It's a crisp January morning in 1947, and a young mother is strolling through a quiet, undeveloped neighbourhood in Los Angeles, pushing her toddler in a pram. The sun is just rising, casting long shadows over the empty lots. Suddenly, she spots what she thinks is a discarded shop mannequin lying in the weeds – pale, lifeless, and oddly posed. But as she draws closer, the horror sinks in. It's no mannequin. It's the mutilated body of a young woman, severed clean in half at the waist, her skin drained of blood, her face carved into a grotesque, eternal smile with slashes from ear to ear. No blood at the scene. No screams. Just silence... and a mystery that has haunted America for nearly 80 years. This is the story of Elizabeth Short – the Black Dahlia. Welcome to the tale of one of Hollywood's darkest secrets.
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| Elizabeth Short |
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The Woman Behind the Legend – Who Was Elizabeth Short?
Good evening, and thank you for joining me on True Crime Tales with Cosette. Tonight, we delve into one of the most infamous unsolved murders in history: the killing of Elizabeth Short, forever etched as the Black Dahlia. But before we uncover the brutality of her death, let's humanise her. Elizabeth wasn't just a victim; she was a dreamer, a wanderer in the glittering yet unforgiving world of post-war Hollywood.
Born on 29th July 1924 in Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts, Elizabeth was the third of five daughters to Cleo and Phoebe Short. Her childhood was marked by hardship. In 1929, the stock market crash wiped out the family's savings, and her father, Cleo, vanished – his car was found abandoned on a bridge, presumed a suicide. Phoebe raised the girls alone, scraping by as a bookkeeper. Elizabeth, however, suffered from severe bronchitis and asthma, requiring surgery at age 16. Doctors recommended warmer climates, so she spent winters in Florida with family friends, where she developed a love for the sunshine and, perhaps, a glimpse of glamour.
By 19, Elizabeth had dropped out of high school and headed west, chasing the Hollywood dream. She arrived in California in 1943, briefly working as a clerk at an Army base – her fingerprints from that job would later identify her. But life was tough. She bounced between jobs as a waitress and, rumour has it, a part-time model, though no acting credits exist. Elizabeth was strikingly beautiful: 5 feet 5 inches tall, with porcelain skin, dark wavy hair she dyed jet black, and a penchant for sheer black dresses that earned her the nickname "Black Dahlia" – possibly inspired by the 1946 film noir The Blue Dahlia, or simply her floral accessories and sombre style.
She was no promiscuous starlet, as the tabloids later painted her. Friends described her as polite, secretive, and a bit of a flirt – she loved dancing and nightlife but often slept on friends' sofas due to a chronic housing shortage in post-war LA. By late 1946, she was dating a travelling salesman named Robert "Red" Manley and staying intermittently in San Diego and Long Beach. But whispers of fear haunted her final days. In December 1946, she fled to San Diego, reportedly terrified of an ex-boyfriend. On 8th January 1947, Manley drove her back to LA, dropping her at the grand Biltmore Hotel. Witnesses saw her in the lobby, making frantic phone calls, looking anxious. She left around 10 p.m. That was the last confirmed sighting of Elizabeth Short alive.
The Discovery – A Scene of Unspeakable Horror
Fast forward to 15th January 1947, around 10 a.m. Betty Bersinger, a 23-year-old mother, is walking with her three-year-old daughter along Norton Avenue in the budding Leimert Park neighbourhood – a quiet, half-built area of vacant lots and new homes. Spotting what looks like a broken mannequin in the grass just feet from the pavement, Bersinger approaches. The "mannequin" is nude, positioned with arms over the head and legs spread. But it's real – and it's human. Bersinger screams, grabs her child, and runs to a neighbour's house to call the police.
Officers arrive to a nightmare. The body is bisected at the waist with surgical precision, suggesting the killer had medical knowledge. No blood anywhere – the corpse was drained, washed with petrol (gasoline), and scrubbed clean. Elizabeth's face is mutilated: deep gashes from each corner of her mouth to her ears create a "Glasgow smile", a horrific Joker-like grin. Rope marks on her wrists and ankles indicate torture. Chunks of flesh are carved from her thighs and breasts; her intestines are tucked beside her. A rose tattoo on her leg is missing, possibly excised as a trophy. The autopsy, performed the next day by Dr Frederick Newbarr, reveals she died from cerebral haemorrhage and shock from facial blows – likely beaten with a blunt object like a hammer. She had been dead 48-72 hours, tortured for days beforehand. Semen in her vagina suggests rape, but no defensive wounds – she may have been unconscious or drugged.
The scene yields little: a single heel print (size 8 women's shoe), a bloodstained cement sack (possibly used to transport her), and tyre tracks from a 1945-46 Ford or Chevrolet. No murder weapon, no witnesses. The lack of blood means she was killed elsewhere – perhaps a bathtub for the draining – then posed like a macabre display.
The press descended like vultures. Reporters trampled the scene before it was secured, even answering police tip lines. The Los Angeles Examiner and Herald-Express sensationalised it, dubbing it the "Werewolf Murder" before settling on "Black Dahlia"—a moniker that stuck, turning Elizabeth into a tragic icon.
