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Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder
In 1947, California's infamous Black Dahlia murder inspired the largest manhunt in Los Angeles history. Despite an unprecedented allocation of money and manpower, police investigators failed to identify the psychopath responsible for the sadistic murder and mutilation of beautiful twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Short. Decades later, former LAPD homicide detective-turned-private investigator Steve Hodel launched his own investigation into the grisly unsolved crime—and it led him to a shockingly unexpected perpetrator: Hodel's own father.
A spellbinding tour de force of true-crime writing, this newly revised edition includes never-before-published forensic evidence, photos, and previously unreleased documents, definitively closing the case that has often been called "the most notorious unsolved murder of the twentieth century."
A spellbinding tour de force of true-crime writing, this newly revised edition includes never-before-published forensic evidence, photos, and previously unreleased documents, definitively closing the case that has often been called "the most notorious unsolved murder of the twentieth century."
624 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2003
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April 15, 2011
Former LAPD detective Steve Hodel is convinced that his late father, Dr. George Hodel, killed the Black Dahlia.
After reading his book, I am not.
Many strong cases are built on a preponderance of circumstantial evidence. The problem with this book is that most of the "evidence" Hodel presents isn't circumstantial. It's supposition and conjecture.
Circumstantial evidence is when an item belonging to a suspect is found at a crime scene, or an eyewitness can place a suspect in the vicinity of a crime scene around the time the crime took place.
In "Black Dahlia Avenger," Hodel presents such "evidence" as the fact that a black military-style watch was found at the crime scene (during a second canvassing of the site, much later than the body was first discovered). There's a picture of his father from before the murder wearing a black military-style watch, and then a picture from a few years after the murder where he's wearing a different watch.
He also isn't even able to really place his father in L.A. at the time of the murder, but uses "evidence" like the fact that his father had art objects shipped to L.A. from China, where he was living in late 1946, as evidence that his father's return to L.A. was imminent. But it's equally possible that he had things shipped to his home in L.A. and DIDN'T return home until many months later.
Hodel uses a lot of phrases like "I strongly believe," which might convince people who are unable to think critically, but it doesn't change the fact that they're merely his opinions.
Hodel writes extremely well, and the parts of this book that aren't about his theories are actually fascinating. I knew almost nothing about the Black Dahlia murder before this book, and learned a lot about the facts surrounding the case.
But when he gets into presenting his case, it's a difficult book to get through, mostly because his reasoning is so faulty and preposterous.
He first got an inkling that his father might have killed Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia) after finding pictures of Short in his father's personal photo album after his father's death. The problem with these pictures (which are reproduced several times in this book) is that they look absolutely nothing like Elizabeth Short. He claims that he doesn't want to get into a "pissing contest" with people who doubt that they're really pictures of her, and that he has "no doubt" that it is she. He also claims that people who don't think it's she are Dahlia theorists with their own theory to peddle.
I'm not one of those people, and the woman in the photographs looks nothing like Elizabeth Short. They both are young white women with black hair, but that's it.
He also links his father to a number of murders of other women in L.A. in the '40s (as well as a presumed accomplice, Fred Sexton), even though the M.O. in those cases doesn't seem to match the Black Dahlia in any way. There was a handsome, well-dressed, dark-haired man about 5'11" who was linked to these women, which matches his father's description, but it's not exactly a strange or unique description, is it?
Of course, none of this means that Dr. George Hodel didn't kill the Black Dahlia, but the same could be said of many people. In fairness, the picture Steve Hodel paints of his father is a grim one. He doesn't sound like a very good or decent person, but after reading this book, I wasn't convinced by any of Hodel's suppositions or theories about his father's secret career as a murderer.
Also, Hodel continually falls back on the last resort of all conspiracy theorists. Namely, that he's not able to produce definitive evidence because it's being hidden from him. He accuses the LAPD of a massive cover-up, and of protecting Dr. George Hodel and either hiding or having destroyed critical evidence.
He also wrote a follow-up book to this one in which he accuses his father of being the Zodiac killer.
Whatever.
After reading his book, I am not.
Many strong cases are built on a preponderance of circumstantial evidence. The problem with this book is that most of the "evidence" Hodel presents isn't circumstantial. It's supposition and conjecture.
Circumstantial evidence is when an item belonging to a suspect is found at a crime scene, or an eyewitness can place a suspect in the vicinity of a crime scene around the time the crime took place.
In "Black Dahlia Avenger," Hodel presents such "evidence" as the fact that a black military-style watch was found at the crime scene (during a second canvassing of the site, much later than the body was first discovered). There's a picture of his father from before the murder wearing a black military-style watch, and then a picture from a few years after the murder where he's wearing a different watch.
He also isn't even able to really place his father in L.A. at the time of the murder, but uses "evidence" like the fact that his father had art objects shipped to L.A. from China, where he was living in late 1946, as evidence that his father's return to L.A. was imminent. But it's equally possible that he had things shipped to his home in L.A. and DIDN'T return home until many months later.
Hodel uses a lot of phrases like "I strongly believe," which might convince people who are unable to think critically, but it doesn't change the fact that they're merely his opinions.
Hodel writes extremely well, and the parts of this book that aren't about his theories are actually fascinating. I knew almost nothing about the Black Dahlia murder before this book, and learned a lot about the facts surrounding the case.
But when he gets into presenting his case, it's a difficult book to get through, mostly because his reasoning is so faulty and preposterous.
He first got an inkling that his father might have killed Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia) after finding pictures of Short in his father's personal photo album after his father's death. The problem with these pictures (which are reproduced several times in this book) is that they look absolutely nothing like Elizabeth Short. He claims that he doesn't want to get into a "pissing contest" with people who doubt that they're really pictures of her, and that he has "no doubt" that it is she. He also claims that people who don't think it's she are Dahlia theorists with their own theory to peddle.
I'm not one of those people, and the woman in the photographs looks nothing like Elizabeth Short. They both are young white women with black hair, but that's it.
He also links his father to a number of murders of other women in L.A. in the '40s (as well as a presumed accomplice, Fred Sexton), even though the M.O. in those cases doesn't seem to match the Black Dahlia in any way. There was a handsome, well-dressed, dark-haired man about 5'11" who was linked to these women, which matches his father's description, but it's not exactly a strange or unique description, is it?
Of course, none of this means that Dr. George Hodel didn't kill the Black Dahlia, but the same could be said of many people. In fairness, the picture Steve Hodel paints of his father is a grim one. He doesn't sound like a very good or decent person, but after reading this book, I wasn't convinced by any of Hodel's suppositions or theories about his father's secret career as a murderer.
Also, Hodel continually falls back on the last resort of all conspiracy theorists. Namely, that he's not able to produce definitive evidence because it's being hidden from him. He accuses the LAPD of a massive cover-up, and of protecting Dr. George Hodel and either hiding or having destroyed critical evidence.
He also wrote a follow-up book to this one in which he accuses his father of being the Zodiac killer.
Whatever.
June 11, 2016
Steven Hodel sets out to prove a number of things in this book:
1. His father, Dr. George Hill Hodel, was an abusive, controlling, sadistic, egotistical whack-job, with a thing for incest, pedophilia, and Asian girls, who was criminally involved in an abortion ring, every illegal depravity you can think of, and also tax evasion.
2. His father, with his friend and henchman Fred Sexton, killed Elizabeth Short.
3. There was a serial killer preying on women in Los Angeles in the 1940s.
4. This serial killer murdered Elizabeth Short.
5. THEREFORE, George Hill Hodel and Fred Sexton, together and separately, were this serial killer, and continued their "work" on into the '50s and even the '60s.
6. The person who killed Elizabeth Short, aside from being George Hill Hodel, serial killer and tax evader, was the person who sent all communications to either police or press about any of these killings and also left the words written in lipstick on Jeanne French's dead body.
Okay. So.
Hodel actually convinces me of (1) and (3) and I'll put an option on (2) even if I don't entirely buy it. (4) I have serious doubts about. (5) and (6) I'm not touching with a ten foot pole.
The basic problem with Hodel is that all of his logic looks like this:
1. George Hill Hodel was a sadistic whack job.
2. The serial killer was a sadistic whack job.
3. Therefore, George Hill Hodel was the serial killer.
Or:
1. (a.) The newspaper editor who talked once on the phone to a man who claimed to be the Black Dahlia Avenger described his voice as "soft" and "sly," the voice of an "egomaniac" (271)
(b.) This man's claim was true.
2. (a.) Many witnesses across the various crimes described the suspect they saw with the victim as having a "suave" and "cultured" voice. (271)
(b.) Therefore, the serial killer had a "suave" and "cultured" voice.
3. George Hill Hodel had a suave, cultured, and distinctively arresting voice.
4. THEREFORE, the man on the phone, the Black Dahlia Avenger (i.e., the murderer of Elizabeth Short), the serial killer, and George Hill Hodel are all the same man. (Because no other man in Hollywood could possibly have a suave and cultured voice.)
Hodel consistently assumes that things that are probably (or even only possibly) true ARE true. He consistently proceeds as if stating something to be true makes it true. Evidence for his premises is taken as evidence for his conclusion. (E.g., further evidence that Fred Sexton was a child molester is taken as further evidence that he was a serial killer). Anything that that does not disprove his thesis is proof of its truth. And he has the special conspiracy theorist's version of the argumentum ex silencio: the absence of evidence is proof that someone destroyed the evidence and THEREFORE is proof that his thesis is true. He takes an all-or-nothing approach to witness and victim testimony that I find singularly unhelpful, my prime example being his sister Tamar, who at 14 was the victim of statutory rape, incest, and abortion (like I said, I totally buy that George Hill Hodel was an abusive whack-job) and who also got caught up in the DA's panting eagerness to pin something on Dr. Hodel. It's clear from what Hodel says that Tamar was being bullied into testifying, and probably being coached on what to say, so that while I believe her initial claim, that she ran away from home because her father forced her to have an abortion after himself impregnating her, I just can't exclude the possibility that the DA's men were tampering with the witness for her subsequent testimony. This is not to say that Tamar was a pathological liar--the (successful) defense position--just that she was 14, in a cataclysmically horrible place (being the star witness in your father's trial for incest is not ANYBODY's idea of a good time), and being leaned on pretty hard by the DA. Without corroboration (real corroboration, not Hodel's version), I don't feel comfortable believing 100% of what she said. But for Hodel you either believe her entirely (prosecution) or disbelieve her entirely (defense). He doesn't allow for any middle ground.
