Posts by Steve Hodel
KEVIN DORAN – TALK RADIO INTERVIEW PARTS I & II
I have had a number of e-mail requests asking if I could give a podcast summary of both books as an overview of my investigation from 1999 to the present. One of my favorite talk-radio interviews was done last month on Kevin Doran’s, “Newsmaker Show” Kevin interviewed me from Hornell in Steuban County, New York. It was done in two parts each running about…
Read More1947 FBI Files reveal attempt by J. Edgar Hoover to use Black Dahlia Investigation to "set legal precedent"
FBI Director, J. Edgar and partner, Clyde Tolson pull some “G-Strings.” Stay at Ambassador Hotel and get box seats at Del Mar Racetrack during their 1947 working vacation to Los Angeles. In my original 2001 rough draft of Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder, I included what I thought were some very telling communications found buried in the ELIZABETH SHORT…
Read MoreRescan Enhancement- A Crime Scene Rorschach- New Object Found
The below Email and photos received from E.S. after he examined and rescanned the original crime scene photo using his “new shadow enhancement tools.” We see with the brain, not the eye, which perforce brings into the mix our individual personal experiences along with our inherent bias, so no two people see the same image. (For television viewers, I…
Read MoreZodiac, Handwriting and DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Question #1- Did Zodiac suffer from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder)? The question first came to my attention in the book, “This is the Zodiac Speaking” (Westport, CT: Praeger Publisher, 2002) by Michael Kelleher and Dr. David Van Nuys. In that book, clinical psychologist, Dr. Van Nuys, to my mind made a very persuasive argument…
Read MoreForensic Rescan of 1947 Dahlia Crime Scene Part II-
Does New Scan Present Additional “Hard Evidence” Linking George Hodel to Dahlia Crime Scene? Readers straw poll leans toward the crime scene object being – “a watchband.” Thanks to all of you that e-mailed me your responses in the past few days. Here are the results: Watchband- 8 Clasp or hairclip- 3 Handcuff-1 Piece of bicycle tire- 1 Handbag strap- 1…
Read MoreRescan of Black Dahlia Crime Scene – What is it?
Before presenting my follow-up article with a possible answer I am first going to let my readers see if they can provide me with their own analysis and answer. The below photograph is a scan and enlargement of the original 1947 Black Dahia crime scene. Q: What in your opinion is the object seen in the grass near the victim’s body…
Read MoreLAPD's Detective Ranks-
Q: In your book you say you promoted to the rank of Detective III. It is different from the military rankings. Can you explain what that means? A: Yes. In 1969 I transferred into LAPD’s Hollywood Division Detective Bureau as a policeman loanee. Shortly after my transfer to the Bureau LAPD hired the Jacobs Company to conduct a…
Read MoreFavorite fiction authors?
Q: Dear Mr. Hodel: Who are some of your favorite fiction authors? With your background in police work have you ever thought of writing a mystery novel like Joseph Wambaugh? Do you know him? R.D. San Francisco, California A: Don’t really read many novels. Have only read maybe 10% of “the classics”. Maybe I can catch…
Read MoreMOST EVIL – Signature Crimes – Signature Acts
SIGNATURE CRIME: noun- :any of two or more crimes that involve the use of a method, plan, or modus operandi so distinctive that it logically follows that the crimes must have been committed by the same person Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law M.O. is a very broad term and it is oftentimes mentioned in very general…
Read MoreBaron Von Harringa Acquires Rare 1903 China Photos
Thanks to “DG” for a heads up on some rare 1903 photographs of China’s Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi that were included in the April 5, 1948 edition of LIFE MAGAZINE. (pgs 9-10) The article states that the rare photographs “were recently acquired by Los Angeles Art Dealer, Ernst Von Harringa.” (Ernst Von Harringa is the man…
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