The Investigation – Leads, Lies, and a Media Circus
The LAPD launched a massive probe: over 750 investigators, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 state patrol officers. They searched storm drains, the LA River, and abandoned buildings. Elizabeth's fingerprints matched FBI records from her 1943 underage drinking arrest in Santa Barbara and Army job application. Her mother, Phoebe, was tricked by reporters into flying from Boston – they posed it as a beauty contest win before revealing the truth, extracting family details for scoops.
Key leads: On 21st January, a caller to the Examiner – claiming to be the killer – knew withheld details like the "Glasgow smile". On 24th January, a package arrived: Elizabeth's birth certificate, photos, business cards, and an address book belonging to nightclub owner Mark Hansen (embossed with his name). A pasted note read: "Here are Dahlia’s belongings. Letter to follow." All items wiped with petrol – matching the body's cleaning. Fingerprints were smudged, but it screamed authenticity.
Suspects flooded in: over 150 named, 60+ false confessions in weeks. Robert Manley, who dropped her at the Biltmore, passed a polygraph but was briefly held. Army veteran Joseph Dumais confessed dramatically but had an alibi. Bellhop Leslie Dillon knew too much (e.g., the bisection method) and was linked to Hansen but was released after conflicting alibis. Dr George Hodel, a gynaecologist with Hollywood ties, was wiretapped in 1949; recordings captured him saying, "Supposing I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn’t prove it now." He fled to the Philippines in 1950.
The FBI assisted, checking medical students at USC (near the scene) and running national records. But corruption plagued the LAPD: lead detective Finis Brown had mob ties, possibly covering for Hansen. By February, leads dried up. A 1949 grand jury probed police mishandling but found no misconduct – just evidentiary voids. The case went cold.
Theories and Suspects – Who Could Have Done It?
The Black Dahlia's allure lies in its theories. Was it a jilted lover? A serial killer? A medical professional?
- George Hodel Theory: Popularised by his son, ex-LAPD detective Steve Hodel, in Black Dahlia Avenger (2003). Hodel, a surgeon, hosted wild Hollywood parties at his Sowden House. Steve found photos resembling Elizabeth in his father's belongings, matching handwriting in killer letters, and 1950 wiretaps implying confession. Hodel bought cement bags pre-murder (matching the transport sack). A 2013 cadaver dog alerted to human remains at Sowden House. Steve links it to other crimes, like the Zodiac Killer. Critics call it speculative; LAPD dismissed Hodel as a suspect after surveillance.
- Leslie Dillon and Mark Hansen: In Piu Eatwell's Black Dahlia, Red Rose (2017), Dillon (ex-mortician's assistant) and Hansen (nightclub owner Elizabeth rebuffed) conspired. Dillon knew dissection secrets; the murder possibly occurred at the blood-soaked Aster Motel. Corrupt cop Finis Brown allegedly covered it up due to Hansen ties. Ex-Gangster Squad cop Richard Williams believed Dillon orchestrated it.
- Dr Walter Bayley: Researcher Larry Harnisch's theory: Bayley, a surgeon, lived a block from the scene. Grieving his son's death, he may have snapped. Bayley had medical skill for the cuts; his scalpel matched the wounds. His estranged wife lived nearby. Retired LAPD cold case chief David Lambkin calls this his "favourite" – Bayley connects directly to the location, unlike others.
- Other Links: Some tie it to the Cleveland Torso Murders (1930s dismemberments) or the "Lipstick Murder" of Jeanne French (Feb 1947, body marked "F**k You B.D."). Over 500 confessions since, including wild ones like Orson Welles (due to a magic saw trick).
No DNA evidence survives; the case's age dooms it, per the FBI.
Latest Developments – 78 Years On, Still Haunting
As of 2025, the Black Dahlia case remains open with LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division but unsolved. The FBI deems it unsolvable due to time and lost evidence. Recent buzz:
- In October 2024, the LA Times revisited Harnisch's Bayley theory; cold case veteran David Lambkin endorsed it as the strongest, citing location ties.
- June 2025 sees Sisters in Death by Eli Frankel, linking Elizabeth to the 1941 murder of heiress Leila Walsh. Both knew suspect Norman Chandler (LA Times publisher heir) was overlooked early on. Frankel uncovers LAPD suppression of the Walsh probe – a potential cover-up tying to the Black Dahlia.
- No breakthroughs from DNA (degraded) or Buster the cadaver dog (2013 alerts unconfirmed). Podcasts and tours (like Esotouric's) keep it alive, but experts like LAPD's Mitzi Roberts say definitive proof is impossible.
The case endures, inspiring films (The Black Dahlia, 2006), books, and even a death metal band. But for Elizabeth's family – her last sister died in 2017 – it's unresolved grief.
Legacy – Why the Black Dahlia Endures
Elizabeth Short's murder exposed 1940s LA's underbelly: corruption, media sensationalism, and women's vulnerabilities in a male-dominated Hollywood. It warns of transient dreams turning nightmarish. Over 500 false confessions show our fascination with monsters. Yet, remember: she was a 22-year-old chasing stardom, not a "femme fatale". Her story humanises cold cases – perhaps one day, justice.