And then there's the part where he simply assumes that something he has not proven is true, and proceeds with his argument as if its truth were incontrovertible. For example. On p 325, discussing another of the possible victims, Jean Spangler, Hodel says, "Spangler, while working on a movie set at Columbia Pictures with actor Robert Cummings, told Cummings that she 'had a happy new romance' and was having the time of her life. She did not tell Cummings her new boyfriend's name." And then, six pages later, "Or perhaps things are exactly as they appear on the surface, and Jean Spangler, as she represented to Robert Cummings, did meet Father only a few days before her kidnap-murder" (331). But that's not how things appear on the surface, since p. 325 tells us explicitly that Spangler did not tell Cummings her new boyfriend's name. Hodel, having suggested the possibility that Spangler was killed by George Hill Hodel, is now simply forging ahead as if it were true and had been proven conclusively to be true.
After a couple of these maneuvers, it became increasingly impossible for me to trust Hodel or to believe anything he told me.
And it's a pity, because two of his theses I think are true and worth pursuing in different ways. (1) That George Hill Hodel was a criminally abusive parent and husband, as well as being up to his eyeballs in the corruption of 1940s Los Angeles. (2) That there was a serial killer active in 1940s Los Angeles and at least some of the horrifying slew of unsolved rape/murders can be laid at that unknown man's door. (1) is the memoir Hodel (pretty clearly) needed to write to come to terms with his relationship with his father, with his siblings, and with his mother. (2) would have made a fascinating piece of true crime writing, even if it never came to any definitive conclusions. (Notice that neither of these books is about the murder of Elizabeth Short.) Or, if he really wanted to try to pursue this cat's cradle of intertwined theses, he needed to slow down, separate them out--the man who killed Elizabeth Short, the man (or men) who preyed on Los Angeles in the '40s, and the man who claimed to be the Black Dahlia Avenger have to be proven to be the same man, never mind the idea that one or more of them was George Hill Hodel--and distinguish much MUCH more carefully between things he could prove and things he couldn't.
(I see from his bibliography that he has gone on to claim his father was also the Zodiac killer. That may tell you everything you need to know.)
1. His father, Dr. George Hill Hodel, was an abusive, controlling, sadistic, egotistical whack-job, with a thing for incest, pedophilia, and Asian girls, who was criminally involved in an abortion ring, every illegal depravity you can think of, and also tax evasion.
2. His father, with his friend and henchman Fred Sexton, killed Elizabeth Short.
3. There was a serial killer preying on women in Los Angeles in the 1940s.
4. This serial killer murdered Elizabeth Short.
5. THEREFORE, George Hill Hodel and Fred Sexton, together and separately, were this serial killer, and continued their "work" on into the '50s and even the '60s.
6. The person who killed Elizabeth Short, aside from being George Hill Hodel, serial killer and tax evader, was the person who sent all communications to either police or press about any of these killings and also left the words written in lipstick on Jeanne French's dead body.
Okay. So.
Hodel actually convinces me of (1) and (3) and I'll put an option on (2) even if I don't entirely buy it. (4) I have serious doubts about. (5) and (6) I'm not touching with a ten foot pole.
The basic problem with Hodel is that all of his logic looks like this:
1. George Hill Hodel was a sadistic whack job.
2. The serial killer was a sadistic whack job.
3. Therefore, George Hill Hodel was the serial killer.
Or:
1. (a.) The newspaper editor who talked once on the phone to a man who claimed to be the Black Dahlia Avenger described his voice as "soft" and "sly," the voice of an "egomaniac" (271)
(b.) This man's claim was true.
2. (a.) Many witnesses across the various crimes described the suspect they saw with the victim as having a "suave" and "cultured" voice. (271)
(b.) Therefore, the serial killer had a "suave" and "cultured" voice.
3. George Hill Hodel had a suave, cultured, and distinctively arresting voice.
4. THEREFORE, the man on the phone, the Black Dahlia Avenger (i.e., the murderer of Elizabeth Short), the serial killer, and George Hill Hodel are all the same man. (Because no other man in Hollywood could possibly have a suave and cultured voice.)
Hodel consistently assumes that things that are probably (or even only possibly) true ARE true. He consistently proceeds as if stating something to be true makes it true. Evidence for his premises is taken as evidence for his conclusion. (E.g., further evidence that Fred Sexton was a child molester is taken as further evidence that he was a serial killer). Anything that that does not disprove his thesis is proof of its truth. And he has the special conspiracy theorist's version of the argumentum ex silencio: the absence of evidence is proof that someone destroyed the evidence and THEREFORE is proof that his thesis is true. He takes an all-or-nothing approach to witness and victim testimony that I find singularly unhelpful, my prime example being his sister Tamar, who at 14 was the victim of statutory rape, incest, and abortion (like I said, I totally buy that George Hill Hodel was an abusive whack-job) and who also got caught up in the DA's panting eagerness to pin something on Dr. Hodel. It's clear from what Hodel says that Tamar was being bullied into testifying, and probably being coached on what to say, so that while I believe her initial claim, that she ran away from home because her father forced her to have an abortion after himself impregnating her, I just can't exclude the possibility that the DA's men were tampering with the witness for her subsequent testimony. This is not to say that Tamar was a pathological liar--the (successful) defense position--just that she was 14, in a cataclysmically horrible place (being the star witness in your father's trial for incest is not ANYBODY's idea of a good time), and being leaned on pretty hard by the DA. Without corroboration (real corroboration, not Hodel's version), I don't feel comfortable believing 100% of what she said. But for Hodel you either believe her entirely (prosecution) or disbelieve her entirely (defense). He doesn't allow for any middle ground.
And then there's the part where he simply assumes that something he has not proven is true, and proceeds with his argument as if its truth were incontrovertible. For example. On p 325, discussing another of the possible victims, Jean Spangler, Hodel says, "Spangler, while working on a movie set at Columbia Pictures with actor Robert Cummings, told Cummings that she 'had a happy new romance' and was having the time of her life. She did not tell Cummings her new boyfriend's name." And then, six pages later, "Or perhaps things are exactly as they appear on the surface, and Jean Spangler, as she represented to Robert Cummings, did meet Father only a few days before her kidnap-murder" (331). But that's not how things appear on the surface, since p. 325 tells us explicitly that Spangler did not tell Cummings her new boyfriend's name. Hodel, having suggested the possibility that Spangler was killed by George Hill Hodel, is now simply forging ahead as if it were true and had been proven conclusively to be true.
After a couple of these maneuvers, it became increasingly impossible for me to trust Hodel or to believe anything he told me.
And it's a pity, because two of his theses I think are true and worth pursuing in different ways. (1) That George Hill Hodel was a criminally abusive parent and husband, as well as being up to his eyeballs in the corruption of 1940s Los Angeles. (2) That there was a serial killer active in 1940s Los Angeles and at least some of the horrifying slew of unsolved rape/murders can be laid at that unknown man's door. (1) is the memoir Hodel (pretty clearly) needed to write to come to terms with his relationship with his father, with his siblings, and with his mother. (2) would have made a fascinating piece of true crime writing, even if it never came to any definitive conclusions. (Notice that neither of these books is about the murder of Elizabeth Short.) Or, if he really wanted to try to pursue this cat's cradle of intertwined theses, he needed to slow down, separate them out--the man who killed Elizabeth Short, the man (or men) who preyed on Los Angeles in the '40s, and the man who claimed to be the Black Dahlia Avenger have to be proven to be the same man, never mind the idea that one or more of them was George Hill Hodel--and distinguish much MUCH more carefully between things he could prove and things he couldn't.
(I see from his bibliography that he has gone on to claim his father was also the Zodiac killer. That may tell you everything you need to know.)
August 3, 2013
Oh dear. What to say? Well, Steve Hodel is a man on a mission; this mission being, so far as can be ascertained, to link his father to every series of unsolved murders you can shake a stick at. Since Dr George Hodel was in fact a DA's office suspect in the original investigation of the Black Dahlia murder case, he's on reasonably safe ground here, in "Black Dahlia Avenger", the first of his two books. He amasses a range of more or less significant circumstantial evidence, some admittedly suggestive, some barely even coincidental. He goes badly astray with some attempts at "Photoshop investigation" which involve blowing up poor-resolution scans of 50-year-old crime scene photos and passing off the fuzzy, blurry results as unarguable proof. He throws in some - to these untrained eyes - less than conclusive handwriting analyses, none of which was developed from the actual documents in the Dahlia case (thus rendering them speculative at best, I'd have thought, and probably unusable as evidence in a court of law). None of it carries any real probative force as evidence. In the matter of the Dahlia, then, it's case not proven.
In the follow-up volume, "Most Evil", Hodel loses it completely. He goes off at a series of increasingly barmy tangents, attempting to link his dad to the Lipstick Slayer killings in Chicago, the so-called Jigsaw slaying in the Philippines, and - why not? - the Zodiac murders in the Bay area. The fact that Dr George was resident in the Far East during the timespan of Zodiac's activities might be thought by some to prove a bit of a stumbling block; also, the unvarying identification by survivor eyewitnesses of a younger, stockier man than Hodel's dad. No matter: Dr H, we're assured with no corroborative evidence whatsoever, flew in, wreaked his bloody wrath on the Bay communities and jetted, cackling, back to Manila. In the place of evidence, we have more handwriting analysis, which (again, to these eyes at least) seems even more wayward than the previous Dahlia work-ups, together with - you'll have to believe me on this one - ley lines.
"Most Evil" is a shoddy, piffling cash-in, which leaves a nasty exploitative taste in the mouth. It does Hodel's reputation no favours whatsoever, and actually serves to cast doubt on any good points he may have made in his previous volume. It deserves no stars. I'm giving "Black Dahlia Avenger" two; not because I'm convinced by Hodel's thesis - I'm not - but because I'm intrigued by the portrait he paints of his father. George Hodel was a for-real enigma: an educated man, a concert pianist turned abortionist, moving in a dizzy variety of social circles in which he went from hobnobbing with Man Ray and John Huston to being tried for, and dubiously acquitted of, incest with his daughter. It's Hollywood Noir come alive - you can see what attracted James Ellroy to the case. Ellroy, by the way, provides a customarily gushing Intro to the book, in which all his well-demonstrated cop worship tendencies come to the fore. I note, however, that he no longer likes to be asked about the Dahlia,and specifically about Hodel's book. Perhaps he read the sequel, and realised he'd backed a wrong 'un.
