The Black Dahlia: the murder of Elizabeth Short
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California · January 15, 1947
A young woman who came to Los Angeles chasing the movies was found in a vacant lot severed at the waist and drained of blood, posed in the morning grass like a mannequin.
Overview
Elizabeth Short, a 22-year-old originally from the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, was found murdered in the Leimert Park area of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her body had been completely severed at the waist, drained of blood, and posed in a vacant lot, with her face slashed from the corners of the mouth in a wound known as the 'Glasgow smile.' The press dubbed her the 'Black Dahlia,' and the LAPD launched an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests. She was identified through fingerprints on file with the FBI from a 1943 arrest. The killing remains one of the most famous unsolved murders in U.S. history and one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County.
Where it stands
The case remains officially open but unsolved. The FBI has reported it will likely never be solved given the amount of time that has passed. Many suspects and conspiracy theories have been advanced over the decades, but none have widespread acceptance. The most widely publicized modern theory was advanced by retired LAPD detective Steve Hodel, who has published several books arguing that his late father, Dr. George Hodel, killed Short; George Hodel was never formally charged. Robert 'Red' Manley, the last person known to have been with Short, was dismissed as a suspect after his account was corroborated and he passed several polygraph exams.
Persons of interest
The theories below are reported strictly as attributed to the cited sources. Naming a person here is not an accusation. Individuals are named only where they are deceased, were formally charged, were officially named by authorities, or have been publicly cleared.
- George HodelDeceased
Retired LAPD detective Steve Hodel has published several books arguing his belief that Short was a mistress of his father, Dr. George Hodel, and that his father killed Short and several other victims. According to the Black Dahlia suspects record, 'Although he was never formally charged in the crime, George Hodel came to wider attention after his death when he was accused by his son, LAPD homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short.'[2]
- Robert 'Red' ManleyCleared
Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman Short had been dating, was the last person known to have been with her and stated he dropped her at the Biltmore Hotel on January 9, 1947. 'LAPD eventually dismissed Manley as a suspect after parts of his story were corroborated, no evidence linking him to the crime could be found, and he passed several polygraph exams.'[2]
Sources
- Black Dahlia
“Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – c. January 14–15, 1947), posthumously known as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 15, 1947.”
- Black Dahlia suspects
“LAPD eventually dismissed Manley as a suspect after parts of his story were corroborated, no evidence linking him to the crime could be found, and he passed several polygraph exams.”
- Black Dahlia — Murder, Movie & Case
“Her body was found, nude and posed, by a local female resident on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot near Leimert Park.”
- Black Dahlia, 77 years later: Where does the case stand now?
“Although the case remains open, the FBI reports it will likely never be solved given the amount of time that has passed.”
- 11 Shocking Facts About the Black Dahlia Case
“When she came upon a white figure lying in the grass, Bersinger said she believed that the way the body was posed and the paleness of the flesh made her think it was a mannequin.”