Specialty Coffee Dark Roast
Our newest roast, Black Dahlia, is a nod to the dark story about an American woman who met her untimely death on January 15, 1947 in Los Angeles California. Rich with depth and flavor from three different organic dark roast coffee beans, Black Dahlia is a show stopper. Much like the publicly documented murders of Jack the Ripper, Elizabeth Short met a gruesome end at the hands of a murderer/murderers yet to be found. It’s hard to believe with DNA testing and modernization in forensic techniques, that there isn’t a definitive answer as to who her murderer was. Black Dahlia flowers, actually a dark burgundy color, symbolize darker emotions like betrayal and sadness; fitting for the Elizabeth Short (Black Dahlia) story (although the movie “Blue Dahlia” that was playing in theaters in Hollywood at the time of her death and Shorts love of wearing flowers are what actually led to her infamous name).
Black Dahlia A Summary
Who killed the Black Dahlia? This is one of the most famous unsolved murders in American History. The Black Dahlia story shines a light on the darker side of Hollywood. With many reports of a black haired woman roaming different hotels and night spots, it's time for us to take a closer look at the Black Dahlia! Continue reading, follow some links and drink some coffee!
Image from Los Angeles Times
Solving the Black Dahlia Case
Although Elizabeth Short’s lifestyle and events leading up to her death have been largely researched, nothing conclusive has been proven regarding her murder which remains as a cold case to this day. The blaring issue looming is the same issue that exists with finally solving the Jack the Ripper murders. There are tours, memorabilia and countless other money making operations that stand to make a lot of money by these murders not getting solved. More specifically, in the Black Dahlia case, bribery may play a roll in her killer not being identified as it was post World War 2 Hollywood, and a great deal of crimes went unsolved.
Paranormal and the Black Dahlia
As paranormal investigators, we are interested in and spend a lot of time attempting to find clues to the unexplained. The same holds true for the mystery surrounding the Black Dahlia, her story isn’t just a story about a gruesome murder, it is about her story. We frequently find during investigations, stories about people’s lives we certainly didn’t know prior, and often times that’s the most meaningful finds of an investigation.
Paranormal Activity
As far as reported paranormal encounters go, there have been several reported apparition sightings of a woman with black hair in known locations Elizabeth Short either lived or was seen at before her death. Not having ever investigated these locations, we can’t confirm or deny the presence of the paranormal there but having investigated another murder of a young girl in Portland Oregon, there seems to be some connections to familiar places or even last places that the deceased my revisit. That opinion is largely based on paranormal evidence collected during The Cathedral Park Investigation, which you can read more about or watch the video by following the link. Said haunts of Elizabeth Short’s are the John Sowden House(potential location for her murder), the Millennium Biltmore Hotel(last place she was seen), the Hotel Figueroa(a place she frequented), and the Chancellor Apartments(her last known residence) to name a few.
Corruption & Scandals Rock Hollywood
The difference in evidence collection between then and now aren’t truly comparable. Evidence contamination, evidence collection or sometimes a lack there of, and evidence storage all play probably the most significant factors in why murders over the last century and beyond haven’t been solved. In the Black Dahlia case, a lot is speculated about evidence and the difference between what’s been stored and what was once cataloged. Shortly after Elizabeth Short’s death, an investigation into the LAPD and a grand jury review was launched after a series of unsolved murders in LA. Two prime suspects in the Black Dahlia case were well off and well connected doctors/surgeons that could easily pay off whomever they needed too if they were on the take. What evidence remains in the Elizabeth Short case, is held in a filing cabinet at the LAPD, and it doesn’t seem to be an active investigation at this time. After watching this interview, it isn’t a stretch to posit that some amount of a cover-up played a factor in her killer/killers walking free.
Finding the Killer
Image from the LA Times
There were over 150 suspects interviewed, and over 750 investigators from the LAPD and other state and local departments that worked on the Black Dahlia case. A 10,000 dollar reward for information posted by a local congressman equivalent to over 115,000 dollars in 2020. Further baffling police was the suspected killer’s correspondence with a local newspaper called The Examiner. Newspaper letters were cut out to form a message “here is Dahlia’s belongings, letter to follow”. Included were personal items were her birth certificate, business cards, photos and an address book with an aquantance’s’s name on it suggesting his involvement. Mark Hansen was a wealthy night club owner who both had connections to Short and also was reportedly obsessed with her. However, the likelihood that someone not trained in the medical field being able to do a “hemicorpectomy”, the severing of the human body along the lumbar spine taught in medical school during the 1930’s, is slim to none. How the Black Dahlia was found postmortem, cut in half, drained of blood and posed, is why she is Hollywood’s most famous unsolved crime.
