Bonus: The First Suspects - The Black Dahlia Files

Bonus: The First Suspects - The Black Dahlia Files

In this bonus episode, Esther takes listeners back to the earliest days of the Black Dahlia investigation — before the world even knew the victim’s name.

Detectives faced a gruesome and mystifying crime scene in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood. Who was the young woman whose body had been staged so deliberately? And who could have committed such a shocking crime?

Using witness statements, police reports, and historical accounts, Esther reveals how investigators built their first list of suspects — and how each was eventually ruled out.

From Elizabeth Short’s friends and lovers to shady landlords and reluctant witnesses, these early leads laid the groundwork for a case that would haunt Los Angeles for decades.

🎧 Next Time on Broken

In the next episode, we’ll examine the shocking details of the crime scene and autopsy — how Elizabeth Short was killed, the forensic evidence left behind, and what it tells us about her murderer.

We’ll also start piecing together theories about motive — and why her killer may have wanted her body to be found.

Make sure you’re subscribed and that your app is set to automatically download new episodes so you don’t miss what’s next in Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder.

About This Series

BROKEN: The Black Dahlia Murder is a six-part Once Upon a Crime original series.

Through extensive research, historical records, and firsthand accounts, Esther Ludlow uncovers the truth behind America’s most infamous unsolved murder, separating fact from fiction to rediscover the real woman behind the myth.

📚 Sources

Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by John Gilmore

The Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood by William J. Mann (upcoming)

Contemporary newspaper archives, LAPD records, and witness interviews


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Jaksot(397)

Disorder in the Court - The Atlanta Courthouse Killer

Disorder in the Court - The Atlanta Courthouse Killer

In 2005, a man on trial for rape escapes custody in Atlanta's Fulton County Courthouse and goes on a violent rampage.  This is Chapter 1 of "Disorder in the Court".   Resources: 3 Slain in Atlanta Courthouse Rampage, The Washington Post, March 12, 2005, Staff writers Manuel Roig-Franzia and Melanie Lasoff Levs  A Manhunt and a Woman's Story, Washington Post, March 15, 2005, writer Manuel Roig-Franzia A Youth Drifted from Deep Family Ties to Deep Trouble, The Baltimore Sun, March 18, 2005, writers Abigail Tucker and Stephen Kiehl 10 Years Later, Courthouse Safer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 11, 2015, by Ernie Suggs See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Touko 201946min

Bad Sports: Ten Cent Beer Night

Bad Sports: Ten Cent Beer Night

A summer ball game descends into chaos when a promotional event goes seriously awry.  This is the last chapter in the series "Bad Sports" recounting the Cleveland Indians' "Ten Cent Beer Night" riot.  Thanks to guest voice actors Lorne and Michael from The True Crime Guys podcast.  www.truecrimeguys.com Resources: Articles: The Night Beer and Violence Bubbled Over in Cleveland by Paul Jackson on ESPN.com Forty Years Ago, 10-cent Beer Makes Memories by Anthony Castrovince on MLB.com  Video: Ten Cent Beer Night - Weird History on YouTube.com  Other links: Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com Patreon:  www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Huhti 201933min

Bad Sports: Soccer Brawl in Brazil

Bad Sports: Soccer Brawl in Brazil

A friendly soccer game on a dusty field in Brazil turns into a horrific act of violence.  Resources:  Article: A Yellow Card, Then Unfathomable Violence in Brazil by Jere Longman and Taylor Barnes for The New York Times, October 31, 2013 "Football Hooliganism" - a Wikipedia listing of instances of violence at soccer matches.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Huhti 201933min

Bad Sports: Sally "Killer" McNeil

Bad Sports: Sally "Killer" McNeil

Muscles, marriage, and murder. A deadly Valentine’s Day like no other. Ray and Sally McNeil were both professional bodybuilders—a power couple in the world of competitive fitness. But behind their sculpted physiques lay a marriage fueled by infidelity, domestic abuse, and the dangerous effects of anabolic steroid use. On February 14, 1995, their volatile relationship reached its shocking and violent climax, leaving one of them dead and the other fighting for their freedom. Was Sally McNeil a battered wife acting in self-defense, or was there something more sinister behind the crime? Join us as we break down the case that rocked the bodybuilding world and examine the dark side of extreme competition. 🎧 Listen now—because strength isn’t always what it seems. 📚 Resources: Court Records: McNeil v. Middleton, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (2003) Articles: Sally McNeil...This is My Story – Leigh Penman, RXMuscle.com (2009) The Sally-Ray McNeil Murder – Peter McGough, MuscularDevelopment.com (2015) 🔗 For more true crime stories, visit: www.truecrimepodcast.com 📢 Follow for more true crime: 📘 Facebook 📷 Instagram 🐦 Twitter #TrueCrimePodcast #SallyMcNeil #BodybuildingCrime #CrimeOfPassion #KillerValentine #OnceUponACrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Huhti 201926min

Bad Sports: Thomas Junta - "Hockey Dad"

Bad Sports: Thomas Junta - "Hockey Dad"

This month I'll be sharing stories of outrageous crimes that occurred at sporting events or by sports figures.   First up, a neighborhood ice rink, a pee-wee hockey pick-up game and some unsportsmanlike conduct leads to a confrontation between parents that ends with tragic results.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Huhti 201930min

Murder Memories: Paul Cox

Murder Memories: Paul Cox

A man starts having vivid memories of a violent crime he believes he may have committed during an alcoholic blackout.  Resources: Kevin Dwyer and Jure Fiiorillo, True Stories of Law & Order (New York: Berkley Boulevard Books), 74-82.  Cox v. Miller, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Decision, retrieved from www.Justia.com, July 17, 2002.  David Goldnamn Biography, "AA vs DA: The Case of Paul Cox," March 2003, 21.  Links: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime to become a patron and receive podcast merch, bonus episodes and be entered into our monthly drawing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Maalis 201934min

Murder Memories: Eileen Franklin - Part 2

Murder Memories: Eileen Franklin - Part 2

I conclude the story about Eileen Franklin who claimed to have witnessed her friend, 8-year-old Susan Nason's murder in 1969. She would say her memory of the event was only recovered after 20 years.  Her story would begin a debate about the validity of "recovered memories" used in criminal trials. Click here to subscribe to "Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime"!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Maalis 201944min

Murder Memories: Eileen Franklin - Part 1

Murder Memories: Eileen Franklin - Part 1

In this series I'll share crime stories that feature a very strange and rare phenomenon - recovered memories of murder.  Is it possible to forget about a murder?  Could a traumatic event, like witnessing a violent crime, cause a person to repress the memory so completely that they, in essence, “forget” they ever saw such a horrific event? In this first chapter, Eileen Franklin recalls a 20-year-old murder.  She will claim that she witnessed the murder of her best friend, 8-year-old Susan Nason in 1969 and then repressed the memory for years. Resources: Several articles, court records and other materials were used to research this case.  One resource was the book Once Upon a Time by Harry Maclean, published in 1993. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Maalis 201949min

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