The Black Dahlia: The Most Infamous Unsolved Murder

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On the morning of January 15, 1947, a woman and her three year old daughter were out for a walk in the undeveloped neighborhood of Leiment Park in Los Angeles. The woman saw what appeared to be a discarded store mannequin lying in a vacant lot. As she got closer, she made a horrific discovery; the body of Elizabeth Short, nude and severed into two pieces. Her body was had been mutilated and severed precisely at the waist . All the blood had been drained, giving the skin a pale white glow. the bottom half of the body laid a foot away with the intestines neatly tucked under the buttocks. Giant lacerations were made from the corners of her mouth to her ears, giving her the effect of what as known as the "Glasgow Smile". Famed reported Aggie Underwood was one of the first reporters to arrive at the scene, taking the now infamous and gruesome photos of Elizabeth's body. In the weeks and months following the murder, investigators search far and wide for evidence and interviewed of 150 men who were deemed as potential suspects. The Los Angeles Examiner received cut and pasted letters from the "killer" with items belonging to Elizabeth. No suspect has ever been found and the case remains cold. George Hodel, a Hollywood physician, is believed to have been the one who murdered Short and even his own son, who was a LAPD homicide detective stands by that claim. Before the murder, Hodel was accused of killing his secretary, but no charges were ever filed. He also was accused of molesting his own daughter. Hodel fled the country on several occasions, even living in the Philippines from 1950 to 1990. George Hodel died in 1999 and was never formally charge with the Black Dahlia murder.