ROCKSTAR'S L.A. NOIRE MEETS BLACK DAHLIA AVENGER IN CHINATOWN
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.
LA 1940s Crimes referenced in Black Dahlia Avenger in all Categories: I- Definites, II-Probables, III – Possibles
(Listed chronologically)
The game makers of L.A. Noire promise their players a tour of duty working 1940s LAPD VICE DETAIL. Will they get to meet Madame Brenda Allen and her nemesis, LAPD Vice Squad Sgt. Charles Stoker as they testify in secret before the 1949 Grand Jury about internal police corruption, pay-offs and the police protected, L.A. Abortion Ring?
I hope so!
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.
Steve,
I’m assuming you’re not a gamer but I just wanted to let you know that this L.A. Noire game is pretty amazing.
You do indeed attempt to solve murders in a very nicely done 40’s noire-ish setting.
1940’s Los Angeles has been eerily recreated to perfection as well. You spend the game searching for evidence, questioning witnesses and performing other various tasks.
A really fantastic game. Any Dahlia devotees who happen to be gamers will not want to miss this one.
Randy:
Yes, I hear the graphics are pretty amazing. I’m not a gamer, but from the little I’ve seen on it sounds like they have most of the original Lone Woman Murder victims from the 40s and have changed a few of the victims names. skh