"CONDEMNED BEFORE HIS TRIAL--AMERICA CALLS THIS JUSTICE"

                               London Sunday Pictorial, 1946

                William Heirens, today, age 81, is serving his 64th year in prison.  

Excerpt from the book, YOUR NEWSPAPER: Blueprint For A Better Press (The MacMillan Co. NY, 1947) pg. 49:

"The Tribune trying to live up to the slogan of being "the world's greatest newspaper," claimed four "great beats" during the case. [Heirens] In a three-column story the Tribune wrote:

"For the first time in newspaper history, the detailed story of how three murders were committed, naming the man who did them, was told before the murderer had confessed or was indicted..."

These are the Tribune's own words!

In 1946, boldly declaring their bragging rights, the Chicago Tribune announced to the world that their paper had obtained a "historical first" by declaring to the public that teenager William Heirens was the "Lipstick Killer" of  three Chicago women BEFORE he was charged with any crime or had "confessed." They played it as - "The Scoop of the Century."

In reality, the Chicago Trib's role was that of mob leader in the public lynching of an innocent man. That newspaper provided the rope, put the noose around young Heiren's neck, and tossed it over the transom. 

 "The Trib" served as prosecutor, judge and jury and with deliberate and cold premeditation forced young Bill Heiren's to plead guilty, or die.

It was one of American Journalism's worst hours and their crime is ONGOING.

Read the full condemnation written by both U.S. and U.K. journalists in 1946 and published in their book, YOUR NEWSPAPER: Blueprint For A Better Press (MacMillan NY 1947)  just months after the Tribune's public lynching by headlining false evidence and a fictional confession shouted out on Page One and run nation-wide before Bill Heirens was even charged with any crime. (All of the book's contributing journalists were Harvard Nieman Fellows.)

Your Newspaper Blueprint For A Better Press.pdf

 MICHAEL PAUL HODEL

July 12, 1939 - May 6, 1986

Today would have been brother Mike's 71st birthday.  He was a man of and for The People. For the underdog, the little guy. He never hesitated to speak out against injustice. He is greatly missed.

GOOD NIGHT MIKE!

Here are some brief memories from his short life:

http://stevehodel.com/faq/FAQ02.pdf

Michael Hodel, Santa Monica Beach 1951

(photo by George Hodel)

Mike circa 1984

DOJ CRIME LAB CRIMINALISTS LINKED SON'S DNA TO FATHER USING STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY   

Criminalists with the state Justice Department who matched the suspect's DNA to his son are, from left, Linton VonBeroldingen, Steven Myers, Jim Wiegand, Gary Sims, Matt Piucci, Ken Konzak and Bureau Chief Jill Spriggs at the DNA lab in Richmond. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

 LAPD CRIME LAB DIRECTOR, GREG MATHESON PRAISES DOJ CRIMINALISTS:

(Excerpt from L.A. Times):

"They made sure there was no 't' that wasn't crossed and no 'i' that wasn't dotted," said LAPD laboratory director Greg Matheson, who attended the meeting. "But we were obviously excited about this being their first hit, and it was a very good one."

The familial search cost the state $40,000, with much of the work done on overtime, Spriggs said. She said she and other scientists never doubted they could nab a criminal suspect this way, and that statistically they were due for a breakthrough.

SEE FULL ARTICLE below:

LA Times article, "In Grim Sleeper case, a new tack in DNA searching."

Speaking as a veteran LAPD homicide detective, I am extremely proud of how well the LAPD and DOJ "teamed up" to accomplish the arrest of "Grim Sleeper" suspect, Lonnie David Franklin Jr.

It was professional and perfectly coordinated.  I believe the "Grim Sleeper" investigation will prove to be the "Poster-Boy" for the use of familial DNA searches and that it will bring a sea-change across the nation eventually seeing the procedure adopted by all state and federal law enforcement.

Cetainly, legitimate rights to privacy issues will be raised and must be strictly adhered to and respected. But, the immense potential for this procedure becoming a major crime-fighting tool is UNLIMITED. If used correctly, familial DNA testing can and will take a whole bunch of bad guys off the streets.