In the follow-up volume, "Most Evil", Hodel loses it completely. He goes off at a series of increasingly barmy tangents, attempting to link his dad to the Lipstick Slayer killings in Chicago, the so-called Jigsaw slaying in the Philippines, and - why not? - the Zodiac murders in the Bay area. The fact that Dr George was resident in the Far East during the timespan of Zodiac's activities might be thought by some to prove a bit of a stumbling block; also, the unvarying identification by survivor eyewitnesses of a younger, stockier man than Hodel's dad. No matter: Dr H, we're assured with no corroborative evidence whatsoever, flew in, wreaked his bloody wrath on the Bay communities and jetted, cackling, back to Manila. In the place of evidence, we have more handwriting analysis, which (again, to these eyes at least) seems even more wayward than the previous Dahlia work-ups, together with - you'll have to believe me on this one - ley lines.
"Most Evil" is a shoddy, piffling cash-in, which leaves a nasty exploitative taste in the mouth. It does Hodel's reputation no favours whatsoever, and actually serves to cast doubt on any good points he may have made in his previous volume. It deserves no stars. I'm giving "Black Dahlia Avenger" two; not because I'm convinced by Hodel's thesis - I'm not - but because I'm intrigued by the portrait he paints of his father. George Hodel was a for-real enigma: an educated man, a concert pianist turned abortionist, moving in a dizzy variety of social circles in which he went from hobnobbing with Man Ray and John Huston to being tried for, and dubiously acquitted of, incest with his daughter. It's Hollywood Noir come alive - you can see what attracted James Ellroy to the case. Ellroy, by the way, provides a customarily gushing Intro to the book, in which all his well-demonstrated cop worship tendencies come to the fore. I note, however, that he no longer likes to be asked about the Dahlia,and specifically about Hodel's book. Perhaps he read the sequel, and realised he'd backed a wrong 'un.
September 22, 2012
I've read every single book on the market about the Black Dahlia Murder to date and Steve Hodel's theory is the only theory that makes any sense. I think most people who are skeptical haven't done the amount of research that I have done and I'll admit, if you have only read one book on the subject, it's quite easy to be skeptical. But if you're really and truly interested in the Black Dahlia Murder, go out and read every other book out there about it. Then re-read Steve's book(s). For me, Steve has solved this case. Bravo, Steve!
July 15, 2022
The first time I heard about this case was probably when I finally got Internet access as a kid, but don't quote me on that, I just know it was thanks to a random YouTube video or comment.
The second time was actually through Ghost Adventures. They did an episode back in 2013 or so, investigating the Black Dahlia House and through there I found out about the (very strong) possibility that George Hodel committed this, and many other murders.
Then I went Googling, and saw that his son Steve had some books out, about the case, and it's been in the back of my mind to check them out ever since.
Flash forward to last month, I saw Black Dahlia Avenger was available on Audible and I didn't walk to click "add to library", I ran. Finally this month I sat down to listen to it and I am just in love.
WITH THE WRITING STYLE, NOT THE MURDERS!
Ahem, so I have no doubt in my mind that George Hodel did The Black Dahlia. If any doubt existed, this book squashed it like a bug. The amount of research put in is evident, and I appreciate it very much.
What was shocking to me, was some dark family history. Some parts I knew from the episode I mentioned, but this book goes in depth and I had to pause listening several times to process what the hell I just heard.
Even if Hodel didn't do any murders, he was a truly disgusting individual, let's leave it at that.
I will 100% be getting a physical copy of this book, and Steve Hodel's other books. I can't wait to reread this, honestly, it was a good time.
The second time was actually through Ghost Adventures. They did an episode back in 2013 or so, investigating the Black Dahlia House and through there I found out about the (very strong) possibility that George Hodel committed this, and many other murders.
Then I went Googling, and saw that his son Steve had some books out, about the case, and it's been in the back of my mind to check them out ever since.
Flash forward to last month, I saw Black Dahlia Avenger was available on Audible and I didn't walk to click "add to library", I ran. Finally this month I sat down to listen to it and I am just in love.
WITH THE WRITING STYLE, NOT THE MURDERS!
Ahem, so I have no doubt in my mind that George Hodel did The Black Dahlia. If any doubt existed, this book squashed it like a bug. The amount of research put in is evident, and I appreciate it very much.
What was shocking to me, was some dark family history. Some parts I knew from the episode I mentioned, but this book goes in depth and I had to pause listening several times to process what the hell I just heard.
Even if Hodel didn't do any murders, he was a truly disgusting individual, let's leave it at that.
I will 100% be getting a physical copy of this book, and Steve Hodel's other books. I can't wait to reread this, honestly, it was a good time.
August 14, 2017
Well, well, well. I've got to say, I tend to agree that the BD case is probably solved! Everything displayed here makes a lot of sense. What a warped and twisted world and power hungry, off, man George Hodel was. Quite disgusting, though he was certainly a depravity of his era.
I dont believe the woman in the photo to be Elizabeth, but none the less, it lead the author (whose father WAS George Hodel) on the right path to really investigating this notorious crime.
I found some of the 'links' a little far fetched (or are they?) such as the similarities between works of art and the killers choice of murder and displaying the body. However, if youre adept to the outter reach, it will prob work for you.
I found the parts about the life Hodel had very disturbing, (not to do with Elizabeth) such as him having a relationship that was kept quite with the woman who was to become the son and author, Steve Hodels wife. (ew. creepy especially that Steve had married her never knwoing she and his father were intense lovers prior) and the incest and parties- just yuck, you cant believe some people have these lives, the whole book does read like a movie!
I would like to get the 2nd part and read even more things - paper copies of letters, articles and so forth, 'facts' that cannot apparently be disputed, to 'solidify' that 100% George Hodel, and no one else, was the killer.
Sucks thats with such an intense and full investigation, noone will ever be brought to justice as Hodel is now dead.
A note on the character of Smart, not that it matters as her murder is awful, but she really doesnt come off as that much of a genuine, nice, good person, which i found a bit 'sucky' lol.
HODEL PSYCH 1: *Revered as special/gifted/prodigy/genius from young. (constant reaffirmation from early childhood built into psyche.) This backed by his *High IQ (186) (studied in Paris at 5, became prodigy pianist, newspapers reported on his child genius. He graduated H.S @14 & by 28 was an MD) *DETERMINED Personality and Ability to get what he wants. 1) Quickly got promoted to reporting homicide in LA due to his colourful pieces on clubs etc.2) at 16 published his own magazine named Fantasia (lasted 2 issues) Where he wanted to PORTRAY the BIZZAR BEAUTY of the arts & the strange which could be found he says in BROTHELS, JAILS AND IN SIN. 3)Promoted to running VD unit. 4) Then built own med practice 5) although his desire to join the military to serve was rejected due to a heart condition, he ended up being sent to China anyhow through Med and had the say on WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES in a way through who got treated..= had a taste of being in charge of who lived/who died = power
*He had been a REPORTER for HOMICIDE = 1)Able to engaging himself around violence and the taboo/darker side of life's 'beauty' while still be praised for his dedication and brilliance in writing colourful pieces (Thus feeding his fantasies such as his magazine tended to AND reaffirming his brilliance.
LINKING HIM:
He had a thorough knowledge of LA, HOLLYWOOD & the BILTMORE HOTEL (which would be the last place Elizabeth Short TBD was seen alive) due to his driving a cab for a long time from approx 17-20.
He was a SURGEON (Dhalia body was cleanly cut in 2 with vertebrates perfectly dissected and body drained of blood, before it was placed and posed.)
STRANGE BEHAVIOURS as his passing approached.
*Note found after death TOLD WIFE DIRECTLY that 'As your last act of love for me (*Manipulation tactic)You will destroy all my personal effects (*why...what's to hide?)
SPECIFIC FUNERAL DIRECTIONS No funeral/no words said/no gathering/spread my ashes in the ocean (Most people hope they are remembered for something or as something. He lived an amazing life therefore why go out so quietly and secretly)
I dont believe the woman in the photo to be Elizabeth, but none the less, it lead the author (whose father WAS George Hodel) on the right path to really investigating this notorious crime.
I found some of the 'links' a little far fetched (or are they?) such as the similarities between works of art and the killers choice of murder and displaying the body. However, if youre adept to the outter reach, it will prob work for you.
I found the parts about the life Hodel had very disturbing, (not to do with Elizabeth) such as him having a relationship that was kept quite with the woman who was to become the son and author, Steve Hodels wife. (ew. creepy especially that Steve had married her never knwoing she and his father were intense lovers prior) and the incest and parties- just yuck, you cant believe some people have these lives, the whole book does read like a movie!
I would like to get the 2nd part and read even more things - paper copies of letters, articles and so forth, 'facts' that cannot apparently be disputed, to 'solidify' that 100% George Hodel, and no one else, was the killer.
Sucks thats with such an intense and full investigation, noone will ever be brought to justice as Hodel is now dead.
A note on the character of Smart, not that it matters as her murder is awful, but she really doesnt come off as that much of a genuine, nice, good person, which i found a bit 'sucky' lol.
HODEL PSYCH 1: *Revered as special/gifted/prodigy/genius from young. (constant reaffirmation from early childhood built into psyche.) This backed by his *High IQ (186) (studied in Paris at 5, became prodigy pianist, newspapers reported on his child genius. He graduated H.S @14 & by 28 was an MD) *DETERMINED Personality and Ability to get what he wants. 1) Quickly got promoted to reporting homicide in LA due to his colourful pieces on clubs etc.2) at 16 published his own magazine named Fantasia (lasted 2 issues) Where he wanted to PORTRAY the BIZZAR BEAUTY of the arts & the strange which could be found he says in BROTHELS, JAILS AND IN SIN. 3)Promoted to running VD unit. 4) Then built own med practice 5) although his desire to join the military to serve was rejected due to a heart condition, he ended up being sent to China anyhow through Med and had the say on WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES in a way through who got treated..= had a taste of being in charge of who lived/who died = power
*He had been a REPORTER for HOMICIDE = 1)Able to engaging himself around violence and the taboo/darker side of life's 'beauty' while still be praised for his dedication and brilliance in writing colourful pieces (Thus feeding his fantasies such as his magazine tended to AND reaffirming his brilliance.
