Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder - Part Two: Becoming Elizabeth

Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder - Part Two: Becoming Elizabeth

Before she became The Black Dahlia, Elizabeth Short was simply Beth — a young woman with big dreams, an open heart, and a longing for something beyond the ordinary. In Part Two: Becoming Elizabeth, we step back in time to uncover the story of the woman behind the legend.

From her childhood in Medford, Massachusetts, through family tragedy, illness, and the Great Depression, we follow Elizabeth’s journey into adolescence — a girl fascinated by Hollywood glamour and determined to create a better life for herself.

We trace her adventures from the frozen streets of New England to the sun-drenched beaches of Florida and the military bases of California during World War II. Along the way, we meet the men who loved her — and the heartbreaks that would shape her fate.

This episode explores the making of Elizabeth Short: the beauty, the dreamer, and the woman who walked fearlessly into a world that would one day remember her by another name.

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 & 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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Avsnitt(393)

Patreon Sneak Peek Bonus Story

Patreon Sneak Peek Bonus Story

Surprise! Here's an extra episode for you since I'm off this week.  This is as bonus episode that I would normally make available only for Patreon members, but I'll give you a little sneak peek of Patreon bonus content by sharing it with everyone. This is the story of another murder committed by the Aum Doomsday Cult that did I did not talk about on Episode #86: Last Stop: Chapter 3: The Tokyo Subway Attack.  To become a Patreon supporter of Once Upon a Crime go to 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.

3 Maj 201833min

Last Stop: Diana the Hunter of Bus Drivers and the Murdered Women of Juarez

Last Stop: Diana the Hunter of Bus Drivers and the Murdered Women of Juarez

A woman takes revenge for hundreds of raped and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico by targeting city bus drivers. Resources: For more information about women's organizations in Juarez:  https://hiponline.org/how-casa-amiga-helps-free-the-women-of-juarez/  https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/meet-the-mexican-activists-fighting-for-womens-rights/  https://web.archive.org/web/20040414134540/http://www.mujeresdejuarez.org/ Book: The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of Serial Murder South of the Border by Teresa Rodriguez Paper: The Femicide Machine by Sergio Gonzalez Rodriguez, published by Semiotext (c) with support from Mexico's National Fund for Culture and the Arts 2011-2013.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Apr 20181h

Last Stop: The Tokyo Subway Attack

Last Stop: The Tokyo Subway Attack

On March 20, 1995 a group of men board the Tokyo Metro subway system and release deadly sarin gas.  The mass murder was ordered by Aum Supreme Truth cult leader Shoko Asahara. #massmurder #cults #Japan #terrorism #chemicalweapons Resources: Books: The Cult at the End of the World by David Kaplan and Andrew Marshall Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Mrakami www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime to become a patron and get bonus content and merchandise. Social Media Links: www.facebook.com/onceuponacrimepod  www.twitter.com/uponacrime www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Apr 201855min

Last Stop: The Hijacking of Bus 174

Last Stop: The Hijacking of Bus 174

A hijacking on a bus unfolds live on television in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June of 2000.  #hijacking #hostagecrisis #Brazil  Resources: Documentary: Bus 174 (2002) directed by Jose Padilha Podcast Recommendations: Trace Evidence https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/trace-evidence/id1239217007?mt=2 Not Perfect or Functional https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/not-perfect-or-functional-podcast-true-crime-sports/id1273572626?mt=2 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Apr 201854min

Last Stop: The Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping

Last Stop: The Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping

In 1976, in the small farming community of Chowchilla, California, a school bus full of children is kidnapped for ransom.  #kidnappings #Chowchilla #ransom #crimehistory #California Resources: Dan Noyes, ABC7 News, "Parole hearing reveals new details about Chowchilla kidnapping," Nov 29, 2012.  Holly Yan, CNN, "California mass kidnapping: After being buried alive, victims relive nightmare," Dec 28, 2015.  Robert Lindsey, The New York Times, "26 Children Found Safe After Being Kidnapped from Bus in Caliifornia," July 17, 1976.  Follow us at: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime www.twitter.com/uponacrime www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepod www.facebook.com/onceuponacrimepod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Apr 201839min

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Affluenza Defense

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Affluenza Defense

A 16-year-old boy from a well-to-do Fort Worth family commits a quadruple vehicular homicide.  His attorneys will argue that his overprivileged upbringing resulted in him not knowing how to discern right from wrong. The term "affluenza" was coined to describe defendants like Ethan Couch - wealthy, spoiled and held unaccountable for their bad behavior.  I'll also describe how this same defense was used in 1924 to defend the wealthy teenaged murderers Leopold and Loeb.  #LeopoldandLoeb #CrimeoftheCentury #EthanCouch #Affluenza Resources: Manny Fernandez, Richard Perez-Pena and Azam Ahmed, The New York Times, "Ethan Couch, 'Affluenza' Teenager, Had Last Party Before Fleeing," Dec 29, 2015.  Michael J. Mooney, D Magazine, "The Worst Parents Ever," May 2015.   American Experience, PBS Television, "The Perfect Crime: Leopold and Loeb". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Mars 201845min

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Twinkie Defense

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Twinkie Defense

Supervisor Dan White murders San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. His defense would claim "diminished capacity" to keep him from being sentenced to death. The media dubbed this "The Twinkie Defense". But, what really caused Dan White to become a double murderer? Resources John Geluardi, SF Weekly, "Dan White's motive more about betrayal than homophobia," Jan 30, 2008. Carol Pogash, SFGate.com, "Myth of the 'Twinkie Defense', Nov 23, 2003. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Mars 201833min

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Sleepwalking Defense

Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Sleepwalking Defense

Three cases are outlined where a person commits murder and then blames the crime on sleepwalking.  First up, Albert Tirrell murders his mistress in 1846 claiming he was in a trance-like state at the time. Kenneth Parks travels 23 km to commit a murder - all while asleep, he claimed. Finally, another man tries to use the sleepwalking defense after killing his wife in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Resources: Karen Abbott, Smithsonian.com, "The Case of the Sleepwalking Killer," April 30, 2012.  Paul Rubin, NewTimes.com, "A Killer Sleep Disorder," Nov 19, 1998.  True Crime Truant, "Scott Falater: Sleepwalking Killer Gets a Wakeup Call," July 20, 2017.  Berit Brogaard and Kristian Marlow, Psychology Today, "Sleep Driving and Sleep Killing: The Kenneth Parks Case," Dec 13, 2012. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Mars 201839min

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