Elizabeth Short, also known as “The Black Dahlia” because of her love for sheer black clothes, was a young aspiring actress who had just recently moved to Los Angeles with barely any money to spare. Elizabeth had an obsession with cinema her whole life. Ever since she was young, she only ever dreamed of her face in the next big blockbuster. While living in Los Angeles, work was hard to come by for the young actress, but Short met a young man, whom she would later be engaged to, which helped her through the tough business of Hollywood. Unfortunately, her fiance passed away in a plane crash leaving Elizabeth with an unimaginable grief, which paused her effort into becoming an actor. She used cinema as a means of therapy, and with the help of Elizabeth’s friends she was able to find a love for acting again. But, only a few months later Elizabeth would go missing.
During the late 1940s, in the infamous city of Los Angeles, a woman’s brutally mutilated body was found by a mother and her child while on a walk through Leimert Park. The woman found was Elizabeth Short. Originally believed to be a mannequin when first found, her body was found split in half and not a drop of blood in sight. The police were immediately called to the gruesome sight, and were immediately shocked upon their arrival to the crime scene. They investigated every single detail near where Short was found. Not long after, Elizabeth Short’s face was printed all over every California newspaper possible, hoping to find any clues related to a potential suspect for the crime. Although the police received many calls, none were like a call from a young man who undoubtedly knew Elizabeth personally, but also claimed to be her killer. The man offered the police Elizabeth’s personal items — such as her drivers license, and wallet, all which he found in her purse. However, he was not there to personally deliver the items, leaving police with no leads to the killer’s whereabouts.
Ultimately, the Los Angeles Police Department were unable to find a culprit of the devastating and gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short. Until this day, the case has been left unsolved with no recent connections to the crime. Although there are theories about whom her murderer could be, such as a recent boyfriend Robert Manley as well as an obsessed stalker; Mark Hanson. Unfortunately, there were no definite leads connected to either individual so they had to let them go and they remained free men until the end of their lives. Overall, Elizabeth Short (The Black Dahlia) has become one of the most famous unsolved true crime cases across America, but I want her to be known for her quirks and love for acting, because she was an actress at heart, not the vulnerable victim of a cold blooded killer. If you have any information about this case, or any other unsolved cases please contact your local law enforcement agencies.
Sources:
Drained of Blood and Cut in Half: The Black Dahlia; Eleanor Neale