LINKING HIM:
He had a thorough knowledge of LA, HOLLYWOOD & the BILTMORE HOTEL (which would be the last place Elizabeth Short TBD was seen alive) due to his driving a cab for a long time from approx 17-20.
He was a SURGEON (Dhalia body was cleanly cut in 2 with vertebrates perfectly dissected and body drained of blood, before it was placed and posed.)
STRANGE BEHAVIOURS as his passing approached.
*Note found after death TOLD WIFE DIRECTLY that 'As your last act of love for me (*Manipulation tactic)You will destroy all my personal effects (*why...what's to hide?)
SPECIFIC FUNERAL DIRECTIONS No funeral/no words said/no gathering/spread my ashes in the ocean (Most people hope they are remembered for something or as something. He lived an amazing life therefore why go out so quietly and secretly)
February 1, 2020
Ezzel az elmélettel pont úgy vagyok, mint Mulder a földönkívüliekkel: I want to believe. Mulder előadásában talán még hinni is lehetne a földönkívüli életben, azonban Steve Hodel nem túl meggyőző a saját elméletével kapcsolatban.
Pedig micsoda sztori is ez! Egy exnyomozó, könyvet ír az USA talán leghírhedtebb megoldatlan gyilkossági ügyéről, melyben az édesapját, Dr. George Hodelt, a megbecsült orvost, gyanúsítja a bűncselekmény elkövetésével. George Hodel, mint valami fordított Batman, nappal életeket ment, éjszaka viszont nőket rabol el, hogy megkínozza és megölje őket. Azonban elolvasva a könyvet, arra kellett rájönnöm, hogy ez az elmélet nem igazán állja meg a helyét, viszont Steve Hodel nagyon jó fikciós műveket írhatna. Komolyan, a tehetsége megvan hozzá. És talán ez a legnagyobb erénye ennek a könyvnek, hogy Steve Hodel tud írni. Olvastam jó néhány true crime könyvet, és talán ez volt a legjobban megírva. Ügyesen bánik a szavakkal, megfelelően adagolja az információkat, és egy-két ponton elég meggyőző is és igazán erős azokban a jelenetekben, amikor a család életéről van szó, de sajnos ennyi, ami a könyv javára írható, mert egyébként Steve Hodel elmélete nem igazán hihető, illetve nincs eléggé alátámasztva. Gyakorlatilag egy nagy feltételezés és abból kiinduló következtetés az egész.
Mint azt már fentebb említettem, a Black Dahlia vagyis az Elizabeth Short gyilkosság az USA egyik leghírhedtebb megoldatlan gyilkossági ügye. 1947. január 15-én, Los Angelesben egy nő és annak kislánya egy lemeztelenített, félbevágott holttestet találtak egy üres telken. A holttest gondosan a járda mellé volt helyezve, hogy véletlen se maradjon felfedezetlenül. Az áldozat kilétére az FBI közreműködésének köszönhetően rövid időn belül fény derült, azonban a nyomozás hamar zsákutcába futott. És bár voltak gyanúsítottjai az ügynek, hivatalosan senkit nem vádoltak meg.
Na mármost, Steve Hodelt az apja 1999-ben bekövetezett haláláig nem igazán foglalkoztatta a Black Dahlia-ügy. Steve az apja hagyatékában talált egy fotóalbumot, melyben egy-két családi fotón kívül néhány ismeretlen nőről készült fotó is helyet kapott. Köztük fura módon Steve volt felesége is, abból az időből, amikor még nem ismerték egymást. Még érdekesebb azonban, hogy az egyik ismeretlen nőt Steve Hodel Elizabeth Shortként azonosította. És hát ez valóban szenzációs is lenne, ha a képen tényleg Elizabeth Short lenne, de nem ő van rajta. Hasonlít rá, de szerintem nem ő az. Persze a kép maga - mint az összes ebben a könyvben -, pont annyira rossz minőségű, hogy ne lehessen egyértelműen megállapítani semmit. Na, mindegy.
Szóval Steve Hodel ezen felbuzdulva, elkezdett kutakodni a rendőrségi iratokban, állítása szerint azért, hogy tisztázza az apját, csak hát olyan "döbbenetes" dolgokat talált, hogy nem tudott más következtetésre jutni, mint arra, hogy George Hodel volt Elizabeth Short gyilkosa. Egyrészt az apja gyanúsított volt az ügyben. Ez talán a legérdekesebb azok közül, amiket bizonyítékként felhoz. Viszont rengeteg embert gyanúsítottak, de nem mentek semmire egyikkel sem. Szóval önmagában ez még nem jelent semmit. A másik, hogy a helyszínen találtak egy karórát, olyat amilyen korábbi képeken felbukkant George Hodel karján. Viszont újabb képeken már másik óra volt rajta! Ebben egyetlen döbbenetes dolog van, hogy Steve Hodel nem arra a következtetésre jutott, hogy George Hodelnek több órája is lehetett.* A másik, hogy George Hodel azt állította, hogy a gyilkosság idején nem volt az országban, azonban Steve Hodel a nyomozása közben ellátogatott a régi házukba**. A tulajok megengedték neki, hogy a pincében turkáljon, ahol talált is néhány régebbi dobozt, melyben többek között egy régi számla is volt. A számla szerint George Hodel 1946 októberében Kínából (abban az időben George Hodel katonaorvos volt és Kínában szolgált) átküldetett néhány szobrot, festményt és ehhez hasonló dolgokat az USA-ba. Ez Steve Hodel szerint azt bizonyítja, hogy akkoriban jött haza, tehát a gyilkosság idején már Los Angelesben tartózkodott. Holott igazából azon a tényen kívül, hogy különböző holmikat küldött haza, a számla rohadtul nem bizonyít semmit.
Ezek után Steve Hodel arra is megpróbál kísérletet tenni, hogy bebizonyítsa, az apja sorozatgyilkos volt, tehát a Short-gyilkosságon kívül több tucat nő haláláért felelős. Erre valamilyen szinten rá is van kényszerülve, mert egyértelmű, hogy a Black Dahlia-gyilkosságot egy sorozatgyilkos követte el, ráadásul nem is egy kezdő, hanem egy gyakorlott sorozatgyilkos. És hát, ha valahol, itt aztán nagyon kilóg a lóláb. Olyan gyilkosságokat kever ide, amelyeknél egyértelmű, hogy nem lehet azonos az elkövető. A leghosszabban a Jeanne French, azaz a Red Lipstick-gyilkosságot részletezi. Azzal kezdi, hogy George Hodel a gyilkosságokat nem egyedül, hanem egy Fred Sexton*** nevű illetővel követte el. Jeanne French holttestét 1947. február 10-én találták meg. Szerencsétlen nőt ismeretlen gyilkosai halálra rugdosták. Szemtanúk két illetővel látták röviddel a halála előtt, így feltételezhető, hogy ez a két illető volt a gyilkosa. Egyetlen dolog van csak, ami a Black Dahlia-ügyhöz kötheti, az a felirat, amelyet vörös rúzzsal a holttestre írtak, miszerint "Fuck you, B.D.". Ééés ennyi, mert egyébként semmi, de semmi hasonlóság nincs a két eset között. Sem a modus operandi, sem egyéb módszer vagy körülmények, semmi nem egyezik.**** És mindennek még jobban aláás Steve Hodel azon állítása, miszerint ezt is és az Elizabeth Short-gyilkosságot is az apja ezzel a Fred Sextonnal együtt követte el. Ezek a dolgok egyszerűen nem úgy működnek, ahogy Steve Hodel előadja. Előfordult már, hogy sorozatgyilkosok közösen követtek el gyilkosságokat, de ahhoz sok mindennek egyezni kell, tehát nincs olyan, mint amit Steve Hodel itt sugall, hogy "egyet úgy ölünk meg, ahogyan én szeretném, egyet meg úgy, ahogyan te."
Egyébként a többi gyilkossággal, amiket Steve Hodel az elméletének alátámasztására sorol fel, is pont ez a baj, hogy lényeges elemekben nincsenek köztük egyezések.
Steve Hodelről egyébként nem árt tudni, hogy annyira rá akar bizonyítani valamit (vagy mindent) az apjára, hogy írt könyvet arról is, miszerint az apja volt a Zodiákus. Ami a no comment kategória.
Ami viszont tény, hogy George Hodel egy féreg volt. Többször megerőszakolta a lányát, verte a gyermekeit, fizikális és lelki terrorban tartotta az egész családot. Kivételesen magas IQ-ja volt, így a szülei abban a szellemben nevelték, hogy ő más, mint a többiek, különleges, nagy dolgokra hivatott. Azt sem engedték neki, hogy a "pórnéppel" vegyüljön. Sokat elmond róla az is, hogy 5 nőtől volt 11 gyermeke. A vérfertőzéses botrány után George Hodel elköltözött az USA-ból, magára hagyva aktuális feleségét a négy gyerekkel (köztük Steve-vel is). Évekig nem látták, nem is kereste egyiküket sem, persze anyagilag sem támogatta őket, holott jól menő vállalkozása volt a Fülöp-szigeteken. Miközben George új családot alapított a hátrahagyott családja nyomorgott. Steve már felnőtt korában vette fel a kapcsolatot újra az apjával. Ami abszolút kitűnik, hogy a történtek dacára Steve felnézett az apjára, vágyott a szeretetére, a figyelmére. Éppen ezért olyan érdekes, hogy megírta ezt a könyvet. Nem tudom, hogy ez egyfajta magyarázat-e számára, hogy az apja azért nem mutatott felé soha semmilyen érzelmet, mert egy pszichopata volt, aki képtelen emberi érzelmekre, és akinek a szemében a többi ember nem ér többet egy bútordarabnál, vagy esetleg ezzel akar bosszút állni az apján a sok évi szenvedésért? Ki tudja? Mindenesetre ez egy érdekes könyv volt, amit annak ellenére, hogy nem értek egyet Steve Hodel elméletével, megérte elolvasni, és másoknak is csak ajánlani tudok. Aki még jobban szeretné beleásni magát ebbe az egészbe, annak nagyon ajánlom az I Am the Night című sorozatot és a Root of Evil című podcastet.
*Basszus, nekem is van három. Remélem senki nem fog gyilkossággal vádolni.
