Elizabeth Short was a 22 year old actress whose body was found on January 15, 1947 in a vacant lot in Leimert Park, a suburb of Los Angeles California, brutally murdered.
As far back as the 1800s the press have given names to unknown murderers or murders, Jack the Ripper and The Boston Strangler are two examples of murderers. Little Lord Fauntleroy and Little Miss Nobody are names the press gave murder victims whose bodies could not be identified. The Black Dahlia is the name assigned to Elizabeth Short after her body was found. One source reported that this name was inspired by a 1946 film titled The Blue Dahlia but as far as research can go this is only conjecture.
Elizabeth Short’s body was found cut in half at the waste, completely drained of blood. The body had cuts on it and slices of flesh removed. Two cuts were made from the corners of her mouth to her ear forming a grin. This type of mutilation was known as The Glasgow Smile. This form of cutting originated in Scotland but became popular with The London street gangs of the 1920s and 30s.
Elizabeth Short was an aspiring actress who had moved to LA only 6 months before her death. Though the press tried to paint her as a prostitute or call girl there was no evidence to suggest this was even remotely true.
Over 50 people confessed to the murder of Elizabeth Short. Several books, movies, and TV shows have been released revolving around The Black Dahlia. In 2003 a book titled Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story was released, it was written by Steve Hodel and in the book he accuses his own father, George Hodel of committing the crime. Each time a new book or film is released more people come forward with new evidence and theories of the grisly murder, but to this day The Black Dahlia murder remains a mystery.
Elizabeth Short was a 22 year old actress whose body was found on January 15, 1947 in a vacant lot in Leimert Park, a suburb of Los Angeles California, brutally murdered.
