105. The Black Dahlia – Part 1

We begin our analysis of one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history—the Black Dahlia case. In this episode, we focus on the crime scene and autopsy of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short, whose body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. She had been bisected at the waist and subjected to extensive post-mortem mutilation.

Elizabeth Short (Photo © AP)

Additional information and resources for this series on the Black Dahlia: 

We referenced retired Los Angeles Times reporter Larry Harnisch's YouTube channel and his website, LarryHarnisch.com, which offer extensive research and insight into the Black Dahlia case and the investigation that followed. 

Additional resources:

The Los Angeles Times, "Sex Fiend Slaying Victim Identified by Fingerprint Records of FBI", January 17, 1947, page 2.

The Los Angeles Times, "Black Dahlia's Love Life Traced in Search in Search for Her Fiendish Murderer", January 18, 1947, page 3.

The Los Angeles Times, "Black Dahlia and Red-Haired Youth Traced to San Diego Cafe Day Before Her Murder", January 19, 1947, page 2.

The Los Angeles Times, "Daughter Just Quiet, Home Girl, Mother Asserts", January 19, 1947, page 2. 

The Los Angeles Times, "Suspect Detained for Questioning in 'Black Dahlia' Mutilation Murder", January 20, 1947, page 3.

The Los Angeles Times, "New Clues in 'Dahlia' Killing", January 26, 1947, page 3. 

The Los Angeles Times, "Beth Short Slaying Suspect Jailed After Asserted Admission of Crime", January 29, 1947, page 2.

The Los Angeles Times, "Soldier's 'Dahlia' Date Tale Newest Clue in Slaying", February 6, 1947, page 2.

The Los Angeles Times, “A Slaying Cloaked in Mystery and Myths,” by Larry Harnisch, January 6, 1997, front page. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-06-mn-15889-story.html

CrimeReads, “The Black Dahlia: The Long, Strange History of Los Angeles’ Coldest Cold Case,” by Miles Corwin, September 10, 2020. https://crimereads.com/the-black-dahlia-history-los-angeles-cold-case/

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Music: "Light in the Basement" by John Hanske. You can listen to John's music on Spotify.