Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder - Part One: The Girl in the Empty Lot

Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder - Part One: The Girl in the Empty Lot

In January 1947, a mother walking through a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood made a horrifying discovery — the bisected body of a young woman posed in a vacant lot.

Within hours, newspapers had a headline that would echo for decades: The Black Dahlia Murder.

In this first episode of BROKEN: The Black Dahlia Murder, host Esther Ludlow revisits the shocking discovery of Elizabeth Short’s body and explores how the media turned one of America’s most brutal crimes into legend.

You’ll learn how police handed reporters nearly unrestricted access to the case, how wild speculation replaced evidence, and how myths — from “party girl” to “femme fatale” — erased the real woman behind the name.

Seventy-eight years later, her story is still broken by rumor and sensationalism.

Now, Once Upon a Crime seeks to restore the truth.

In this six-part series, Esther will uncover the real Elizabeth Short — and tell the story the headlines never did.

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.

Upcoming episode:

Part Two: Discovering Elizabeth - The true biography of Elizabeth Short: her childhood, her dreams, and how her life led her to Los Angeles.

Release date: October 25th

Sources & References

  • Los Angeles Police Department and FBI case archives and reports.
  • “Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood” by William J. Mann, Simon & Schuster, (Advanced Reader Copy), Publication date: January 13, 2026.
  • “Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder” by John Gilmore.
  • Historic articles from the Los Angeles Times and The Examiner (1947). (Accessed on Newspapers.com.)


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Sweetheart Killers: Alton Coleman and Debra Brown

Sweetheart Killers: Alton Coleman and Debra Brown

A summer of terror. A nationwide manhunt. Two killers with nothing to lose. In the summer of 1984, Alton Coleman and Debra Brown embarked on a brutal multi-state crime spree, leaving a trail of devastation across the Midwest. Their violent rampage included robbery, assault, kidnapping, and cold-blooded murder—forcing the FBI to launch an urgent manhunt to stop them before they could kill again. What fueled their deadly partnership? How did they evade capture for so long? And what finally brought their reign of terror to an end? Join us as we dive into one of the most chilling serial killer duos in American history. 🎧 Listen now—because the road to hell is paved with blood. 🔗 Support the show & unlock exclusive content: www.patreon.com/OnceUponaCrime 📢 Follow for more true crime: 🌐 www.truecrimepodcast.com #TrueCrimePodcast #AltonColeman #DebraBrown #SerialKillers #Spreekillers #FBIManhunt #CrimeHistory #OnceUponACrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Feb 201735min

Sweetheart Killers: Amy Fisher - The Long Island Lolita

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Artful Crimes: The Gardner Museum Heist

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A billion-dollar mystery. A museum left in ruins. And a case that remains unsolved to this day. On March 18, 1990, two men disguised as police officers walked into Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—and walked out with 13 priceless works of art. In just 81 minutes, they pulled off the biggest art heist in history, vanishing without a trace. Decades later, the stolen masterpieces, worth over half a billion dollars, remain missing. Who was behind this daring crime? Was it the work of a criminal syndicate, an inside job, or something even more unexpected? And will these lost treasures ever be recovered? Join us as we explore the twists, turns, and theories surrounding one of the world’s greatest unsolved heists. 🎧 Listen now—because the truth is still waiting to be uncovered. 🔗 Support the show & get exclusive content: www.patreon.com/OnceUponaCrime 📢 Follow for more true crime: 🌐 www.truecrimepodcast.com 📘 Facebook 📷 Instagram 🐦 Twitter #TrueCrimePodcast #GardnerMuseumHeist #ArtHeist #UnsolvedMystery #StolenMasterpieces #OnceUponACrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Artful Crimes: Andy Warhol and Valerie Solanas

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Fame. Rejection. Revenge. One gunshot that changed art history forever. On June 3, 1968, pop art icon Andy Warhol was nearly killed when radical feminist writer Valerie Solanas walked into his Manhattan studio and opened fire. Warhol survived—but the attack left both him and the art world forever altered. What drove Solanas, the author of the SCUM Manifesto, to attempt murder? Was she a revolutionary or a deeply troubled woman seeking vengeance? And how did this moment expose the darker side of Warhol’s Factory scene? Join us as we explore the complex relationship between Solanas and Warhol, the shooting that shook the art world, and the lasting impact of this near-fatal encounter. 🎧 Listen now—because art and violence have a history. 📖 Book Recommendation: Valerie Solanas: The Defiant Life of the Woman Who Wrote SCUM (and Shot Andy Warhol)– Breanne Fahs 🔗 Support the show & get exclusive content: www.patreon.com/OnceUponaCrime 📢 Follow for more true crime: 🌐 www.truecrimepodcast.com #TrueCrimePodcast #AndyWarhol #ValerieSolanas #ArtCrime #CrimeHistory #OnceUponACrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Artful Crimes: Caravaggio: The Bad Boy of Rome

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The great artist Caravaggio lives an unparalleled life as a painter of masterpieces and as a mercurial and violent young man who became a convicted murderer before the age of 35. Resrouces: Book: Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon  Facebook & Instagram: @OnceUponACrimePod Twitter: @UponACrime    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Artful Crimes: The Death of Vincent Van Gogh

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S1 Ep25: Holiday Homicides: Murder in Madison

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S1 Ep24: Holiday Homicides: The Lawson Family Murders

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