Blog

“We’ve had 20 innocent people on Death Row,” said Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. “It’s time to be done with the moratorium and do the right thing.” (Reuters) – Illinois was poised to become the first state since 2009 to abolish the death penalty after the state Senate…

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This coming Saturday, January 8, 2011, just one week before the 64th anniversary of the murder of Elizabeth Short, I will be interviewed by Los Angeles based “super-lawyers,” Tom Girardi and Howard Miller (Law Firm of Girardi/ Keese) on their weekly radio show, CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE. Tom was part of the team of lawyers that won the 333 million dollar class action…

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 Dr. George Hodel’s ex-wife served in Philippine Congress from 1987-1995  Corgresswoman Hortensia Hodel Starke circa 1988 My ex-stepmother, Hortensia Laguda Hodel Starke suffered a heart attack and passed away on November 29, 2010 in her home in Negros Occidental, in the southern Philippines. Hortensia originally met my father on a visit to Los Angeles in 1949 when…

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Deputy Chief Thad Brown’s brother, Sgt. Finis Brown, primary investigator on Black Dahlia case, places “unidentified Hollywood doctor” at top of HIS LIST. I was recently reviewing some of my papers and transcripts from the DA Files related to the testimony of various witnesses who were called to testify before the 1949 Grand Jury related to…

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Something Left, Something Taken   Tiny Investions introduces us to a new Zodiac suspect and cutting edge crime forensics in this “dark comedy” about a vacationing couple that is “taken for a ride” and fear they have accidentally stumbled upon San Francisco’s ZODIAC KILLER. Check out their ten minute video below. Click on link:  http://www.tinyinventions.com/animation/slst.html

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Kenneth Narlow, the original investigator handling the ZODIAC INVESTIGATION for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office has passed away. On September 27, 1969,then  Sgt. Ken Narlow conducted the original crime-scene investigation and follow-up on Zodiac’s, Lake Berryessa stabbing of Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell. Information received from Tom Voigt of Zodiackiller.com indicated Ken sucumbed from a long fought…

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 November 1, 2010 I awakened this morning and a check of my e-mail IN BOX showed this query from a reader: “Mr. Hodel: I read in the L.A. Times this morning that Elizabeth Short wasn’t seen leaving the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel by the doorman, and that it was all just made up. Is this true?…

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“Conviction”- The Movie, PBS Frontline’s, “Arson & Injustice”: The Cameron Todd Willingham Story, documenting the wrongful conviction and execution of an innocent man and “Compensating the Innocent”, the freeing of Alan Newton, who served 27 years for a rape he did not commit and was recently awarded 18.5 million dollars (the highest award ever given to a wrongfully convicted…

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OCTOBER 9, 2010 LAPD HOLLYWOOD DIVISION CEREMONY MARK’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF DET3 RUSS KUSTER’S MURDER BAGPIPES AND LAPD HELICOPTERS FLY-BY HONORS FALLEN HEROES    HOLLYWOOD DIVISION – 7 OFFICERS REMEMBERED In a morning service attended by LAPD brass, Mayor Villaraigosa, the slain officer’s family and friends, as well as many of their ex-partners, seven fallen officers were honored at a…

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JOHN LENORAK FARROW    1946-2010 Sad news to report. I received an e-mail yesterday from the wife of John Lenorak Farrow, informing me of his passing last Saturday. John was in Fort Bragg, California and died suddenly from an unexpected heart attack. He leaves behind his wife, and two daughters. For those of you that are familiar with my investigation, it…

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