Los Angeles Times Chart 

USING RELATIVE'S DNA TO FIND A SUSPECT

LAPD ALLEGES SON'S DNA LINKS FATHER  TO 11 LA MURDERS OVER PAST THREE DECADES-

According to authorities, Lonnie David Franklin Jr. , a former LAPD mechanic and city trash collector has been linked to the murders of 10 woman and one man over past twenty-five year period. 

Investigators remove items from home of Lonnie David Franklin Jr.(Gary Friedman, LA Times, July 7, 2010) 

 "9 of the 12 cases are linked by ballistics. We have DNA evidence linking 6 of the 12 cases together. We have cross-over on two or three of the cases, so we know it's the same guy."

             
                                          Detective III Dennis Kilcoyne, LAPD Cold Case Unit

          My highest KUDOS to LAPD's Cold Case Unit, and especially to Detective III Dennis Kilcoyne. I knew Dennis well for many years at Hollywood Homicide way back when in "the old days." I trained Dennis at Hollywood Homicide (mostly in how to drink and read the pretty ladies palms at our local watering holes.) Dennis is a real class act. He is humble, has the ability to acknowledge when mistakes are made, and is extremely tenacious. In my book, he is truly one of LAPD's FINEST. 

MAJOR KUDOS TO LAPD'S COLD CASE UNIT!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of LAPD and DOJ agents working as a team, residents of South Central Los Angeles can breath a lot easier this morning.

Lonnie David Franklin Jr., age 57, has been arrested and remains in "no bail" custody pending formal charges with the L.A. DA's office. His arrest is being attributed to linkage made from his son's DNA, which due to it's STR loci similarities, led detectives to the man LAPD is naming as the actual killer- HIS FATHER. 

 I quote from this morning's L.A. Times:  

"In announcing the arrests, Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley praised the LAPD and the California Department of Justice, which carried out the DNA "familial search" after Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown approved the use of the relatively new tool.

Only California and Colorado have formal policies that permit the use of software to look for DNA profiles of possible relatives of a suspect."

Due to the proven success of using familial DNA searches in Southern California, I suggest that  the procedure now be tried in Northern California. Let's start with one of San Francisco's oldest and coldest unsolved serial killers-  ZODIAC.

See full article below:

L.A. Times article on arrest of L.A.'s GRIM SLEEPER

Pizza slice helped link suspect to Grim Sleeper Killings

 Grim Sleeper Website  Excellent Summary of crimes

CNN Grim Sleeper info

I really know very little about my cousin, Marion Hodel. Perhaps that is why to this day, he remains in my mind, as a bit of a mystery.  A shadowy family figure.

I only met Marion on perhaps three or four occasions, and each time was while I was "playing" and he was working.  Cousin Marion was the Paymaster at all three of the Southern California racetracks, which included: Del Mar, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita. 

In "the old days" some of our investigations at Hollywood Homicide required we drive out to the local race tracks (on duty naturally) to check out "the usual suspects."  These would be either Hollywood Park or Santa Anita. While we were "working" we naturally wanted to blend in with the masses, so we'd have to have a few drinks and make a few bets.  On occasion, I'd go to the paymaster's office, shake hands with my cousin, and pick up box seats for the day. Marion was always friendly and cheerful, but we never really "talked." Oddly, we never met off track. No family visits or conversations. (Knowing what I know now, WISH I HAD.)

The below 1971 article profiling cousin Marion establishes he was Paymaster at the three race tracks, since 1952.

Imagine being "The Paymaster" to all three So. Cal racetracks in 1952. Talk about potential connections to the rich and infamous. Shaking hands with J. Edgar Hoover and Bugsy Siegel back to back. (Both men, reportedly, absolutely loved the "Sport of Kings.")

