge

Posted on July 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

An example of what is sometimes known as a “Biscailuz badge” has been listed on EBay. These are presentation badges that weren’t intended for deputies, but were only given to celebrities and other notables by Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Biscailuz Badge

Architectural Rambling – The Van Griffith Estate

Posted on June 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Times Sunday Business section featured the former home of Van M. Griffith (d. 1974), the son of Griffith Park donor Colonel Griffith J. Griffith.  (For some reason, the early stories in The Times refer to him as “Dan Griffith” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1925, Architecture, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Obituaries, Politics, Real Estate, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

LAPD End of Watch, June 16, 1935

Posted on June 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

The daily NewsWatch of the Los Angeles Police Protective League honors the anniversaries of LAPD officers killed in the line of duty. For June 16,the union honors Alfred C. “Scotty” Madon, a motorcycle officer who was fatally injured on June … Continue reading →

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LAPD End of Watch, June 15, 1920

Posted on June 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 23, 1915: LAPD motorcycle officers take delivery of 37 new Indian motorcycles, capable of 75 mph. The daily NewsWatch of the Los Angeles Police Protective League always honors the anniversaries of LAPD officers killed in the line of duty. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1911, 1915, 1920, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Obituaries, San Fernando Valley, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , | Comments Off on LAPD End of Watch, June 15, 1920

End of Watch, June 13, 1991

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

LAPD Officer Charles Randall “Randy” Champe LAPD Officer Gary Alan Howe The daily NewsWatch of the Los Angeles Police Protective League always honors the anniversaries of LAPD officers killed in the line of duty. For June 13, the union features … Continue reading →

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Blogging the Wolfe Book, Our Story So Far

Posted on February 8, 2007 by lmharnisch

Larry Harnisch (described by James Ellroy as a Dahlia scholar/Dahlia freak, take your pick) is blogging in real time as he reads Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles.” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, Film, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Adios Judy!

Posted on December 16, 2006 by lmharnisch

Judith Regan, the publisher of Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files,” has found a way to make Page 1 of The Times: Get fired by HarperCollins. (The New York Times story is here.) I’m trying not to gloat. But … 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 , , , , , , | Comments Off on Adios Judy!

Crime Wave Sweeps L.A.

Posted on November 19, 2006 by lmharnisch

Nov. 19, 1907Los Angeles An influx of crooks, petty hoodlums and vagrants drawn by good weather and horse racing at Santa Anita are blamed for a siege of crime throughout the city. The jail is so crowded—300 being held in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Religion, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , | Comments Off on Crime Wave Sweeps L.A.