On January 15, 1947, the body of Elizabeth Short, a 22-year-old aspiring actress, was found on a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Her body had been drained of blood, cut precisely in half at the waist, and posed with the two halves carefully separated. Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth toward her ears in a grotesque "Glasgow smile." There were no footprints, drag marks, or other trace evidence at the dump site — the body had been delivered with clinical deliberateness. Short, who became known as "The Black Dahlia" from her dark hair and reportedly favored black clothing, had been dead for approximately ten hours. The LAPD investigation became one of the largest in the department's history, involving hundreds of detectives and generating over 150 confessions — all false. Short had lived a transient life in the years following World War II, moving between cities with shifting companions and relationships, which made tracing her movements in her final days difficult. Her complex social life and the sensational nature of the mutilation drew enormous press attention that complicated the investigation. Despite decades of investigation, numerous books naming suspects, and extensive analysis of the crime, no arrest was ever made and no consensus suspect has emerged. Proposed suspects over the years include a doctor (based on the precision of the bisection), a mortician, an LAPD officer, and dozens of others. Author Steve Hodel long argued his own father, a physician, was responsible — a theory taken seriously by some investigators but never proven. The Black Dahlia murder remains unsolved and is one of the most famous cold cases in American history. It has inspired countless novels, films, and television productions, and has become a fixture of Los Angeles noir mythology. The combination of a beautiful young victim, extraordinary mutilation, a massive failed investigation, and absolute mystery has made it one of the most studied and speculated-upon murders of the twentieth century.
An unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Claimed responsibility for 37 murders, though only 5 are confirmed. Known for sending cryptic letters and ciphers to police and newspapers.
In August 1969, members of the Manson Family cult carried out a series of murders in Los Angeles under the direction of Charles Manson. The most notable victims were actress Sharon Tate and four others at her home on Cielo Drive.