Dr. George Hodel’s ex-wife served in Philippine Congress from 1987-1995 

Corgresswoman Hortensia Hodel Starke circa 1988

My ex-stepmother, Hortensia Laguda Hodel Starke suffered a heart attack and passed away on November 29, 2010 in her home in Negros Occidental, in the southern Philippines.

Hortensia originally met my father on a visit to Los Angeles in 1949 when she was just 28. After leaving L.A. for the Territory of Hawaii they reunited in 1951 and were married a year later in Sonora, Mexico.

George Hodel relocated to Hortensia’s family home in Manila, Philippines in 1954 and they had four children. (First child was born in Hawaii in 1952) George and Hortensia were divorced (dispensation from the Pope) in the late 1950s.

Hortensia was born to a prominent Filipino family (The Lopez’s) and was elected to the Philippine Congress in 1987. See bio/obit below.

 I have many pleasant memories of visiting with her and my then young half-brothers and sisters. One of my fondest memories was a week visit to her sugar plantation, Hacienda Bino, in Negros, Occidental and to their home in Forbes Park, a suburb of Manila.

REST IN PEACE-HORTENSIA

                                        Beach in Negros, Occidental, Philippines

Former congresswoman Hortensia Starke, 89

By Carla Gomez
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 08:51:00 12/02/2010

Deputy Chief Thad Brown’s brother, Sgt. Finis Brown, primary investigator on Black Dahlia case, places “unidentified Hollywood doctor” at top of HIS LIST.

I was recently reviewing some of my papers and transcripts from the DA Files related to the testimony of various witnesses who were called to testify before the 1949 Grand Jury related to the Black Dahlia investigation.

In my initial readings I had missed the below excerpt and thought my readers would find this interesting.

On December 6, 1949,Sgt. Finis Brown, in charge of the Black Dahlia investigation since DAY ONE, was called before the 1949 Grand Jury and testified to various aspects of his ongoing investigation.

Most of his testimony related to his elimination of a year-old-suspect, Leslie Dillion, who had come to the attention of the Gangster Squad by way of the LAPD psychiatrist, Dr. Paul DeRivers. The Gangster Squad, inexperienced in the ways and methods of homicide investigation, had followed a red-herring and ultimately arrested Dillion as a Dahlia suspect on extremely dubious information and he was “unarrested” a few days later and released.

At the close of Sgt. Brown’s testimony, the GJ Foreman, Harry Lawson asked him the following question:

“ Do you care to express an opinion to this jury as to who you think killed Elizabeth Short?”

After first acknowledging that he doesn’t know who killed her, Sgt. Brown then follows-up  by providing the grand jury with information that he is attempting to identify her unknown Hollywood doctor and that a person claiming to be a doctor called Hollywood station with taunting information.

I find this information fascinating. Of all the hundreds of potential suspects that Sgt. Brown could have named or offered up as possibles he brings up only one- An unidentified Hollywood doctor, who calls and taunts the police.  See below for complete excerpt as recorded in the official files:

 EXCERPT FROM SGT FINIS BROWN 1949 GRAND JURY TESTIMONY

A Signature M.O.

For a suspect to actually call the press or police is extremely unusual. That said, if I am correct in my linkage of George Hodel to the other crimes we know he also did it in:

1. Red Lipstick Murders- Telephoned both family and police.

2. Black Dahlia- Telephoned both press and police.

3. Cheri Bates, Riverside- Telephoned police.

4.Zodiac, San Francisco, Telephoned attorney Belli and police.

Refer to details in Dahlia Telephone call to City Editor, James Richardson here.

Something Left, Something Taken

Tiny Investions introduces us to a new Zodiac suspect and cutting edge crime forensics in this “dark comedy” about a vacationing couple that is “taken for a ride” and fear they have accidentally stumbled upon San Francisco’s ZODIAC KILLER.

Check out their ten minute video below. Click on link:

 http://www.tinyinventions.com/animation/slst.html