**Ami önmagában egy nagyon érdekes ház, pont olyan, amiben egy képregényes főgonosz lakna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_So...
*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Se...
****Akit esetleg érdekel, szívesen elemzem hosszabban is.
Pedig micsoda sztori is ez! Egy exnyomozó, könyvet ír az USA talán leghírhedtebb megoldatlan gyilkossági ügyéről, melyben az édesapját, Dr. George Hodelt, a megbecsült orvost, gyanúsítja a bűncselekmény elkövetésével. George Hodel, mint valami fordított Batman, nappal életeket ment, éjszaka viszont nőket rabol el, hogy megkínozza és megölje őket. Azonban elolvasva a könyvet, arra kellett rájönnöm, hogy ez az elmélet nem igazán állja meg a helyét, viszont Steve Hodel nagyon jó fikciós műveket írhatna. Komolyan, a tehetsége megvan hozzá. És talán ez a legnagyobb erénye ennek a könyvnek, hogy Steve Hodel tud írni. Olvastam jó néhány true crime könyvet, és talán ez volt a legjobban megírva. Ügyesen bánik a szavakkal, megfelelően adagolja az információkat, és egy-két ponton elég meggyőző is és igazán erős azokban a jelenetekben, amikor a család életéről van szó, de sajnos ennyi, ami a könyv javára írható, mert egyébként Steve Hodel elmélete nem igazán hihető, illetve nincs eléggé alátámasztva. Gyakorlatilag egy nagy feltételezés és abból kiinduló következtetés az egész.
Mint azt már fentebb említettem, a Black Dahlia vagyis az Elizabeth Short gyilkosság az USA egyik leghírhedtebb megoldatlan gyilkossági ügye. 1947. január 15-én, Los Angelesben egy nő és annak kislánya egy lemeztelenített, félbevágott holttestet találtak egy üres telken. A holttest gondosan a járda mellé volt helyezve, hogy véletlen se maradjon felfedezetlenül. Az áldozat kilétére az FBI közreműködésének köszönhetően rövid időn belül fény derült, azonban a nyomozás hamar zsákutcába futott. És bár voltak gyanúsítottjai az ügynek, hivatalosan senkit nem vádoltak meg.
Na mármost, Steve Hodelt az apja 1999-ben bekövetezett haláláig nem igazán foglalkoztatta a Black Dahlia-ügy. Steve az apja hagyatékában talált egy fotóalbumot, melyben egy-két családi fotón kívül néhány ismeretlen nőről készült fotó is helyet kapott. Köztük fura módon Steve volt felesége is, abból az időből, amikor még nem ismerték egymást. Még érdekesebb azonban, hogy az egyik ismeretlen nőt Steve Hodel Elizabeth Shortként azonosította. És hát ez valóban szenzációs is lenne, ha a képen tényleg Elizabeth Short lenne, de nem ő van rajta. Hasonlít rá, de szerintem nem ő az. Persze a kép maga - mint az összes ebben a könyvben -, pont annyira rossz minőségű, hogy ne lehessen egyértelműen megállapítani semmit. Na, mindegy.
Szóval Steve Hodel ezen felbuzdulva, elkezdett kutakodni a rendőrségi iratokban, állítása szerint azért, hogy tisztázza az apját, csak hát olyan "döbbenetes" dolgokat talált, hogy nem tudott más következtetésre jutni, mint arra, hogy George Hodel volt Elizabeth Short gyilkosa. Egyrészt az apja gyanúsított volt az ügyben. Ez talán a legérdekesebb azok közül, amiket bizonyítékként felhoz. Viszont rengeteg embert gyanúsítottak, de nem mentek semmire egyikkel sem. Szóval önmagában ez még nem jelent semmit. A másik, hogy a helyszínen találtak egy karórát, olyat amilyen korábbi képeken felbukkant George Hodel karján. Viszont újabb képeken már másik óra volt rajta! Ebben egyetlen döbbenetes dolog van, hogy Steve Hodel nem arra a következtetésre jutott, hogy George Hodelnek több órája is lehetett.* A másik, hogy George Hodel azt állította, hogy a gyilkosság idején nem volt az országban, azonban Steve Hodel a nyomozása közben ellátogatott a régi házukba**. A tulajok megengedték neki, hogy a pincében turkáljon, ahol talált is néhány régebbi dobozt, melyben többek között egy régi számla is volt. A számla szerint George Hodel 1946 októberében Kínából (abban az időben George Hodel katonaorvos volt és Kínában szolgált) átküldetett néhány szobrot, festményt és ehhez hasonló dolgokat az USA-ba. Ez Steve Hodel szerint azt bizonyítja, hogy akkoriban jött haza, tehát a gyilkosság idején már Los Angelesben tartózkodott. Holott igazából azon a tényen kívül, hogy különböző holmikat küldött haza, a számla rohadtul nem bizonyít semmit.
Ezek után Steve Hodel arra is megpróbál kísérletet tenni, hogy bebizonyítsa, az apja sorozatgyilkos volt, tehát a Short-gyilkosságon kívül több tucat nő haláláért felelős. Erre valamilyen szinten rá is van kényszerülve, mert egyértelmű, hogy a Black Dahlia-gyilkosságot egy sorozatgyilkos követte el, ráadásul nem is egy kezdő, hanem egy gyakorlott sorozatgyilkos. És hát, ha valahol, itt aztán nagyon kilóg a lóláb. Olyan gyilkosságokat kever ide, amelyeknél egyértelmű, hogy nem lehet azonos az elkövető. A leghosszabban a Jeanne French, azaz a Red Lipstick-gyilkosságot részletezi. Azzal kezdi, hogy George Hodel a gyilkosságokat nem egyedül, hanem egy Fred Sexton*** nevű illetővel követte el. Jeanne French holttestét 1947. február 10-én találták meg. Szerencsétlen nőt ismeretlen gyilkosai halálra rugdosták. Szemtanúk két illetővel látták röviddel a halála előtt, így feltételezhető, hogy ez a két illető volt a gyilkosa. Egyetlen dolog van csak, ami a Black Dahlia-ügyhöz kötheti, az a felirat, amelyet vörös rúzzsal a holttestre írtak, miszerint "Fuck you, B.D.". Ééés ennyi, mert egyébként semmi, de semmi hasonlóság nincs a két eset között. Sem a modus operandi, sem egyéb módszer vagy körülmények, semmi nem egyezik.**** És mindennek még jobban aláás Steve Hodel azon állítása, miszerint ezt is és az Elizabeth Short-gyilkosságot is az apja ezzel a Fred Sextonnal együtt követte el. Ezek a dolgok egyszerűen nem úgy működnek, ahogy Steve Hodel előadja. Előfordult már, hogy sorozatgyilkosok közösen követtek el gyilkosságokat, de ahhoz sok mindennek egyezni kell, tehát nincs olyan, mint amit Steve Hodel itt sugall, hogy "egyet úgy ölünk meg, ahogyan én szeretném, egyet meg úgy, ahogyan te."
Egyébként a többi gyilkossággal, amiket Steve Hodel az elméletének alátámasztására sorol fel, is pont ez a baj, hogy lényeges elemekben nincsenek köztük egyezések.
Steve Hodelről egyébként nem árt tudni, hogy annyira rá akar bizonyítani valamit (vagy mindent) az apjára, hogy írt könyvet arról is, miszerint az apja volt a Zodiákus. Ami a no comment kategória.
Ami viszont tény, hogy George Hodel egy féreg volt. Többször megerőszakolta a lányát, verte a gyermekeit, fizikális és lelki terrorban tartotta az egész családot. Kivételesen magas IQ-ja volt, így a szülei abban a szellemben nevelték, hogy ő más, mint a többiek, különleges, nagy dolgokra hivatott. Azt sem engedték neki, hogy a "pórnéppel" vegyüljön. Sokat elmond róla az is, hogy 5 nőtől volt 11 gyermeke. A vérfertőzéses botrány után George Hodel elköltözött az USA-ból, magára hagyva aktuális feleségét a négy gyerekkel (köztük Steve-vel is). Évekig nem látták, nem is kereste egyiküket sem, persze anyagilag sem támogatta őket, holott jól menő vállalkozása volt a Fülöp-szigeteken. Miközben George új családot alapított a hátrahagyott családja nyomorgott. Steve már felnőtt korában vette fel a kapcsolatot újra az apjával. Ami abszolút kitűnik, hogy a történtek dacára Steve felnézett az apjára, vágyott a szeretetére, a figyelmére. Éppen ezért olyan érdekes, hogy megírta ezt a könyvet. Nem tudom, hogy ez egyfajta magyarázat-e számára, hogy az apja azért nem mutatott felé soha semmilyen érzelmet, mert egy pszichopata volt, aki képtelen emberi érzelmekre, és akinek a szemében a többi ember nem ér többet egy bútordarabnál, vagy esetleg ezzel akar bosszút állni az apján a sok évi szenvedésért? Ki tudja? Mindenesetre ez egy érdekes könyv volt, amit annak ellenére, hogy nem értek egyet Steve Hodel elméletével, megérte elolvasni, és másoknak is csak ajánlani tudok. Aki még jobban szeretné beleásni magát ebbe az egészbe, annak nagyon ajánlom az I Am the Night című sorozatot és a Root of Evil című podcastet.
*Basszus, nekem is van három. Remélem senki nem fog gyilkossággal vádolni.
**Ami önmagában egy nagyon érdekes ház, pont olyan, amiben egy képregényes főgonosz lakna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_So...
*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Se...
****Akit esetleg érdekel, szívesen elemzem hosszabban is.
January 24, 2019
OOF. This starts out compelling -- Hodel's investigation into his father's past, and gradual (or was it?) realization that the man was an absolute monster, and maybe famous murderer, is well done, and (for the most part) convincingly presented. But the longer this book goes on -- and it goes on way, way, way too long -- the further Hodel goes off the rails. Tiny scraps of possible evidence are produced as DEFINITIVE PROOF!!!! The more assured Hodel becomes of his case -- that his father, Dr. George Hodel, murdered Elizabeth Short, "The Black Dahlia," and likely several other women -- the less convincing it is to the reader.
The author says a lot of things like, "AND SO WE HAVE CONCLUSIVELY PROVEN [thing not in any way conclusively proven]." The reader calls bullshit.
