Tag Archives: homicide

May 29, 1938

Posted on May 29, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, what Los Angeles was reading in 1938–and a shoutout to the Zombie Reading Program over at This Book Is for You…. "When there’s no more room in closed stacks, the out-of-print will rise up and walk the earth." At … Continue reading →

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May 24, 1938

Posted on May 24, 2008 by lmharnisch

His name was Dwight Tyler Simpson, a 32-year-old business student from Laconia, N.H. Not an enemy in the world, apparently, except for somebody who broke a milk bottle on his skull and strangled him. Dwight had been living at 747 … Continue reading →

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May 23, 1938

Posted on May 23, 2008 by lmharnisch

It’s another slow day in the trial of Police Capt. Earle Kynette in the Harry Raymond bombing … In the meantime, let’s take a look at former police investigator Fletcher E. Felts, whose father was one of the longest-serving officers … Continue reading →

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May 22, 1938

Posted on May 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Above, a plan for the Santa Anita Motor Inn at 101 W. Huntington. Apparently, the final design of the tower was a little more Art Deco (see the postcard here). At left, a miner leads detectives to the body … Continue reading →

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May 19, 1958

Posted on May 19, 2008 by lmharnisch

Alas, The Times never followed up on this story, so we don’t know what became of Elroy E. Pena. But telling a man with a gun "Why don’t you get the hell out of here?" as you’re sitting in a … Continue reading →

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Mob murders in L.A.

Posted on April 27, 2008 by lmharnisch

View Larger Map I spent a little time tracking down the addresses of what the LAPD said were Mafia killings from 1906 to 1951. Even a superficial look reveals problems with the Police Department’s list. As noted elsewhere, the 1934 … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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An urge to kill

Posted on February 26, 2008 by lmharnisch

Feb. 26, 1958Stanford Thomas was handsome, clean-cut, 19-year-old sophomore on the tennis team at Stanford, where his father had gone to college and was a prominent alumnus. He lived at 248 Edlee Ave., across the street from Mr. and Mrs. … Continue reading →

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Paul Coates

Posted on February 25, 2008 by lmharnisch

Feb. 25, 1958 The biggest hero is often the last heralded. He acts with such quiet, automatic efficiency that he destroys the drama of his own actions. He remains anonymous, unknown and unthanked for his service. Today I have a … Continue reading →

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Voices, Frank Heller

Posted on February 25, 2008 by lmharnisch

Photograph by the Los Angeles Times Frank Heller and Linda Mintz in a photograph published Nov. 11, 1958, in The Times. Frank Heller was a defense attorney for Linda Mintz, the housekeeper charged with beating her employer Thelma Macomber to … Continue reading →

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Feb. 25, 1908

Posted on February 25, 2008 by lmharnisch

An "instantaneous heater" explodes while a man is taking a bath and the fire destroys much of the home at 1201 W. 7th. … A fire caused by crossed wires in the attic destroys a home at 2659 Ellendale Place … Continue reading →

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February 6, 1958: Thief Saved by the Cross

Posted on February 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

Feb. 6, 1958Los Angeles This was supposed to be a simple story, a story about second chances: A 75-cent crucifix saves the life of a teenage thief who is shot in the chest. Lying in his hospital bed, he exclaims: … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #East L.A., 1958, Film, Homicide, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Woman killed

Posted on February 4, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Feb. 4, 1958 Los Angeles They were just four kids out driving around, all jammed in the front seat as Robert cruised South Los Angeles. Judy was sitting next to him. Then there was George and a 16-year-old girl … Continue reading →

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February 2, 1938: Jelousy slaying

Posted on February 2, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Feb. 2, 1938 Los Angeles 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. Here’s the … Continue reading →

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