Author Interview with Journalist Zack Kopp-“George Hodel’s Exquisite Corpse(s): Beyond The Black Dahlia”: Setting The Record Straight On Miniseries, “I Am The Night”
October 19, 2019
Los Angeles, California
GEORGE HODEL’S EXQUISITE CORPSE(S): BEYOND THE BLACK DAHLIA
Here is a link to a just-posted interview I did with journalist Zack Kopp which deals with my overall investigations and setting the record straight regarding the fictional miniseries, I Am the Night. Here is the lead to Zack’s interview:
Former LAPD detective and prolific true-crime author Steve Hodel has pursued the Black Dahlia murder for years. The trail to that gruesome 1947 killing led him to investigate other famous crimes, such as Lipstick Murders and Zodiac Killings. The darkest of dark truths that he has emerged is that the prime suspect in all of these killings was his own father, George Hodel. A recent miniseries, I Am the Night, played fast and loose with his family’s history. Steve Hodel sets the record straight to Zack Kopp
Full article click HERE.
Click Bio above to read full interview
SKH Note:
Some minor corrections/clarifications to the most recent article, Exquisite Corpes (s) Beyond The Black Dahlia:
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First paragraph it’s not the “Snowden House” it is the Sowden House. (That’s a common error by many.)
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“George Hodel’s presence in the vicinity of all the killings Steve’s accused him of, in all the different locations has been verified.”
That’s true in the sense that he was known to pass through the cities, but I have not able to document his presence there at the exact time and dates of the actual crimes. LA yes, Manila yes, but not able to establish he was in Chicago and San Francisco Bay Areas on the specific dates of the actual crimes. No known records exist that would allow us to make that determination. -
“As to whether he looked for these murders before or after researching his father’s whereabouts at any time is anyone’s guess.”
I never “looked at” any of these crimes before my father’s death, period. I didn’t even know the “Black Dahlia’s” real name, and had never heard of Chicago’s “Lipstick Killer”, nor Manila’s “Jigsaw Murder”. This information surfaced years after the publication of Black Dahlia Avenger in 2003, some four years following my father’s death.
4. “For that matter, butchers might know how to avoid bones when they cut, too (not just surgeons).”
Based on the testimony of no less that five separate surgeons who have examined the photographs of the bisection it is their expert belief, along with the actual LA County Head Medical surgeon performing the autopsy on Elizabeth “Black Dahlia” Short that the procedure “had to be done by a highly skilled surgeon.” Most indicated the hemicorporectomy performed on the body exceeded their own abilities.
Here is a link to Zack Kopp’s excellent 2016 Review of my book, MOST EVIL II.
https://stevehodel.com/2016/02/06/denver-colorado-authorjournalist-zack-kopp-reviews-most-evil-ii/
I am curious as to whether LAPD police and DA prosecutors still have a lot of evidence about black dahlias. I guess they don’t disclose the evidence in order to prevent someone from deliberately providing false news or obstructing justice.
Steve-
This is in reference to street name taunts you reported in BDA III, p 30-41. I found another one. Paul Stine, a cabdriver, was brutally slain by the Zodiac in San Francisco in 1969. He was killed in his cab at the corner of Washington and Cherry Sts. Cherry St. established a connection to Cheri Jo Bates, murdered by Zodiac in Riverside in 1966. Another link in the killer’s bizarre chain of crime? I think so.
Jeffrey D: Your suggestion could well be a “play” (conscious or sub) on the name of his former victim “Cheri” Jo Bates from 1966? Especially, since his original instructions to cabdriver Paul Stine were to take him to “Washington and Maple” but then the suspect had Stine pull the cab one block further west to Cherry St. (Cheri St.?) We also know that George Hodel, as Zodiac modified his 1940s “Avenger” Street Crime Signature M.O. taunts from using street names to sending in a SF Bay Area map and suggesting his Mt. Diablo code concerns, “Radians and inches along the radians.” Again, a variance on his theme of using street names and locations as his “clews”.
Simon S.
Well, they claim that “all the evidence has disappeared and gone missing.” But, I present in recent updates of my investigation that in fact they (LAPD) currently possess much evidence that could very likely connect through DNA analysis and much more could be obtained on the dozen more “Lone Woman Murders” none of which today’s LAPD has looked at as connected despite the original detectives connecting at least five of them.
I believe that I have further evidence linking the lives and destinies of George Hodel and Elizabeth Short. George was born on 10/10/1907 and died on 5/16/1999. Elizabeth was born on 7/29/1924 and died on 1/15/1947. Using my own homespun method of interpretive numerology, George’s birthdate adds up to 10 + 10 + 1 + 9 + 7 = 37 and Elizabeth’s date of death adds up to 1 + 15 + 1 + 9 + 4 + 7 = 37. This shows me that their destinies were linked from the time of George’s birth. Elizabeth’s birth date adds up to 7 + 29 + 1 + 9 + 2 + 4 = 52. Elizabeth and George died 52 years apart (1999 – 1947 = 52). Not at all convinced? There is very much more.