Whereas, if he'd said, "I think the evidence points toward this being probably true because of x, y, and z, although I cannot prove it definitively," the reader is much more like to go, "Yeah, sounds legit! Made a good case there, bud!"
Look. I think George Hodel has been definitively shown to have been an evil man, a serial abuser without doubt and almost certainly a rapist. And I think, even if only subconsciously, his son knew this long before he found the photos in his father's album that he claims he recognized as Elizabeth Short and which spurred this investigation into motion. (One of these photos has since been conclusively proved not to be her, and the other is, uh...a loose match at best, in my opinion.) I think he always knew that his dad was a giant piece of shit. And that's gotta be rough. But instead of going to therapy, he chose to write this 700-page obsessive spiral (and several more volumes besides!).
The question is, why did I read it???
Well...because honestly, I think Steve Hodel is likely right, in his most basic premise: George Hodel murdered Elizabeth Short. But oh boy, this is not the best way to prove it.
The author says a lot of things like, "AND SO WE HAVE CONCLUSIVELY PROVEN [thing not in any way conclusively proven]." The reader calls bullshit.
Whereas, if he'd said, "I think the evidence points toward this being probably true because of x, y, and z, although I cannot prove it definitively," the reader is much more like to go, "Yeah, sounds legit! Made a good case there, bud!"
Look. I think George Hodel has been definitively shown to have been an evil man, a serial abuser without doubt and almost certainly a rapist. And I think, even if only subconsciously, his son knew this long before he found the photos in his father's album that he claims he recognized as Elizabeth Short and which spurred this investigation into motion. (One of these photos has since been conclusively proved not to be her, and the other is, uh...a loose match at best, in my opinion.) I think he always knew that his dad was a giant piece of shit. And that's gotta be rough. But instead of going to therapy, he chose to write this 700-page obsessive spiral (and several more volumes besides!).
The question is, why did I read it???
Well...because honestly, I think Steve Hodel is likely right, in his most basic premise: George Hodel murdered Elizabeth Short. But oh boy, this is not the best way to prove it.
January 2, 2010
Steve Hodel has entirely convinced himself of two things: his father's guilt in a number of murders, the most prominent being that of the infamous Black Dahlia; and the LAPD's complicit cover-up of him being considered as a suspect, which continues to this day, according to his book. I can appreciate the zeal with which he presents his case, both as a former investigator and as the offspring of an "evil" man, but the circularity and uncertainty of the evidence he uses to argue his point frustrate me. Perhaps if he had access to the physical evidence - which he continually refers to as things that would potentially verify his conclusions - I'd have taken his assumptions for more than face value. As it stands, the book is a very long assessment of evidence that ultimately proves nothing; his proximity to his suspect notwithstanding, this is simply a very well done work of historically-based fiction that can never be proven, much like James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia.
March 17, 2012
Who is not fascinated by the story of the Black Dahlia? As old as this story is, it still captures my interest. So here's this guy who worked for LAPD, who claims that his dad killed the Black Dahlia. Great hook. I will give it to the author that this was an interesting book to read. He has a lot of detail in the book that will send you on a quest to search for more answers about other people mentioned in the book. There is a lot of great pictures included in the book as well. As for how valid Hodel's claims are that his father was the killer, I have my doubts. This all stemmed from a picture found in his father's belongings after his father died. I turned that picture at all kinds of angles and I never saw any resemblance to Elizabeth Short. Why, of all people, Hodel decided it looked like the Back Dahlia, I don't know. There's lots of interesting tidbits and history, and because this is one of those mysteries that will probably never be solved, there's a little part of you that wishes that Hodel had finally broken the case.
January 11, 2024
Don’t get curious and check it out. It’s full of nastiness. 🤮
September 2, 2012
As a huge true-crime fan, this book was a great disappointment to me. First, the crime-scene photos in the book are very cheaply printed and not glossy, so the quality is poor. Second, the author starts with a very contentious proposition; that photos found in his fathers album are of the Black Dahlia. From this "fact", the author constructs a "house of cards" plot, every fact dependent on the previous one. The problem is, that the initial "fact" is just speculation, and everything offered after that is anything but evidence, a biased and filtered view of grainy images, half-remembered conversations and some very questionable handwriting analysis. It is irritating to read, as it is all supposition and theory, masquerading as fact, and the author leans heavily on his previous career as an LAPD Homicide Detective to add credibility to a story that has holes in it large enough to fly a blimp through. I hope he had more evidence in some of his murder convictions than he found in writing this book! Do yourself a favour and save your money, unless you're running short of toilet paper.
December 6, 2009
A case that will always have too many unanswered questions.
April 23, 2018
Below is the shocking revelation Steve Hodel’s sister stated in court. More shocking still, retired LAPD, Steve Hodel investigates the Black Dahlia cold case, clue by clue, analysis by analysis, stringing together evidence how the murder links to his family history. The evidence is circumstantial, since most involved are dead, but Hodel hits the mark at many levels.
A fascinating case study. A fascinating read.
Thorough investigative work, Hodel is relentless in his pursuit for the truth.
Hodel’s bravery to look at his family’s criminal history is admirable; the acceptance that yes, his father may have been the Dahlia killer shows his law enforcement professionalism remains at seeking the truth no matter the cost.
Stellar read if you are a true crime reader.
“My father is the murderer of the Black Dahlia. My father is going to kill me and all the rest of the members of this household because he has a lust for blood. He is insane?”
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste
A fascinating case study. A fascinating read.
Thorough investigative work, Hodel is relentless in his pursuit for the truth.
Hodel’s bravery to look at his family’s criminal history is admirable; the acceptance that yes, his father may have been the Dahlia killer shows his law enforcement professionalism remains at seeking the truth no matter the cost.
Stellar read if you are a true crime reader.
“My father is the murderer of the Black Dahlia. My father is going to kill me and all the rest of the members of this household because he has a lust for blood. He is insane?”
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste
April 14, 2008
Until this book was recommended by a friend, I purposefully avoided knowing much about this crime because I knew (a) that it would never be solved, and (b) that I would start obsessing about solving it (e.g., JonBenet Ramsey). I realized that I should have followed my gut when at 1 a.m. last night I found myself googling "Black Dahlia" and perusing the black dahlia foia documents on the Net. The book is much better than I expected -- I couldn't put it down -- but it really does raise more questions than answers.
April 26, 2016
In short, this book is a bunch of utter nonsense and fantasy passed off as investigation and evidence.
Steve Hodel starts by finding two pictures in his father's old photo album of women with dark hair and light skin and at this point in the book one should immediately be concerned because he looks at them and concludes there can be no doubt that they are of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. Here's the problem with this: first of all, yes, there can be doubt. He's offered absolutely nothing as evidence other than his opinion. Second of all, neither of these pictures (poorly reproduced on the page) looks anything whatsoever like Beth Short. They don't even look like the same person.
From here, Hodel embarks on a long and complicated journey into total nonsense, in which he consistently makes assumptions based on completely circumstantial, unsubstantiated information and uses those assumptions to jump to other completely unsubstantiated conclusions. He is following what he describes as a "thoughtprint", which sounds in his explanation like some kind of criminal psychological profiling except instead of starting with the crime and using actual evidence to deduce things about the killer, he starts with the assumption that his father was the killer and proceeds to suggest such "evidence" as: a black watch was found near the body. His father had a black watch once. And several years later, he had a different watch. The editor who spoke to the killer on the phone said he sounded suave and intelligent. His father sounded suave and intelligent. People said they saw Beth Short before she died with a tall, handsome man. His father was tall and handsome. His father liked a painting with a big pair of red lips stretched across the canvas - clearly this was the inspiration for cutting Dahlia's mouth (nevermind that a Chelsea Smile has been a method of torture and killing used for hundreds of years).
Hodel then decides to cobble together some vague information that he insists conclusively proves that Short's murder was connected to multiple other murders of women in the same time period and area (actually, just about all of them). Conveniently ignoring that these murders follow completely different patterns of behavior, he continues to identify vague descriptions of "tall handsome men" or "mysterious Air Force leutenant" as his father, because why not? His father lived in LA at the time. Of course, this was post WWII, and just about every guy on the street could be described as a tall handsome Navy/Air Force/Army man, but sure. Now, his father was evidently not a good guy, and there is significantly more evidence that he was a sexual predator of some sort. But Hodel uses this information to spring board off into wild theories about his father sending missives to the police and serially torturing and killing women with his best friend. Using such stellar investigative techniques as: reading old newspapers, and handwriting analysis by one "expert" who also claims to be able to tell the subject had a bad relationship with his mother based on the formation of his letters.
Now, why, if Hodel has such "evidence", was his father never accused of the crime by police? Ah, Detective Hodel has an answer. Because of a massive LAPD coverup! He knows this occurred because of the following: ten years before the crime there was a big purge of corrupt LAPD officers. Then, around the time of the crime, there's some evidence of a cover up of an abortion ring where doctors would pay for protection from the vice team of the LAPD. His father was also a medical doctor working in LA county. His fathers office was six blocks away from one of the doctors in this alleged abortion cover up ring. THEREFORE, obviously, his father knew about and was involved in the abortion cover up so the LAPD covered up his committing horrific torture murders because he would have exposed their abortion ring. Ignore the fact that someone else actually had already exposed it and they fired that guy and that was the end of it.
Not only this, but Hodel makes the stunning revelation that his father knew and was deeply involved with some of LA's most notorious gangsters at the time, based on his tentative identification of four very poorly printed, fuzzy photographs he found in his father's collection. Forget that "tentative" part that even the author admits to, though, because he's just going to assume it's proven and use it to spiral off into further conspiracy theories. Oh, and since his father was obviously protected by the police, how does he explain how the man was arrested for incest? Just a mess up within the department, a fluke, if you will.
He even contacted an old friend who worked on the Black Dahlia investigation and asked him whether he had ever seen his father's name or mention of any kind of connection to anyone his father knew in the case files. Now, the guy said no, there had never been any connection whatsoever, but Hodel decides this is just further evidence of a massive conspiracy reaching throughout every level of the LAPD, for decades.
Do yourself a favor and read a book that contains some actual evidence or expertise or maybe just makes even a smidgen of sense instead of wasting your time on this sensational piece of garbage. If you enjoy true crime at all, you would be doing yourself a disservice to waste your brain power trying to muddle through the quagmire that is Steve Hodel's blundering attempt to weave evidence out of seventy year old half-recalled ideas presented to him by his father's friend's son's wife. I read that in his follow up books, he also accuses his father of being the Zodiac killer. In no way does this surprise me, since his father existed and lived in San Francisco once, and that's a connection that's good enough for Steve Hodel. Stay tuned for his upcoming novel that conclusively proves his father was also Jack the Ripper AND still lives in the form of Ted Cruz.
Steve Hodel starts by finding two pictures in his father's old photo album of women with dark hair and light skin and at this point in the book one should immediately be concerned because he looks at them and concludes there can be no doubt that they are of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. Here's the problem with this: first of all, yes, there can be doubt. He's offered absolutely nothing as evidence other than his opinion. Second of all, neither of these pictures (poorly reproduced on the page) looks anything whatsoever like Beth Short. They don't even look like the same person.
From here, Hodel embarks on a long and complicated journey into total nonsense, in which he consistently makes assumptions based on completely circumstantial, unsubstantiated information and uses those assumptions to jump to other completely unsubstantiated conclusions. He is following what he describes as a "thoughtprint", which sounds in his explanation like some kind of criminal psychological profiling except instead of starting with the crime and using actual evidence to deduce things about the killer, he starts with the assumption that his father was the killer and proceeds to suggest such "evidence" as: a black watch was found near the body. His father had a black watch once. And several years later, he had a different watch. The editor who spoke to the killer on the phone said he sounded suave and intelligent. His father sounded suave and intelligent. People said they saw Beth Short before she died with a tall, handsome man. His father was tall and handsome. His father liked a painting with a big pair of red lips stretched across the canvas - clearly this was the inspiration for cutting Dahlia's mouth (nevermind that a Chelsea Smile has been a method of torture and killing used for hundreds of years).
Hodel then decides to cobble together some vague information that he insists conclusively proves that Short's murder was connected to multiple other murders of women in the same time period and area (actually, just about all of them). Conveniently ignoring that these murders follow completely different patterns of behavior, he continues to identify vague descriptions of "tall handsome men" or "mysterious Air Force leutenant" as his father, because why not? His father lived in LA at the time. Of course, this was post WWII, and just about every guy on the street could be described as a tall handsome Navy/Air Force/Army man, but sure. Now, his father was evidently not a good guy, and there is significantly more evidence that he was a sexual predator of some sort. But Hodel uses this information to spring board off into wild theories about his father sending missives to the police and serially torturing and killing women with his best friend. Using such stellar investigative techniques as: reading old newspapers, and handwriting analysis by one "expert" who also claims to be able to tell the subject had a bad relationship with his mother based on the formation of his letters.
Now, why, if Hodel has such "evidence", was his father never accused of the crime by police? Ah, Detective Hodel has an answer. Because of a massive LAPD coverup! He knows this occurred because of the following: ten years before the crime there was a big purge of corrupt LAPD officers. Then, around the time of the crime, there's some evidence of a cover up of an abortion ring where doctors would pay for protection from the vice team of the LAPD. His father was also a medical doctor working in LA county. His fathers office was six blocks away from one of the doctors in this alleged abortion cover up ring. THEREFORE, obviously, his father knew about and was involved in the abortion cover up so the LAPD covered up his committing horrific torture murders because he would have exposed their abortion ring. Ignore the fact that someone else actually had already exposed it and they fired that guy and that was the end of it.
Not only this, but Hodel makes the stunning revelation that his father knew and was deeply involved with some of LA's most notorious gangsters at the time, based on his tentative identification of four very poorly printed, fuzzy photographs he found in his father's collection. Forget that "tentative" part that even the author admits to, though, because he's just going to assume it's proven and use it to spiral off into further conspiracy theories. Oh, and since his father was obviously protected by the police, how does he explain how the man was arrested for incest? Just a mess up within the department, a fluke, if you will.
He even contacted an old friend who worked on the Black Dahlia investigation and asked him whether he had ever seen his father's name or mention of any kind of connection to anyone his father knew in the case files. Now, the guy said no, there had never been any connection whatsoever, but Hodel decides this is just further evidence of a massive conspiracy reaching throughout every level of the LAPD, for decades.
Do yourself a favor and read a book that contains some actual evidence or expertise or maybe just makes even a smidgen of sense instead of wasting your time on this sensational piece of garbage. If you enjoy true crime at all, you would be doing yourself a disservice to waste your brain power trying to muddle through the quagmire that is Steve Hodel's blundering attempt to weave evidence out of seventy year old half-recalled ideas presented to him by his father's friend's son's wife. I read that in his follow up books, he also accuses his father of being the Zodiac killer. In no way does this surprise me, since his father existed and lived in San Francisco once, and that's a connection that's good enough for Steve Hodel. Stay tuned for his upcoming novel that conclusively proves his father was also Jack the Ripper AND still lives in the form of Ted Cruz.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2024
I keep thinking about this book and what rating to give it. 3 seems too low for how intrigued it kept me and continues to do so. However 4 seems too high as the author seems to be reaching too far too often. Yet I do suspect that George Hodel may indeed have been the killer of at least the Black Dahlia. It is the supplementary information from police files nearer the end of the book that leans me more towards that suspicion. Certainly George Hodel was apparently a strange and sinister man.
What does especially intrigue me is the association between Man Ray, surrealism, De Sade and the Dahlia murder. The book Exquisite Corpse delves into this premise more deeply and disturbingly and is recommended for the further visual data. Whatever the reason for Elizabeth Short's tragic and harrowing torture and murder, the positioning of her body does strike me as being an artistic statement.
I think I rate this book 3.5.
What does especially intrigue me is the association between Man Ray, surrealism, De Sade and the Dahlia murder. The book Exquisite Corpse delves into this premise more deeply and disturbingly and is recommended for the further visual data. Whatever the reason for Elizabeth Short's tragic and harrowing torture and murder, the positioning of her body does strike me as being an artistic statement.
I think I rate this book 3.5.
July 2, 2017
Like many others I’ve had a lifelong interest in the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short (colloquially known as the Black Dahlia.) I don’t think it’s because I’m interested in the overplayed “glitz and glamour of LA contrasting with the brutality and base perversion of the murder” angle or an Ellroy-esque obsession with connecting with Short’s true nature and humanity. I think it really has to do with the fact that the Dahlia case is really a harsh look at how fucked up humanity can get. Unfortunately I’ve read way too much about many murder cases and there’s just a near-unique level of psychosis on display, manifesting itself not only in the manner in which she was tortured and killed but in the way the killer cleanly cut her body in half and then left her right next to a sidewalk where there was absolutely NO chance of her going undiscovered for any length of time as if to say “Hey, look what a special surprise I left you guys!” Shit sticks with you.
I’m hardly an expert on true crime books but there were several points in this book where I got a severe case of the creeps. Essentially the book is Steve Hodel (a retired LAPD homicide detective) building a case for his father Dr. George Hodel being not only Elizabeth Short’s killer but also the perpetrator of many other unsolved killings in LA and the greater California area. I’m not convinced that this is the case but I have to admit the wealth of circumstantial evidence and strange coincidences started to fuck with me. The portrait the author paints of his father was also fascinating all on its own, regardless of whether or not he committed the murder(s). I have to laugh at the blurb on the back cover that says that the portrait of George Hodel is initially “lovable.” The fuck? Dude was a creepy fucking perv who allegedly had sex with his underage daughter and, years later, drugged and took gross pictures of HER daughter.
There’s things that really got to me (the section comparing handwriting samples taken from letters Dr. Hodel wrote and the handwriting on taunting letters sent to area newspapers, as well as the disturbing “Fuck you BD”message scrawled in lipstick on murder victim Jeanne French’s body) and stuff that I just didn’t buy (the entire impetus for Hodel starting the investigation that led to the book is based on a photo he found in one of his father’s photo albums. He insists it’s of Beth Short but I don’t see much more than a passing resemblance.) It’s worth saying that I’m unfortunately a bit of a cynic so I came at this initially with heavy skepticism. If nothing else this book dramatically weakened my confidence in that viewpoint. I’m not ready to piss on Dr. Hodel’s grave or anything but I have to admit there was a stunning amount of creepy theories and revelations in this book, which was unquestionably well-written.
I’m hardly an expert on true crime books but there were several points in this book where I got a severe case of the creeps. Essentially the book is Steve Hodel (a retired LAPD homicide detective) building a case for his father Dr. George Hodel being not only Elizabeth Short’s killer but also the perpetrator of many other unsolved killings in LA and the greater California area. I’m not convinced that this is the case but I have to admit the wealth of circumstantial evidence and strange coincidences started to fuck with me. The portrait the author paints of his father was also fascinating all on its own, regardless of whether or not he committed the murder(s). I have to laugh at the blurb on the back cover that says that the portrait of George Hodel is initially “lovable.” The fuck? Dude was a creepy fucking perv who allegedly had sex with his underage daughter and, years later, drugged and took gross pictures of HER daughter.
There’s things that really got to me (the section comparing handwriting samples taken from letters Dr. Hodel wrote and the handwriting on taunting letters sent to area newspapers, as well as the disturbing “Fuck you BD”message scrawled in lipstick on murder victim Jeanne French’s body) and stuff that I just didn’t buy (the entire impetus for Hodel starting the investigation that led to the book is based on a photo he found in one of his father’s photo albums. He insists it’s of Beth Short but I don’t see much more than a passing resemblance.) It’s worth saying that I’m unfortunately a bit of a cynic so I came at this initially with heavy skepticism. If nothing else this book dramatically weakened my confidence in that viewpoint. I’m not ready to piss on Dr. Hodel’s grave or anything but I have to admit there was a stunning amount of creepy theories and revelations in this book, which was unquestionably well-written.
