The death of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, remains as one of the biggest and most disturbing murder mysteries of the 20th century. Short was born in Boston. After spending her early years in New England and Florida, she went to stay in California. Even though she did not have any acting credits or jobs during her time in California, people knew her as an aspiring actress.
Short reportedly disappeared on January 9, 1947. However, officials discovered her dismembered corpse in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 15, 1947. During the investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department shortlisted over 150 suspects. Unfortunately, they arrested no one, and the murderer was never identified or caught.
According to ABP Live, Short was nicknamed “Black Dahlia” because, around the time of this gruesome incident, a film titled Blue Dahlia (1946) was popular among people. Furthermore, the media learned that the victim reportedly liked the color black and wore black outfits, after which the name came to be associated with her.
How was the body of Elizabeth Short discovered?
According to All That’s Interesting, on January 15, 1947, a mother was out for a morning stroll with her toddler when she discovered the mutilated body of Elizabeth Short. The incident reportedly happened in Leimert Park, Los Angeles.
According to the woman, at first sight, she believed that Short’s corpse was a mannequin. However, upon further inspection, she realized that it was actually a dismembered human corpse. Short, who was 22 at the time of her death, had been sliced in two from her waist.
Furthermore, the killer had completely drained her blood and cut pieces of her thighs and breast. Since her stomach was filled with feces, some believe that she was forced to consume it before her murder.
Elizabeth Short’s resting place is at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland in California, United States.
