Tag Archives: homicide

Reminder: My Next Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia Case Is August 4

Posted on July 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: Boxie and I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case next Tuesday, August 4, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Ask Me Anything, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, Ask Me Anything, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Elizabeth Short, homicide, lapd | Leave a comment

July 26, 1947: Son Cleared of Killing Father During Attack on Mother

Posted on July 26, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 26, 1947: Son cleared of killing father during attack on mother. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, crime and courts, domestic violence, homicide, lapd | Leave a comment

Dead Man’s Last Words: ‘Here’s a Good Spot to Shoot, Baby,’ July 25, 1944

Posted on July 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 25, 1944: William B. Smith’s last words to his angry girlfriend were “Here’s a good spot to shoot, baby,” after he said he was going back to his wife. Continue reading →

Posted in 1944, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1944, homicide, lapd | Leave a comment

July 24, 1947: Honor Student Vesta Belle Sapenter, 17, Strangled

Posted on July 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 24, 1947: Vesta Belle Sapenter, an honor student at Jefferson High, is found partially undressed and strangled. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, African Americans, crime and courts, homicide, lapd | Leave a comment

July 9, 1947: Rosenda Mondragon Strangled With Stocking

Posted on July 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 9, 1947: Rosenda Mondragon is found murdered. The Times and the Examiner have different accounts of the killing and the actions of her husband, Antonio. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, crime and courts, homicide, lapd, Rosenda Mondragon | Comments Off

July 2, 1947: Man Held in Strangling of Mary Tate

Posted on July 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 2, 1947: Oscar Hallgren is held in the killing of Mary Tate at 107 Weller Street, now Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, Black Dahia, crime and courts, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, June 2026

Posted on June 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

In the Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case for June 2026, I took questions and highlighted David Oranchak’s final installment in his three-part video series on the false claims of Black Dahlia/Zodiac sleuth Alex Baber. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, David Oranchak, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia Book Club for May 2026

Posted on May 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this month’s Black Dahlia Book Club, I discuss Jack Webb’s 1958 book “The Badge” and its portrayal of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, Homicide | Tagged 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming May 19, 2026

Posted on May 12, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will discuss Jack Webb’s 1958 book “The Badge” and the “Dragnet” radio show in the next session of the Black Dahlia Book Club, Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at http://www.youtube.com/@lmharnisch/streams Continue reading →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged #Jack Webb, #James Ellroy, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

February 29, 1932: Body Found in Closet of Vacant Home

Posted on March 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 29, 1932: Nailed up in the closet of an unoccupied house at 2318 Pontius Ave.., West Los Angeles, the body of Tomas Moreno (or Towas Morino), 43-year-old Japanese, was discovered yesterday by friends. Continue reading →

Posted in 1932, Cold Cases, Comics, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged 1932, Cold Cases, crime and courts, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

February 7, 1863: Smallpox Epidemic – Los Angeles

Posted on February 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 7, 1863: A smallpox epidemic of 278 cases sweeps Los Angeles, with 170 unvaccinated and 146 vaccinated. Continue reading →

Posted in 1863, Animals, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Medicine | Tagged #guns, 1863, health, homicide, smallpox | Comments Off

February 2, 1938: Jelousy slaying

Posted on February 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 2, 1938: After watching The Times twist and turn to avoid saying exactly what the victims in the Paul Wright case were doing when they were shot, we finally get around to it–sort of. Hint: All had been drinking heavily. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged #courts, 1938, homicide | Comments Off

January 20, 1947: ‘Good Night. Sleep Peacefully With Compliments of Jacks’

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1947: Florabel Muir recounts the murder scene of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. TW: graphic contents. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged 1947, Books and Authors, crime and courts, Florabel Muir, homicide | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: Trim Your Roses on January 15 to Remember Elizabeth Short

Posted on January 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 15: Today is the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s death. As is the custom, the Daily Mirror will be dark. Trim your roses in her memory. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged . prune your roses, 1947, Black Dahlia, crime and courts, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

December 27, 1947: Youth Questioned in Georgette Bauerdorf Killing

Posted on December 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 27, 1947: Sheriff’s detectives question Robert White in the 1944 killing of Georgette Bauerdorf. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged 1947, Cold Cases, film, Georgette Bauerdorf, hollywood, homicide | Comments Off

George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, December 2025

Posted on December 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 20, 2025: This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel, announcing the Black Dahlia Book Club, coming in January, that will take a long look back at the books and articles written about the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged Ask Me Anything, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Elizabeth Short, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

December 11, 1957: Heroic dog shot

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1957: A gunman shoots a dog during the robbery of a liquor store. After a previous holdup, the clerk kept a .45 under the counter and taught his dog to attack. In the next holdup, the robber fatally wounded the clerk. The suspects? Two teenagers, one of them a ‘good boy’ who didn’t need the money. Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Homicide, Robberies | Tagged 1957, homicide, juvenile crime, Norwalk, Robberies | Comments Off

November 20, 1947: Bobby-Soxer Kills Girl, 5

Posted on November 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 13, 1947: Joyce, 13, forces Myretta Jones, 5, to undress, then smashes her with a rock and a shovel until she’s dead. Why? Joyce said she didn’t know. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged 1947, Bakersfield, crime and courts, George Hodel, homicide | Comments Off

George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, November 2025

Posted on November 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 18, 2025: This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel and Steve Hodel in the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →