Black Dahlia "Unidentified Man" Real Identity Made Public After 67-Years of Secrecy
BLACK
DAHLIA “UNIDENTIFIED MAN” PHOTO IDENTITY MADE PUBLIC AFTER 67 YEARS OF SECRECY-
Black
Dahlia Avenger’s “Gerald
Moss” real name is-
GEORGE MAIN
George Main (aka “Gerald Moss”)
Los Angeles, California
In a 2005 updated chapter of BDA, I informed the public that
I had identified and conducted a follow-up interview with the “Unidentified
Man” seen in the above photograph.
At the time of my interview he was
eighty-three years old and living in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. In
the updated chapter, to protect his privacy, I gave him the pseudonym of “Gerald Moss.”
Below is a PDF as found in the updated
version, which tells his story of meeting Elizabeth Short in Indiana and how the photograph was obtained as they spent a brief
two hours together, as she was “passing through his hometown.”
Black Dahlia Avenger
excerpt containing George Main’s interview on his 1946 chance meeting with Elizabeth Short in
Indianapolis, Indiana and how above photo was taken, click below:
BDA GEORGE MAIN INTERVIEW CHAP EXCERPT.pdf
GEORGE MAIN (1921-2010) R.I.P.
While the LAPD and the LADA’s original Black Dahlia investigators
identified and eliminated George Main as a suspect shortly after the murder, his true name
was never released or made public. After
I discovered his true identity in 2004, I also, for George’s sake, kept his
name private.
Only last week did I discover that George Main has passed
on. He lived to the advanced age of 89
and died in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Since he has passed, I am here making his real
identity public for the first time ever.
Here is a brief obituary on George Main, as posted on the
Internet:
He was born August 39, 1921 in Ellwood City, PA, to the late
George R., Sr. and Viola Dorothy (Flinner) Main. George was a graduate of Tech
High School. He was employed with Chrysler Corporation in the computer and production
divisions, retiring in 1982. He was a member of Westside Pentecostal Church.
George
is survived by his wife, Viola A. Main; step-children, Anthony Briddle
(Annette), Melvin Briddle, and Lola Kost (Dale); six grandchildren; ten
great-grandchildren; sisters, Vallie Williams and Dorothy Vance.
Burial:
Washington Park East Cemetery
Indianapolis
Marion County
Indiana, USA
My most sincere condolences to all of his
family, whom I suspect were the only ones, other than perhaps a few of George’s
close personal friends, to know his long kept secret connection to
Elizabeth “Black Dahlia” Short.
May you Rest In Peace
George, and thank you for your openness and honesty.
For those desiring a fuller knowledge of what role George
Main, aka “Gerald Moss” aka, “The Unidentified Man” played in the Black Dahlia
investigation, I suggest you read the below attached PDFs.
Here is a is a
capsulated summary of the facts as they relate to George Main and his
photograph:
1. The strip photo with Elizabeth Short was taken
in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1946, during the brief two-hour time that George
and Elizabeth shared together on the bus and in the city.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson never identified the man
in the photo (George Main), but only identified Elizabeth Short. (The newspaper
text was misleading forcing the editor to make a retraction clarifying that the
Johnsons only identified Elizabeth from the strip photo, and had no ideal who
the male with her was?) The Johnsons did identify “Mr. Barnes” from
another photo found in her luggage, but LAPD has “lost” that photo in
which they described “Mr. Barnes was connected with a foreign
government.” (As indicated in BDA, I suspect they were shown a photo of
George Hodel standing with the Chinese Generals, which he may have sent to
Elizabeth from China.)
3. The fantasies and websites that have built up
a myth that the strip photo is of “Ed Burns”, the real Black Dahlia
killer, are false. No “Ed Burns” ever played a part in any official
police reports that I have seen, either LAPD or the DA. As far as I can tell,
he only exists in the minds of his creators.
4. Based on my investigation it appears that at
some time the killer was in possession of Elizabeth Short’s personal photo
albums and removed five photos from them, which he then included in his
mailing, “Letter To Follow”. One of these photos contained one of the
four strip photos of George Main, taken in Indianapolis, IA. The other three
from that same strip machine were found in her luggage. (See link summarizing
the photographs HERE
5. The identity and elimination of the photograph
of George Main has been known by the LAPD and the DA’s Office and can be found
in their reports since 1947 and 1950. Further, both agencies confirmed
that the photo was taken in Indianapolis, IA and that George Main at that time
had never been to Los Angeles, California.
One copy of strip
photo of “unidentified man” with Elizabeth Short (subsequently
identified as George Main aka “Gerald Moss)” mailed to press by Black
Dahlia Avenger in the week following her murder and below three attached photos
found in her luggage a few days later. All four photos taken at the same time
and place in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1946.
Three photo set enlarged and shown to Mr. & Mrs. Johnson who identify Elizabeth Short only.
These are really nice photos. Many that I’ve seen don’t show how beautiful she was. I think the wings on her jacket must have been a gift from her fiance?