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)

Written in Blood: Jack Abbott and Issei Sagawa

Written in Blood: Jack Abbott and Issei Sagawa

In this series I detail crimes committed by authors or writers.  First up, two authors who became literary celebrities despite their criminal history....or even because of it.  #JackHenryAbbott #IsseiSagawa #NormanMailer #GaryGilmore #TheExecutionersSong #Japan #cannibalism Resources: Sewell Chan, The New York Times, "Mailer and the Murderer," Nov 12, 2007.  Bruce Jackson, Buffalo Report, "Jack Henry Abbott, 58," Mar 1 2002.  M.A. Farber, The New York Times, "Freedom for Convict-Author: Complex and Conflicting Tale," 1981.  Katherine Ramsland, CrimeLibrary.com, "The Cannibal Celebrity: Issei Sagawa,".  Julian Ryall, Post Magazine, "Poetic Justice: is the Japanese cannibal finally paying a price?," Dec 7, 2013.  Social Media Links: www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepod www.facebook.com/onceuponacrimepod www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime www.twitter.com/uponacrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Elo 201843min

Wild Things: The Pacific Heights Dog Mauling Case - Part 2

Wild Things: The Pacific Heights Dog Mauling Case - Part 2

Diane Whipple lost her life on January 26, 2001 after she was attacked by two dangerous dogs. You'll hear about the public outcry after this horrible incident and how the owners, Robert Noel and Marjorie Knoller, made matters worse by insisting they had no responsibility for Whipple's death. This is part two of The Pacific Heights Dog Mauling Case.  Resources: Book: Red Zone: The Behind the Scenes Story of the San Francisco Dog Mauling by Aphrodite Jones Article:  "Mad Dogs and Lawyers" by Evan Wright, Rolling Stone Magazine, February 28, 2002. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Heinä 201842min

Wild Things: The Pacific Heights Dog Mauling Case - Part 1

Wild Things: The Pacific Heights Dog Mauling Case - Part 1

A fatal dog mauling case shocked the San Francisco Bay Area and the world in early 2001.  When the details were revealed about the dogs and their owners the story took a bizarre twist. Join me for part one of this two-part episode as I detail the tragic death of a young, lacrosse coach and the strange and unusual backstory that lead to her demise.  Resources: Book: Red Zone: The Behind the Scenes Story of the San Francisco Dog Mauling by Aphrodite Jones Article: Mad Dogs and Lawyers by Evan Wright, Rolling Stone Magazine, February 28, 2002. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Heinä 201852min

Wild Things: The Murder of Dian Fossey

Wild Things: The Murder of Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey became the foremost expert on the mountain gorillas of the Congo.  She conducted the first long-term field study of these animals and her story was immortalized in the book and movie Gorillas in the Mist. A few days after Christmas 1985 Dian Fossey was found brutally murdered in her cabin at the primate research center she founded.  People around the world wanted to know who killed Dian Fossey? #Rwanda #poachers #gorillaconservation #Virunga #Karisoke  Resources: Nicholas Gordon, Murders in the Mist: Who Killed Dian Fossey? (London: Hodder & Stoughton) 1993.  Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist (2017), National Geographic Channel.  Social Media Links: www.twitter.com/uponacrime www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepod www.facebook.com/onceuponacrimepod www.patreon.com/onceuponacrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Heinä 20181h 9min

Wild Things: The San Francisco Zoo Tiger Attacks.

Wild Things: The San Francisco Zoo Tiger Attacks.

If true crime stories teach us anything it's that man is the most dangerous animal of all. In this new series I will detail cases where human's behavior results in wild animals becoming involved in crime stories.   This series will NOT detail cases of animal cruelty. First up, a tiger escapes its enclosure at a zoo and attacks three men? Was the tiger provoked? What would cause an animal to attack humans out of the blue?  Resources: Patricia Yollin, Tanya Schevitz, and Kevin Fagan, SFGate.com, "SF Zoo visitor saw 2 victims of tiger attack teasing lions," Jan 3, 2008.  Linda Goldston, San Jose Mercury News, "Tiger attack: San Jose brothers receive $900,000 settlement from San Franciscio Zoo," May 29, 2009. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Heinä 201839min

Bonus Episode: "Dead North"

Bonus Episode: "Dead North"

On this bonus episode I discuss the 4-part documentary series "Dead North" that premiered on A&E in late May.  My special co-host is my brother, Tony.   Ways to watch: https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/dead-north/about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfAvQ-DZtzo https://play.google.com/store/tv/show?id=hJP2D07sNYvoOnuQy60VqA&cdid=tvseason-iDb1vI20xZwH3DauTgXuyw&gdid=tvepisode-gfAvQ-DZtzo https://www.amazon.com/Winter-is-Coming-Part-1/dp/B07DC6WGST/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1530203353&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=dead+north+documentary Today's sponsors: www.campaignliving.com - Use offer code ONCE to get $75 off your order. www.pb.com/once for a 60-day free trial for all C200 models.  www.Talkspace.com/ouac and use offer code OUAC to get $45 off your first month.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Kesä 20181h 53min

Infamous Locales: The Cecil Hotel - Part 3

Infamous Locales: The Cecil Hotel - Part 3

A young, Canadian college students goes missing from the Cecil while visiting Los Angeles in 2013.  The hotel's surveillance camera captures bizarre behavior by the young woman adding to the mystery.   #ElisaLam #mysteriousdeaths #elevatorvideo  Resources: Elevator video - last sighting of Elisa Lam: https://youtu.be/3TjVBpyTeZM TX Files episode where I discuss the connection between the Elisa Lam case and the film Dark Water. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/27-the-sierra-diablo-murders-part-1/id1153817822?i=1000385825759&mt=2 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.

7 Kesä 201826min

Infamous Locales: The Cecil Hotel - Part 2

Infamous Locales: The Cecil Hotel - Part 2

We continue the series "Infamous Locales" with another true crime story from the infamous Cecil Hotel. This time, I'll tell you about another serial killer who made the Cecil his base of operations -  Jack Unterweger, "The Vienna Woods Killer".  #serialkillers #Austria #Vienna #ViennaWoodsKiller Resources: Books: Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer by John Leake The Unknown Darkness: Profiling the Predators Among Us by Gregg O. McCrarySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Kesä 201852min

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