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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Avsnitt(398)

Bad Seeds: Leslie Arnold

Bad Seeds: Leslie Arnold

In Nebraska, in 1958, a high school junior holds animosity towards his mother and takes deadly revenge.  He is caught and imprisoned and, years later, disappears for decades.  Where is Leslie Arnold today?  Resources "Whatever Happened to Leslie Arnold, the Boy who Murdered his Parents?" by John William Tuohy,  www.mywriterssite.blogspot.com  "The Mystery of Leslie Arnold" by Henry Cordes for The Omaha World-Herald, Sept 13, 2017.  Music Credits: Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com Other music:  Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Feb 202040min

Bad Seeds: Lowell Lee Andrews

Bad Seeds: Lowell Lee Andrews

In Kansas in 1958, an 18-year-old kills both of his parents and his only sibling. Was it a case of greed, mental illness, or was Andrews just a "bad seed"?   #parricide #InColdBlood #TheBrothersKaramazov #deathrow #familyannihilators  Resources: "Lowell Lee Andrews Was 'The Nicest Boy' in Wolcott by Beth Elias for Ranker.com  "Nicest boy in Wolcott" by David J. Krajicek for NYDailyNews.com, Feb. 21, 2010 "State vs. Andrews", Appeal Record, State of Kansas, Dec. 10, 1960. Retrieved on Justia.com.  In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Modern Library, Reprint Edition, 2013.  Music Credits: Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com Music from https://filmmusic.io - "March of the Mind" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Other music:  https://freesound.org/s/321070/  ,  https://freesound.org/s/243435/  Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Feb 202033min

Bad Seeds: Marlene Olive

Bad Seeds: Marlene Olive

In 1975, a rebellious teen enlists her boyfriend to kill her parents in a small, Northern California town. The gruesome crime would be dubbed "The Barbecue Murders" in the press.  Sources: "Kill My Parents: The story of Marlene Olive" by Denise Noe for Crime Library, June 23, 2014 "A Local Murder: Terra Linda was the setting for a real-life 1975 crime" by Jim Wood for Marin Magazine, October 21, 2008 Music Credits: Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com Other music: https://freesound.org/s/131913/, https://freesound.org/s/403662/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/ - all licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License Links: Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-taco-bout-true-crime/id1452118167  Affirmative Murder -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/affirmative-murder/id1296864488  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Feb 202044min

Behind the Crime: Aileen Wuornos

Behind the Crime: Aileen Wuornos

In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos.   Time stamps: Early Life: 02:41 Teen Years: 13:25 Young Adult Life: 32:17 On the Road: 35:30 Criminal Activity: 36:12 Tyra: 47:30 The Victims: 55:57 Closing In/The Arrest: 1:36:40 The Confession: 1:44:46 Arlene Pralle/Adoption: 1:51:50 The Trial: 1:56:42 Death Sentence: 2:04:26 Execution 2:12:44 Final Thoughts: 2:14:35 Sources: "Lethal Intent", written by Sue Russell, Published 2002 for Pinnacle Books http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm "A Mother's Love" by Mike Clary for the LA Times, Dec 17 1991,  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-17-vw-496-story.html Other links:  Deadly Misadventures Podcast  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deadly-misadventures/id1494774552  Music Credits:  Aaron Michael Goldberg: https://aarongoldberg.bandcamp.com Music from https://filmmusic.io "March of the Mind" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Jan 20202h 19min

Analyzing the JonBenet Ramsey Case with Jack Luna

Analyzing the JonBenet Ramsey Case with Jack Luna

On this special episode my guest is Jack Luna from Crime Machine Podcast.  We discuss the evidence and theories behind the JonBenet Ramsey Case. Sources: Foreign Faction: Who Really Killed JonBenet? by A. James Kolar, Ventus Publishing, 2012.  JonBenet Ramsey Case Encyclopedia, www.jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com  "The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey". https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6mj3ze  Crime Machine Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-machine/id1209610434 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Dec 20191h 34min

The Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis w/Erica Kelly

The Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis w/Erica Kelly

On this special episode, I discuss the death of Shawn Stephens Lewis. Shawn was the fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and country music star.  When Shawn Lewis was found dead in Lewis's mansion on August 24, 1983, many questions would remain unanswered as to how she died.  My very special guest this week is Erica Kelly from the Southern Fried True Crime podcast!  www.southernfriedtruecrime.com www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  www.crimecon.com - use offer code ONCE20 for 10% off your standard badge.  Resources: "The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis" by Richard Ben Cramer for Rolling Stone, March 1, 1984 "The Sudden Death of Wife No. 5 Confronts Jerry Lee Lewis with Tragedy - and Troubling Questions" by People Staff for People Magazine, Sept 12, 1983.  "Jerry Lee Lewis: 'The Killer' Says the Wild Times are Behind Him" by Jim Sullivan for The Chicago Tribune. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Dec 20191h 29min

AMA and Case Updates for 2019

AMA and Case Updates for 2019

On this year-end wrap up episode, I answer listener questions and share updates on cases I've covered in past episodes.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Dec 201945min

Fugitives from Justice: Ruth Eisemann-Schier

Fugitives from Justice: Ruth Eisemann-Schier

In this last episode about fugitives on the run from the law I tell you the story of the very first woman ever to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List.  Ruth Eisemann-Schier, along with her boyfriend, Gary Krist, carried out a bizarre kidnapping plot in 1968.   Resources: "Femmes Fatals: The Ten Women on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List" by Anna Hopkins for DailyMail.com, Sep 11, 2017.  "A kidnapping with Deltona ties gripped the nation 50 years ago" by Tony Holt for The Daytona Beach News Journal, Dec 20, 2017.  Krist v. The State of Georgia, Appeal Record, Dec 3, 1970. Retrieved online at www.Cite.Case.Law.  "Gary Krist: The Einstein of Crime" by David Krajicek for www.TruTV.com  Music Credits: "On My Way" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Outro Music by Chesare Gray MusicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Nov 201934min

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