The Black Dahlia Murder

On January 15, 1947, the remains of 22-year-old actress Elizabeth Short were found in a Los Angeles neighborhood by a mother who happened to be walking past with her child. She had been mistaken for a mannequin at first, given her stiff nature and lack of blood or color. There was notably no blood where she was found, suggesting she was murdered elsewhere, then moved. Many questions were left unanswered. A possible lead came when investigators noticed the precision with which Short was cut. They decided to question a group of students at the University of Southern California Medical School, as well as check out and interview potential suspects across the nation. Their efforts did not yield the desired outcome. FBI hopes were raised again when they received a letter. The sender claimed to have the victim’s belongings and stated that more would be sent. They attempted to identify prints left, but none could be found in the FBI files. Almost two months after the murder occurred, a suicide note was found. A woman named Mary confessed to the murder and said that she could not wait for the police to capture her, nor could she find the courage to turn herself in. Whether she was guilty of murder or there is still a murderer out there is unknown. Elizabeth Short’s family, all known relatives no longer alive, never got closure. Over 70 years later, the murderer was never found, never faced the consequences.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

I have done some reading about this case, and as you say, the murderer was never found. There have been a number of theories, but none have held water. I doubt we will ever know the truth.

[CJ]

I definitely agree. Thank you for reading.