Here is a brief summary on the little I do know about Marion Hodel:  

Marion was born in Los Angeles, circa 1911.  He was the son of my great aunt Ida and uncle, Walter Hodel. Walter was my grandfather's brother and also came to Los Angeles at the turn of the century from Odessa, Russia. (I met my great uncle, Walter Hodel only once, in April 1970, about seven years before his death. He died at the advanced age of 95, in Santa Barbara, California.) The picture below, taken on that 1970 visit, shows great uncle Walter standing next to but not exactly towering over, my 63 VW "Bug":

Walter Hodel, father of Marion Hodel photo taken in 1970 -age 89. He died six-years later at age 95.

In checking data bases I came across an interesting document.  It shows that Marion Hodel in 1946 was living at the Franklin House with his Uncle (George Hodel Sr.) This was likely during my father's absence overseas in China as an UNRRA officer. (Feb-September 1946) There is no available info as to whether Marion remained after his Uncle's return in September, 1946?

Here's a short interview with Paymaster Marion in the L.A.Times , November, 1976 by Staff Writer, Bion Abbott:

Marion Hodel LAT 1976.pdf 

I only have one anecdote regarding cousin Marion. 

Sometime in the late 1970s, I was flying from LA to New York on an extradition. I was going to return a suspect arrested on a murder warrant out of Hollywood. 

In those days, due to the fact that we were always armed, and "skyjacking" was much more in vogue, the airlines required police officers to pre-register and provide our name and seat number.

Shortly after takeoff, the stewardess approached me and asked, "Excuse me, detective, but the captain wants to know if you are any relation to Marion Hodel?"  I told her, I was, and that "Marion is my cousin."  A few minutes later the captain came back and greeted me. Shaking my hand, he informed me that he was, "a good friend and business partner with Marion." Turns out they "together owned a race-horse."  (Should have got the name. If not the man, then at least the horse.)

Not sure when Marion died, but records show possibly in 1981, but that is unconfirmed.

Be happy to hear from anyone who knew or was a friend to my cousin Marion Hodel. Obviously my information is very limited.

Career law-enforcement investigator, Jack Egger was one of the last witnesses to see Elizabeth "Black Dahlia" Short alive. In 2003 Egger, then Chief Investigator for Warner Bros. Studio,  positively identified a photograph of Dr. George Hill Hodel as being the man who was with Elizabeth Short and escorted her to a CBS radio show in Hollywood, just days before her murder.

JACK EGGER

July 27, 1927 - March 3, 2010

Los Angeles, California

It was only yesterday that I learned of the passing of one of the Black Dahlia's most important original witnesses- John F. "Jack" Egger. Jack died here in Los Angeles on March 3, 2010. He was 82.

Jack was an important witness to my follow-up investigation and in December, 2003 positively identified a photograph of my father, Dr. George Hill Hodel as being the man who escorted Elizabeth Short to an airing of the Jack Carson Radio Show in Hollywood in January, 1947, just days prior to her murder.  

Copies of the original DA documents in my possession contain Jack Egger's February 1950 transcribed-interview wherein he describes the unidentified man he saw accompanying Elizabeth Short.  It was January, 1947, and Jack was a 19-year-old, usher at the CBS Studio, on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood. The "dapper man in his early Forties" showed Egger a "Chicago police badge" and Jack permitted the attractive couple to jump the long line and admitted them to Studio A to see the Jack Carson show. (Egger in his original 1950 police interview stated he had seen Elizabeth Short attend the radio shows dozens of times before, but always alone.)

CBS Studio at Sunset & Gower where then 19-year-old usher, Jack Egger  escorted "Chicago police officer", George Hodel & Elizabeth Short to Studio A to see the Jack Carson radio show in January 1947.

Excerpted 2003 Investigative Notes on Jack Egger Bio:

Here are some unedited bio notes from my 2003 file on Jack Egger that give us a more personal look into his long and interesting life:

"JE's background: 76, born 1927. Father was wealthy, insurance business. Father's company insured the County of Los Angeles before county self-insured. JE's mother was kind of a stage mother, got him into movies as a kid. When JE was 10 (1937), got a speaking part in Stella Dallas, famous Barbara Stanwyck weepie. Was in a couple of Our Gang films.

His mother was secretary to L.A. DA BURON FITTS. But quit because "she was tired of Fitts chasing her around the desk."