Image from from Los Angeles Times
Men In Uniform
There is a lot of speculation about Short’s love life, actress aspirations, and the work she actually did for money. What is consistent is that she did enjoy male company, and if she had a type, it was certainly men in the armed forces. However, a few of those relationships didn’t work out well for her, including allegations of physical abuse with one, and the unfortunate death while in the service of another. She ended up in southern California originally dating or visiting a different army forces man she knew from Florida one of her previous residences.
Image from Times Los Angeles
The Suspects
It’s a hard sell to think that this type of gruesome act was a lone incident. A murder and postmortem display with a high level of difficulty for lack of a better description, could indicate that something similar was either attempted or done before. Elliot Ness, and several police detectives in Cleveland Ohio suspected a connection between the Black Dahlia murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders. Captain Donahue of the LAPD speculated that the Black Dahlia and the Lipstick murders in Chicago were “likely connected”. Steve Hodel, a retired police detective of the LAPD, has become convinced that not only is his father, George Hodel, the Black Dahlia murderer, but he could be connected to other brutal murders in and around the LA area at that time. Steve Hodel beieves that his father may even have reinvented himself as the Zodiac Killer which haunted California nearly two decades later. This theory may seem crazy at first glance until you find out that Steve Hodel is a retired and well respected homicide detective who is credited with catching the dating game killer, another serial killer who targeted young women in California.
Evidence that Continued to Pile UP
image from the Los Angeles Times
A 48 hours interview with Steve Hodel uncovers some potentially incriminating evidence, a potential police cover-up, and a glimpse into old Hollywood, money and women that isn’t so far fetched. George Hodel, Steve Hodel’s father, possessed an extremely high IQ, was a doctor with extensive training, had a hidden room at his mansion, was a known womanizer, and idolized a well known photographer named Man Ray who’s art was heavily influenced by sadomasochism. George Hodel was wiretapped by the LAPD during their original investigation, and was recorded saying "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead." Possibly the most incriminating detail pointing towards Hodel was that he fled the country not long after her murder. All that being said, George Hodel was never charged and was one of many suspects in the murder of the Black Dahlia.
Who Is Elizabeth Short
A lot has been said or implied about Elizabeth Short after her death that was exaggerated or proven to be false. She was thought to be a call girl willing to do anything to make it in Hollywood. The reality is that she was like a lot of young girls in post World War 2 Hollywood, broke and willing to go on dates with guys to eat. This is the subject of a lot of conversation regarding the climate and social scene there during that time. A sign of the times, just because a girl goes out to dinner with a guy, doesn’t mean that she’s easy, a prostitute, or desperate for a husband. It appears that Elizabeth Short definitely attracted male attention, Mark Hansen the prominent night club owner discussed previously was a suspect in her murder because he was reportedly obsessed with her. Sadly, it is not likely that Elizabeth Short was the only pretty young girl to meet this end in Hollywood, but she has been by far the most objectified in death.
Wrap UP
In conclusion, the Black Dahlia murder is one of the most prolific in American history. It is not to say that there haven’t been other horrific murders. The stories of the victims often aren’t told, and many times they are associated with the manner in which they died rather than the manner in which they lived. Even though the story of Elizabeth Short has been told and retold many times, there is a revived interest in re-looking at her case that may just reveal the killer after all this time. Check out the links at the bottom of this page for more interesting information on The Black Dahlia. Follow the links below and happy coffee drinking, experience writing and ghost blog reading!
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*We do not recommend any kind of investigation without proper safety measures. We also do not recommend instigating entities for fun or entertainment. We take our investigations very seriously and offer many follow ups to ensure we have left the places in better shape then we found it.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dahlia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hodel
https://flowermeanings.org/dahlia-flower-meaning/
https://www.sinistercoffeeandcreamery.com/blog/cathedralpark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6j7bLqrPx4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Torso_Murderer
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160107/edgewater/70-years-after-lipstick-murders-doubt-over-killers-guilt-still-lingers/
https://www.latimes.com/la-dahlia-photogallery-photogallery.html