H359 – Theories Behind the Black Dahlia Case

Teachers: Morgan Korzik

Contact: 9199247948 [email protected]

Class Description: Elizabeth Short's murdered body was found on January 15, 1947, in a vacant Los Angeles lot. However, her killer was never officially found, and even seventy years later, this is still one of America's biggest unsolved crimes. What happened to Elizabeth Short, and which men are the prime suspects for her murder?

Note: I will make sure not to use graphic language or display graphic photographs when teaching this course, yet this course truly is not for anyone who is uncomfortable discussing criminal murder cases.

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to educate students on this infamous case. Students will also learn about our forensics and legal systems and how these systems have improved over seventy years. Class Syllabus (full lecture, 45 minutes)

1. Introduction a. Introducing the teacher (first-year student, biology major, plans on going into the forensics field after UNC) b. Establishing ground rules (students can raise hands for questions at any time, respect the speakers, be wary of doing outside research on this topic) 2. What is the Black Dahlia Case? a. Brief overview of the case (Elizabeth Short’s body was found on January 15, 1947, and this case is infamously unsolved) 3. Who was Elizabeth Short? a. It is important to get to know Elizabeth Short as a person before focusing on her as a victim (was very lively, loved the movies, desperate to find love and get married) b. Focuses on the days leading up to her death (friend Robert Manley picked her up from a friend’s household and dropped her off at the Biltmore Hotel on January 9, 1947, and he was the last one to see her alive) 4. The Crime Scene a. How Elizabeth Short was found (Betty Bersinger, a housewife, stumbled upon the body on a morning walk) b. Initial observations (body was posed, no blood on grass, minor overview of body’s state without being too graphic) c. Based on the body’s state, the case was made a top priority for the LAPD to solve 5. Identifying the Body a. Fingerprints were lifted off the body and sent to the FBI for identification (FBI identified the dead woman as Elizabeth Short) 6. The Investigation Begins a. Feuding between LAPD and reporters (reporters gathered information on case but wanted money when they gave the information to the LAPD) b. Finding Elizabeth Short’s mother to break the news to her c. Anonymous tips began flooding into newspaper stations (photographs of Elizabeth Short found in a trunk) d. Proposed that the killer had medical experience (LAPD inquired FBI to look into local medical students) 7. Robert “Red” Manley a. First suspect (last person to see Elizabeth Short alive) b. Identified Elizabeth Short’s belongings but was released 8. Incoming Evidence a. Elizabeth Short’s killer anonymously called a reporter and offered to mail her belongings to the paper (paper received belongings the next day, one of them being an address book with the name “Mark Hansen” on the cover) 9. Mark Hansen a. Second prime suspect (due to name on address book cover) b. Told LAPD the book was his but he gave it to Elizabeth Short for her to use (was released) 10. Incoming Evidence a. Letters formulated from magazine clippings began pouring into the paper b. LAPD believed killer was taunting them 11. The Suspects a. This was a convoluted case where everyone was treated as a suspect (police had considered 192 suspects by December 1948) b. Leslie Dillon, George Hodel, and Ed Burns were prime suspects 12. Who Killed Elizabeth Short? a. Short answer: we don’t know b. Case has been featured in movies, books, video games, etc. (explain what we know about the case, develop their own theories to what really happened) 13. Possible Serial Killer a. Jeanne French, Evelyn Winters, Laura Trelstad, Rosenda Mondragon (four women that were murdered and were thought to be linked to Elizabeth Short’s murder) 14. Possible Police Cover-up a. Aggie Underwood (reporter in case that was abruptly removed and promoted, so perhaps the LAPD was trying to keep her off the case?) b. Grand Jury hearing in 1949 (addressed Elizabeth Short case and possible police cover-up and corruption)