I want to personally thank South Pasadena Librarian Steve Fjeldsted, Yolanda and the “Friends of the South Pasadena Library” for hosting a great venue at the So. Pasadena Library’s, Community Center.

It was a great turnout (135) showed up to hear the fantastic and very groovy vibes of the 7-piece  “Summer of 69″ band who vocally showered us with Peace and Love for a good half-hour before my talk. (I was told that “the moon was in the 7th House and Jupiter alligned with Mars!”)

Singer Renee Simone and pianist Gere Fennelly entertained the crowd with the Zodiac-era tunes “Come Together,” “Easy to be Hard,” “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In,” and others. They were joined by Darr Senit on bass, Damon Wilson on guitar, Peter Sheppard on guitar and vocals and Bruce Bode on keyboards and vocals.

My talk, a PowerPoint summary of both BDA and Most Evil ran about 75 minutes, followed by a great Q&A. (My favorite part!)

Below is an interview that I did with Pasadena Star News Staff writer, Adolfo Flores which ran in his paper the following day:

Retired  LAPD Lt. Raymond Foster will interview me on his radio show on June 2, 2011 at 4pm PST. We will discuss my Black Dahlia investigation and take Q&A from callers. See the below Information prepared and provided by Lt. Raymond Foster:

More than a dozen of the actual true-life 1940s  crimes investigated and summarized in Black Dahlia Avenger are believed used as “unsolveds” in Rockstar’s L.A. NOIRE, scheduled to be released to the public on May 17th.

Rockstar’s LA NOIRE,  Video Game challenges players to discover which of the 1940s LONE WOMAN MURDERS (all named and identified in Black Dahlia Avenger) are Serially Connected?

Black Dahlia Avenger real life victims: Elizabeth Short, “The Black Dahlia”, Jeanne French “The Red Lipstick Murder” and Rosenda Mondragon, “The Silk Stocking Murder” are the first three Lone Woman Murder victims to be identified by name in the video games pre-release publicity.

How many more of the real-life investigative summaries included and summarized in my book can be found in the video game? 

 I’m guessing a dozen –maybe more?

To know for sure, we will just have to wait until the game is released on May 17th

1940s Lone Woman Murders Serially Connected:

LAPD and LASD were convinced that many of the 1940s crimes were committed by the same suspect(s). From victim and witness descriptions they knew that that the primary suspect might possibly have a second male as his accomplice on some of the murders.  Posted below is an original 1949 front page article where police publically speculated that perhaps at least NINE of the murders were connected to the same suspect. (Two years earlier, in 1947 LAPD provided a list and had it printed in the newspapers listing “11 reasons why four of the murders were probably connected to the same killer.”) 

 “POLICE NOT OVERLOOKING THE POSSIBILITY THAT A SINGLE SLAYER COMMITTED ALL NINE OF THE LOS ANGELES “HORROR MURDERS.”

                                   Long Beach Press Telegram- June 17, 1949

 The article goes on to name the nine victims suspected of being slain by the same killer as:

1. Elizabeth Short  (“Black Dahlia”)

2. Mary Tate

3. Evelyn Winters

4. Jeanne French ( ”Red Lipstick Murder”)

5. Rosenda Mondragon (“Silk Stocking Murder”)

6. Dorothy Montgomery

7. Laura Trelstad

8. Gladys Kern (Real Estater Murder)

9. Louise Springer

Below Map shows Category I (definites) victims believed serially connected to George Hill Hodel. All except one (Lillian Dominguez) were  originally listed in 2003 Black Dahlia Avenger publication.

Red numbered circles denote Lone Woman Murder victims where suspect left a taurnting note for press or police in connection with the crime. As can be seen, he did this in 6 out of the 9 category I crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.A. 1940s Crimes referenced in Black Dahlia Avenger in all Categories: I-Definites, II-Probables, and III-Possibles.
(Listed chronologically)

  

  

I hope so!

  

“Twenty-years before SERPICO there was STOKER”  

 LAPD Sgt. Charles Stoker’s true-life, real-time expose on Los Angeles 1940s police and political corruption, THICKER’N THIEVES has just been reprinted (April, 2011) and  is now available. I have added a  Foreword to his book, but nothing from the original has been changed or edited. The 2011 edition  is word for word as Sgt. Stoker wrote it in 1950.  Highly recommended.