The Black Dahlia
Scott Paden
Monica Lott
Eng 11011
October 23, 2008
The Black Dahlia
The 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short has remained one of Hollywood’s most notorious unsolved cases in Los Angeles history. The cold case has been passed down from detective to detective searching answers or any clues to help put the case to rest. The Black Dahlia was actually Elizabeth Short: a young, aspiring actress from a small town in Massachusetts.
Elizabeth or Beth, as known by many, was born July 29, 1924 in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. (Beth Short). Elizabeth was the daughter of Cleo and Phoebe Short. (Beth Short). In 1929, Beth’s father Cleo disappeared, and his truck was found near a bridge, convincing people that he had committed suicide. (Beth Short). Later, Cleo had sent a message to the family, apologizing for deserting them. (Beth Short). Beth’s father was living in Vallejo, California. At age nineteen, Beth decided to move in with her father in order to pursue her dream of being a famous actress, and star in major motion pictures. (Beth Short). Cleo later demanded that Beth leave after she was arrested for underage drinking. (Beth Short). Elizabeth Short moved out and made her way to Santa Barbara to continue her pursuit to stardom. (Beth Short)
For the next six months, Short stayed in various places throughout the Los Angeles area, but never in one place for more than a week. (TruTv). It was mid-January, 1947, when Short was last seen alive at the Biltmore Hotel. (TruTv). It was reported that she was to meet a gentleman. After leaving the hotel, she was never again seen alive. (Black Dahlia Avenger).
According to police reports, on December 8, 1946, she took a bus to San Diego to meet up with her friend Dorothy French. (TruTv). Beth stayed with the French’s until January 8, 1947 when she was asked to leave by the French family for unknown reasons. (Black Dahlia Avenger). She was picked up by a salesman she had met just two weeks earlier named Robert Manley.
Monica Lott
Eng 11011
October 23, 2008
The Black Dahlia
The 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short has remained one of Hollywood’s most notorious unsolved cases in Los Angeles history. The cold case has been passed down from detective to detective searching answers or any clues to help put the case to rest. The Black Dahlia was actually Elizabeth Short: a young, aspiring actress from a small town in Massachusetts.
Elizabeth or Beth, as known by many, was born July 29, 1924 in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. (Beth Short). Elizabeth was the daughter of Cleo and Phoebe Short. (Beth Short). In 1929, Beth’s father Cleo disappeared, and his truck was found near a bridge, convincing people that he had committed suicide. (Beth Short). Later, Cleo had sent a message to the family, apologizing for deserting them. (Beth Short). Beth’s father was living in Vallejo, California. At age nineteen, Beth decided to move in with her father in order to pursue her dream of being a famous actress, and star in major motion pictures. (Beth Short). Cleo later demanded that Beth leave after she was arrested for underage drinking. (Beth Short). Elizabeth Short moved out and made her way to Santa Barbara to continue her pursuit to stardom. (Beth Short)
For the next six months, Short stayed in various places throughout the Los Angeles area, but never in one place for more than a week. (TruTv). It was mid-January, 1947, when Short was last seen alive at the Biltmore Hotel. (TruTv). It was reported that she was to meet a gentleman. After leaving the hotel, she was never again seen alive. (Black Dahlia Avenger).
According to police reports, on December 8, 1946, she took a bus to San Diego to meet up with her friend Dorothy French. (TruTv). Beth stayed with the French’s until January 8, 1947 when she was asked to leave by the French family for unknown reasons. (Black Dahlia Avenger). She was picked up by a salesman she had met just two weeks earlier named Robert Manley.
Cited: Hodel, Steve. Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder. New York, 2003. Nelson, Mark. Exquisite Corpse: Surrealism and The Black Dahlia Murder. New York, 2006. “The Black Dahlia Web Site”. Beth Short. 15 Sept. 2006 http://www.bethshort.com/dahhome.htm “Black Dahlia”. TruTv. 2008 http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/dahlia/index_1.html