Inside the Black Dahlia Murder: Why the Unsolved Murder Still Haunts Hollywood Nearly 80 Years Later

On January 15, 1947, young mother Betty Bersinger, out for a walk in Los Angeles’ Leimert Park, made a chilling discovery. What she first thought was a discarded mannequin turned out to be the mutilated remains of a woman. The body had been surgically bisected at the waist and the victim’s mouth was slashed from ear to ear, forming a ghoulish “smile.” The press dubbed her the Black Dahlia, and the case would become one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history.

The victim was soon identified as 22-year-old Elizabeth Short. But despite an intense LAPD investigation and over 50 false confessions, no one was ever charged. Nearly 80 years later, the mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s brief life and tragic death still captivates the public — and Hollywood — inspiring films, books and countless theories. “It’s the body itself which laid the groundwork for endless generations of Black Dahlia zealots,” said John Gilmore, author of Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder. “It’s like this tremendous, bizarre magnet.”

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Who Was Elizabeth Short?

Before Elizabeth became known as the “Black Dahlia”— a play on the 1945 film The Blue Dahlia and her reported preference for black clothing — she grew up in Boston and Florida. She moved to Los Angeles at 18 to reconnect with her estranged father, but after being arrested for underage drinking, she was sent back to Massachusetts. By mid-1946, she had returned to L.A., reportedly to pursue acting, though she didn’t land any roles. Instead, she drifted through various apartments and worked as a waitress.

On January 8, 1947, traveling salesman Robert Manly drove Elizabeth from San Diego, where she was staying with a friend, back to L.A. The last confirmed sighting of her was on January 9 at the Biltmore Hotel, where she used the lobby phone.

After her body was found six days later, the press sensationalized Elizabeth’s story, falsely portraying her as a promiscuous Hollywood wanna-be. Her friends’ comments to the press — one told the L.A. Times, “She was always going out to prowl [Hollywood] Boulevard”— only fueled the speculation.

There are countless theories about who committed the crime. Among the most notable is George Hodel, an eccentric doctor who socialized with surrealist artist Man Ray and director John Huston. He was on the LAPD’s suspect list, and two of his children, including former LAPD detective Steve Hodel, believe he was the murderer. In fact, in secret police recordings, George Hodel was caught saying, “Supposin’ I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn’t prove it now.”

Steve Hodel said he believes his father mutilated Elizabeth’s body to create a surrealist “masterpiece, a crime so shocking and horrible it would endure, be immortalized through the annals of crime lore.” Whoever the killer was, in that goal, they succeeded.