Tag Archives: lapd

Black Dahlia: Elizabeth Short and the Hotel Cecil — No Connection

Posted on February 10, 2021 by lmharnisch

Sorry, Netflix. But once again. There is no connection between Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia and the Hotel Cecil. This is Arty, 634 S. Main St., former location of the Dugout Cafe, where bartender C.G. Williams said thought he might … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Jean Spangler and the Dr. George Hodel Non-Connection

Posted on January 25, 2021 by lmharnisch

Executive summary: A story in Entertainment Weekly looks at the 1949 disappearance of bit actress Jean Spangler. The author lists purported suspects, including Dr. George Hodel, whom Steve Hodel has accused of countless unsolved killings, including the Black Dahlia, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1949, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Posted on January 15, 2021 by lmharnisch

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

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: On the Anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s Murder, a Guide for the Hasty Reporter

Posted on January 12, 2021 by lmharnisch

My Page 1 story on the Black Dahlia case. Now behind the Los Angeles Times pay wall. The full version of the story (expanded by two-thirds) is available on my old, old website. The anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s murder, coming … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Dec. 23, 1949 — Jury Finds Dr. George Hodel Not Guilty of Molesting Tamar Hodel

Posted on December 23, 2020 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Mirror-News, Dec. 23, 1949. Today is the anniversary of a jury of eight women and four men finding Dr. George Hodel not guilty on two counts of molesting his daughter Tamar. I’ll have more to say about … Continue reading →

Posted in 1949, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: My 24 Years With L.A.’s Coldest Cold Case

Posted on September 10, 2020 by lmharnisch

UC Irvine professor Miles Corwin, an old friend from the L.A. Times, spent months interviewing me about the Black Dahlia case. Here is Miles’ deep dive, published in the Delacorte Review, into my decades-long journey exploring the life and death … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘The Lid Off Los Angeles’ – Liberty Magazine Examines Corruption in the LAPD and at City Hall

Posted on June 18, 2020 by lmharnisch

On Nov. 11, 1939, Liberty magazine began a six-part series by Dwight F. McKinney and Fred Allhoff on the Harry Raymond bombing and the reform movement of Clifford E. Clinton. Liberty also published a response by Dist. Atty. Buron Fitts. … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: ‘The Murder Squad’ Botches the Black Dahlia Case

Posted on June 12, 2020 by lmharnisch

I have a longstanding aversion to podcasts, especially “true crime” podcasts and particularly when it comes to “true crime” podcasts about the Black Dahlia. “The Murder Squad,” with Billy Jensen and retired Detective Paul Holes, released an episode earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Zoom Sessions on the Black Dahlia Case

Posted on April 20, 2020 by lmharnisch

Because so many people are using Zoom to connect in these uncertain times, I thought it would be interesting to host a series of Zoom sessions on the Black Dahlia. I envision weekly meetings with a fairly small group, maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Zoom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Beware Faked Black Dahlia Picture

Posted on April 7, 2020 by lmharnisch

Warning: Some clown is circulating a photo on social media that he says shows Elizabeth Short wearing a cameo brooch. And of course, he then produces a brooch just like it. Gosh. Imagine that! At left, the bogus photo and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on January 15, 2020 by lmharnisch

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

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Who Can Spot the Mistake?

Posted on October 28, 2019 by lmharnisch

Every so often, a Black Dahlia researcher cites Morgan Korzik’s blackdahlia.web.unc.edu, presumably on the theory that any source ending in edu is somehow reliable. It’s not. See if you can spot the mistake. ps. You cannot trust anything on the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Black Dahlia: Halloween Costumes – Rethink Your Choices

Posted on September 17, 2019 by lmharnisch

Time for my annual reminder: Dressing up like the victim of a gruesome murder isn’t cool. It isn’t hip, not even ironically. Reconsider your choices; you still have time to be Harley Quinn or Mad Moxxi. Or for a change, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Asshats on South Norton Avenue — No. 4

Posted on August 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

Still another person thinks it’s fun to sprawl in the grass near the Black Dahlia crime scene, demonstrating a remarkable lack of taste but also complete lack of information: She’s in the wrong spot. Previously: Asshats on South Norton Avenue … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Black Dahlia: Seriously, People? I Mean Really?

Posted on August 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

  This item is listed on EBay. I’m going to report it. EBay usually ignores me because anything goes on EBay. But even so I’ll give it a try.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Black Dahlia: ‘Suspect’ Dr. Adam Fairall — Another Wikipedia Prank

Posted on July 15, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here we have a purported list of “Black Dahlia Suspects” from Wikipedia. At least as it was of May 20, 2019. Wikipedia, being Wikipedia, this could change at any moment. This list is allegedly the 25 suspects named by Lt. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Wikipedia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: ‘Suspect’ Jacob Edward Fisk — Wikipedia Prank Takes on a Life of Its Own

Posted on July 9, 2019 by lmharnisch

Let’s see what happens when Wikipedia vandalism takes on a life of its own. That would be Black Dahlia “suspect” Jacob Edward Fisk. Never a suspect. It was all just a prank.

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Wikipedia | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

March 5, 1959: Blinded by Bullet, Officer Shoots Gunman Who Killed Partner

Posted on April 9, 2019 by lmharnisch

Note: I’m way behind on revisiting old blog posts but here’s one I especially like. It’s a little story about  LAPD artist Ector A. Garcia. Garcia also published a paperback “Portraits of Crime” in 1977. It’s a bit hard to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Art & Artists, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Steve Hodel’s Lies on ‘Dr. Phil’; A Case Study

Posted on March 28, 2019 by lmharnisch

Would you like to see how Steve Hodel lies about things that can be easily checked? Of course you would. This is a graphic that appeared during Steve Hodel’s appearance on “Dr. Phil.” It’s helpful, at least for me, for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jan. 5, 1959: LAPD Suspends Officer for – Uh-Oh

Posted on February 16, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 5, 1959: Chief William Parker suspends Officer Charles Wolf serial No. 4115 for 15 days for … oh dear. Banging “a known prostitute and dissolute person” and letting her get possession of his firearm. This material is from the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment