The notorious Black Dahlia case has baffled detectives for decades ever since the two halves of Elizabeth Short’s body were located in Los Angeles. In January 1947, Betty Bersinger and her daughter were the first to find Short’s mutilated body, per CNN. Her body was cut in two halves at the waist, her intestines removed, and her mouth slashed from ear to ear – a Glasgow smile. Moreover, the killer had washed the body before dumping it in an empty field.
Reportedly, an autopsy revealed the victim’s gruesome cause of death was a fatal blow to the head which caused a brain hemorrhage. The dismemberment likely happened posthumously. Short’s sensational murder case soon received the Black Dahlia moniker. According to Grunge, at the time, Rare Newspapers reported that the 22-year-old was “savagely attacked and beaten before death”.
The Black Dahlia autopsy details, examined
According to Grunge, Elizabeth Short was an aspiring actress when she was found murdered on January 15, 1947. The killing, which was later dubbed the Black Dahlia case, caused a media frenzy.
When Betty Bersinger first found the body, she believed it to be two halves of a mannequin. The Guardian stated that Short was cut at the “only spot where the body can be severed in half without breaking bone”. Her stomach contained feces that the killer forced her to eat before murdering her. Other reposts mentioned that her genitals were mutilated and anus dilated.
The victim’s carved flesh and pubic hair had been forced into her vagina and rectum. Her right breast had been cut off, and her mouth slashed from ear to ear, giving her a Glasgow smile. Moreover, her uterus was completely removed. Lastly, the killer drained all the blood and washed her body clean before disposing of the body.
Grunge further reported that Short was likely to be alive when the killer attacked her. Reportedly, there was a bluish discoloration surrounding the Glasgow smile which suggested that she was alive at the time. The victim had also sustained a fatal blow to the head which caused hemorrhaging in her brain. This was possibly the actual cause of her death. However, experts believe she was dead when the killer cut her body in half.
In fact, because of the precision of the murder, people believe a serial killer was behind Short’s slaying. Others believe that someone with practice, likely a medical professional or student, murdered the aspiring actress. Officials also suspect that the murder occurred inside with proper drainage and water facilities.
Were there any suspects in the Black Dahlia murder case?
While the Black Dahlia case remains unsolved, a former LAPD detective believes his father committed the crime, per CBS. In 2013, Steve Hodel claimed that his father carved his unique symbol – a criss-cross – on the victim’s hip. Since authorities have long suspected the involvement of a medical professional in the crime, they do not find this allegation hard to believe.
The outlet reported that Hodel’s father, George Hodel, was a doctor and was booked in 1949 for incest. He was also a primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder. The former LAPD detective also suggested that he has receipts for cement sacks that were allegedly found at the crime scene.
However, the case remains unsolved to date despite police having interviewed at least 50 suspects over the decades.