March 13, 2019
Steve Hodel was a member of the LAPD for twenty-three years, most of them as a murder detective. His father was a brilliant doctor who fathered ten children with four women; a veritable medical Mick Jagger. Steve’s police instincts were awakened by a photo album of George’s containing two black and white shots of a woman resembling the murdered Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia. The victim was cut in half and left in an L.A. park in January of 1947. Thus begins this remarkable and detailed look at the life of Dr. George Hodel. Steve’s life is an amazing one, with an alcoholic mother who was married to director John Huston at nineteen and a wandering and absent father who may have been a murderer. Using 1940’s interviews, Hodel pieced together a timeline of Elizabeth Short’s final days. A series of boyfriends were eliminated and someone using the name Black Dahlia Avenger sent taunting letters to newspapers and the police. Hodel further investigated his father and discovered a man with sadistic tendencies; fueled by the writings of Marquis de Sade. Short had been savagely beaten, tortured and sliced up before being cut in half by someone with surgical skill. George Hodel was an M.D. A handwriting expert compared Hodel’s writing samples to letters from the Black Avenger and vulgar messages in lipstick on another murdered girl, Jeanne French. The same person, George Hodel was most likely the writer. Three other murders in the same time period may have been linked to the Black Dahlia killer. The book veers off course with an analysis of rampant LAPD corruption. A ring of abortion doctors were protected by policemen and brass on the take. Two of the lead detectives on the Black Dahlia case were corrupt and possibly covered up evidence pointing to Dr. Hodel. The good doctor was the head of LA’s public health division dealing with venereal disease and had dirt on the rich and famous who had been infected and treated. In 1949, a Grand Jury reported a massive cover up in the Black Dahlia investigation. Steve Hodel makes a convincing argument for the guilt of his father in this compelling case. A true crime great read.
January 20, 2019
If you so much as whisper Black Dahlia, people will be interested. Steve Hodel knew as much and uses his chief proposition — that his father killed Elizabeth Short — to make a series of unsubstantiated and increasingly outlandish claims.
Here’s the thing: if Hodel stuck to the facts, he would make a solid case for his father George’s guilt, both in the Black Dahlia slaying, Tamar’s abuse, and maybe even the Red Lipstick murder. Taken apart from the rest of the book, these sections are relatively convincing, especially when paired with the updated microphone recordings where Dr. Hodel seems to admit guilt.
However, Steve is not satisfied with simply pronouncing his father’s guilt in this crime: he must declare his father is a serial killer responsible for any LA-area murder where the suspect was an attractive brunette man. Proposing him as a suspect is one thing; announcing that he is “likely” or “definitely” the killer with no real evidence is unprofessional. He often mischaracterizes “unable to rule out” or “likely” handwriting evidence as being absolute fact beyond a shadow of a doubt. These leaps in judgment show that Hodel has no objectivity in examining his father. Once he’s found evidence of George’s misdoings, Hodel must make him out to be one of the most prolific serial killers of all time, perhaps as an homage to George’s desire for extreme and absolute perfection.
Am I convinced that Dr. George Hill Hodel is the Black Dahlia Avenger? I think it’s very likely, given his proximity, his surgical skill, the LAPD investigation, and his subsequent secret recordings. It’s undebatable that the LAPD was beyond corrupt in the 40s, and we will probably never know all of the facts. Do I think Hodel was guilty of other crimes? Probably, like incest. Do I think he did everything his son claims in this book and others, like that he’s the Zodiac Killer? No way. Please don’t mistake circumstantial evidence or theories with absolute proof.
Here’s the thing: if Hodel stuck to the facts, he would make a solid case for his father George’s guilt, both in the Black Dahlia slaying, Tamar’s abuse, and maybe even the Red Lipstick murder. Taken apart from the rest of the book, these sections are relatively convincing, especially when paired with the updated microphone recordings where Dr. Hodel seems to admit guilt.
However, Steve is not satisfied with simply pronouncing his father’s guilt in this crime: he must declare his father is a serial killer responsible for any LA-area murder where the suspect was an attractive brunette man. Proposing him as a suspect is one thing; announcing that he is “likely” or “definitely” the killer with no real evidence is unprofessional. He often mischaracterizes “unable to rule out” or “likely” handwriting evidence as being absolute fact beyond a shadow of a doubt. These leaps in judgment show that Hodel has no objectivity in examining his father. Once he’s found evidence of George’s misdoings, Hodel must make him out to be one of the most prolific serial killers of all time, perhaps as an homage to George’s desire for extreme and absolute perfection.
Am I convinced that Dr. George Hill Hodel is the Black Dahlia Avenger? I think it’s very likely, given his proximity, his surgical skill, the LAPD investigation, and his subsequent secret recordings. It’s undebatable that the LAPD was beyond corrupt in the 40s, and we will probably never know all of the facts. Do I think Hodel was guilty of other crimes? Probably, like incest. Do I think he did everything his son claims in this book and others, like that he’s the Zodiac Killer? No way. Please don’t mistake circumstantial evidence or theories with absolute proof.
July 2, 2009
I'm not much of a crime gal, but this one spoke to me on many levels. First of all, I admit that the death of the Black Dahlia has its own gratuitous appeal. The method, the brutality, the sinister nature, and of course the unending mystery. It's so sick you want to know more. And yet, I'm such a wuss that I could only read this book during daylight hours.
Second of all, when the author's whole deal is that he thinks his own father killed her - you can't help but want to hear what this guy has to say. And he puts together a pretty solid case. Hodel's investigation is both an objective pursuit of justice, and the self-reflexive voice of a son trying to understand the man who was his father.
And lastly, the book enticed me the way a haunted walking tour appeals to a tourist. Living in the city of Los Angeles, where all of Hodel's crime scenes take place, made me feel an accessibility and familiarity I don't think I would've experienced had the murder taken place in some other city.
I did get disinterested in certain chapters, and some of his pieces of evidence felt like a bit of a stretch to me. But all in all, it was worth my little foray into the true crime genre.
Second of all, when the author's whole deal is that he thinks his own father killed her - you can't help but want to hear what this guy has to say. And he puts together a pretty solid case. Hodel's investigation is both an objective pursuit of justice, and the self-reflexive voice of a son trying to understand the man who was his father.
And lastly, the book enticed me the way a haunted walking tour appeals to a tourist. Living in the city of Los Angeles, where all of Hodel's crime scenes take place, made me feel an accessibility and familiarity I don't think I would've experienced had the murder taken place in some other city.
I did get disinterested in certain chapters, and some of his pieces of evidence felt like a bit of a stretch to me. But all in all, it was worth my little foray into the true crime genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2020
This was a long, information-packed book written by a retired homicide detective who believes his father murdered Elizabeth Short and other women. Friends, this book is a RIDE. It not only delves deeply into the Black Dahlia case, but several other murders. It also goes into the author's twisted, confusing family life and the horrendous devastation that his father, George Hodel, left in his wake. The family life story is worthy of its own book. I was impressed by the research, pictures, and documents included, but sometimes confused as the book often jumps situations, characters, and timelines. It was difficult to keep everybody straight in Hodel's scattered family. Overall, it was a good read with some solid information while other aspects felt like the author was reaching. It very much reads like it was written by a ex-cop verses a professional author, and I personally liked that. I also appreciated how the author corrected inaccurate information in the footnotes, which lended an air of transparency and credibility.
If you're interested in George Hodel and Elizabeth Short and want something more linear, I'd suggest listening to the Root of Evil podcast.
If you're interested in George Hodel and Elizabeth Short and want something more linear, I'd suggest listening to the Root of Evil podcast.
April 9, 2014
It takes a lot of courage to follow the clues and admit to the world that, based upon your investigations, one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th Century was committed by your own father. It must take even more courage to admit this after having served as a police officer in the very jurisdiction where the crime took place fifty years earlier.
This is a fascinating book that takes an investigative approach to the Black Dahlia slaying. What appealed to me most was the way the author returned to the original media of the time and didn't rely on all that's been written since on the case, showing in one book for the first time exactly what was happening in Los Angels when the crime occurred.
He makes a very compelling case against his father, whose death inadvertently triggered the investigation when personal photos of Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. The Black Dahlia, were found among his father's belongings.
Very interesting. Would appeal to true crime enthusiasts.
This is a fascinating book that takes an investigative approach to the Black Dahlia slaying. What appealed to me most was the way the author returned to the original media of the time and didn't rely on all that's been written since on the case, showing in one book for the first time exactly what was happening in Los Angels when the crime occurred.
He makes a very compelling case against his father, whose death inadvertently triggered the investigation when personal photos of Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. The Black Dahlia, were found among his father's belongings.
Very interesting. Would appeal to true crime enthusiasts.
August 26, 2010
this book is pretty gruesome. I read it a few years back and it was a bit of an eye opener for me, a bit of a rude awaking if you will. Corruption of the government, the circle of people who paid the the law to protect them against, rape, abortions (which weren't legal then), murders, etc...
It's interesting because this book is published as a fiction, yet this man, the aurthor goes the lengths to name his father as the murderer. Provides facts and dates of his attempt to bring Elizabeth Short's name to justice. It's a fascinating story! the press, one of the first to arrive and trample all over the crime scene.
It's interesting because this book is published as a fiction, yet this man, the aurthor goes the lengths to name his father as the murderer. Provides facts and dates of his attempt to bring Elizabeth Short's name to justice. It's a fascinating story! the press, one of the first to arrive and trample all over the crime scene.
February 24, 2019
I was reminded that I had this book after seeing commercials for the TNT series 'I am the Night'. The main character of the series is based on the niece of the author of this book. Steve Hodel, a former LAPD detective lays out a convincing case that his father was not only the Black Dahlia killer, but also was responsible for the deaths of at least one other woman and possibly more. I would give the book five stars, but I think it could have been organized a little better. Also the size and quality of illustrations are disappointing--of course that is most likely the publisher's fault. Very conversational, and a quick read.
June 27, 2019
OH MY GOD, the time it took for me to finish this strange tome far outlived my brief all-consuming obsession with the Hodel family. It contains some interesting facts and hypotheses, as well as a solid recounting of the chief pieces of evidence against George Hodel, but unfortunately these are outnumbered by truly bizarre leaps of logic. The most salient points are sufficiently covered in the remarkable podcast Root of Evil.
February 9, 2022
This was an interesting book, and while I suspect Hodel’s conclusion is correct (especially with the LAPD documentation included with the revised editions), there seem to be many leaps in logic throughout. There are a lot of instances where Hodel presents something interesting and strongly suggestive, but then immediately follow it up with breathless textual victory laps as if a smoking gun has been discovered.
September 15, 2012
I've read a Black Dahlia book before but nothing compares to this. The author had me captivated from the very first page and I'm almost done. But I know when I get to the end I'll just want more. Hodel has written a follow up to BDA and I'll be reading that one too!
March 14, 2013
So freaking boring. I gave up 100 pages in. Also I'm not convinced the girl in the pictures is the black dahlia so the rest of his arguments are not persuasive.
March 13, 2021
Tout. Est. Fou
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