All Things Morbid

Black Dahlia, Pt. 1: The Victim

This is a case with no conclusion. A case that, over 7 decades, has not been solved. A case with over 650 confessions to the crime, but no arrests. A case with 750 investigators, but with no one on trial. Basically its that one group project with way too many people and zero accountabilty.

This…is the case of the Black Dahlia. Cue the ominous music and dramatic lightning.

Okay, Hello all 183 viewers who read my posts! Yes, I decided to go with the dramatic opening, cos I’m just that person. This is a cold case that I have been wanting to write about for ages-And it happened ages ago. 78 years to be exact. Because this is a very complex case I will be splitting up the story in 3 Parts. The Victim, The Investigation, and The Suspects. This post will be about, you guessed it, The Victim.

Elizabeth Short: Hollywood hopeful.

Elizabeth Short: Daughter.

Elizabeth Short: 22 year old.

Elizabeth Short: Dead.

If it was not obvious from the four repetitions of her name, Elizabeth Short is the Black Dahlia. She is the victim in this case. Which means, the following paragraphs will be all about her.

On the morning of January 15, 1947, Elizabeth Short’s body was found in the L.A neighborhood of Leimert Park. A mother and her child found Short on their morning walk. She was posed in such a way that led the mother to believe that she was a mannequin. But that, unfortunately, was not the case.

Short was mutilated heavily, her body cut in two at the waist, and a cut from either ear to the edges of her mouth, leaving a grisly smile. This came to be known as the ‘Glasgow smile.’

If you are still reading, even after the details on body disfigurement, you’re welcomed to the ‘True Crime But Make It Stomachable’ Club. We meet weekly and bring snacks. But try to avoid peanuts; Jerry’s allergic and dramatic about it.

Moving on, where was I? Oh right. The gruesome death. I won’t go on to when the police come in, because that will be in the investigation, which will be in the next post.

Thank you for reading, and there will be more about the Black Dahlia tomorrow! I will leave you guys with a quote from Steve Hodel- former LAPD detective and author who believed he found the killer’s identity.

“Thought prints… are the ridges, loops, and whorls of our mind… they mean little by themselves and remain meaningless, unconnected shapes in a jigsaw puzzle until they are pieced together to reveal a clear picture.”

Sleep tight True Crime club. And remember: Bring snacks, not suspects.