JE went to Catholic grade school, then Hollywood High. Graduated summer of 1945. Joined Marines, saw tail end of the action on Okinawa.

In October, 1946 went to work as usher at CBS. There until 1948. Says of ES: "I must have seen her (at CBS) 40 or 50 times." Very beautiful, knockout, pale white skin, black hair, always wore black."

Unsure whether he joined DA's office in 1948 or 1949. First job there as process/subpoena server. Spent 4 years there. Worked on bookmaking squad. Then became driver for LA DA ERNIE ROLL. Also had to drive Roll's wife Juanita. He quit job because Juanita was hitting on him.

 JE joined Beverly Hills PD mid-50s. Rose to captain, chief of detectives. 1971 got masters degree at USC. Went to Warner Bros. in 1979, there ever since. Currently chief investigator for 400-man WB security operation."

Jack Egger up until his death, remained active in the law enforcement community. In recent years he served as a General Board Member of POALAC. (Peace Officers Association Los Angeles County.) A few of his fellow board members were: Lee Baca, Sheriff, L.A. County, William Bratton, Chief LAPD, Steve Cooley, District Attorney, Los Angeles County, Sharon Papa, Assistant Chief, LAPD.

To read my Jack Egger/Elizabeth Short/George Hodel Black Dahlia Investigative Summary from early 2005 draft of MOST EVIL (12 pages) as  PDF file, click below link:

Jack Egger Black Dahlia Files.pdf 

Jack Egger obituary below originally published in L.A. Times and Variety Magazine, March 2010

THANK YOU JACK EGGER FOR YOUR DECADES OF DEDICATED SERVICE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO THE CITIZENS OF BOTH LOS ANGELES AND BEVERLY HILLS.

MAY YOU REST IN PEACE!

In 1964, brother Mike took our dad up on an invitation to visit him in the Far East with the prospect of possibly coming to work for him at his company, INRA-ASIA. (International Research Associates-Asia). Mike visited dad for several weeks and toured the offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Manila. (Mike passed on the offer and returned to L.A. to spend the next twenty-years on radio (KPFK) dedicating his short life to "causes."  

Mike died unexpectedly in May,1986 at the relatively young age of 47. His death from lung cancer, followed hard upon the death of our mother, just a few years prior.  The loss of my brother was THE determining factor for me to cut my LAPD career short and "retire" early with 23 1/2 years. (Though you can retire at 20-years, most career cops stay 25-30 years due to the advantages of a higher pension.)

Below is a photo from the Manila Chronicle, dated,  Jan. 2, 1964. Unfortunately, the Xerox is of poor quality, but one can still see that though dad was age 57, he remained in excellent health and could still easily pass for a much younger man, a man say in his "Mid Forties."  (Especially, if the witnesses were viewing him  in the dark of night from the second floor of a building a hundred feet away, or if they were police officers giving him a quick "once over" on the sidewalk as they drove-by enroute to their shooting call. Think SFPD, Paul Stine shooting, 10.11.69.)

George Hodel age, 57; brother, Mike, age, 24

Here is an article briefly describing one of dad's major research projects that appeared in the Armed Forces, Pacific Stars & Stripes newspaper in November, 1962, two years before Mike's above referenced visit to the P.I.

Pacific Stars & Stripes article, November, 1962, Manila, Philippines

 Photo George Hodel, Philippines, circa 1962

(SKH NOTE-  Below blog updated 6.10.2010 See additional entries bottom paragraphs.)

FROM PRINTER TO POOKA

Hollywood, California

Thanks to some old fashioned gumshoe sleuthing by my brother, Kelvin and his wife, Angel, (with perhaps a little unseen help from "Harvey" the invisible rabbit and pooka extraordinaire) we now have some new information and photos to add to the Grandfather Harvey story. (Charles Eugene Harvey, 1879-1949, was my mother's father)  For those unfamiliar with the story I recommend you check out my original blog on my grandfather Charles Harvey, "A Death in the Family: There's Mischief Afoot?"  Found here.  

Hollywood High claims over 500 "celebrity student" to name just a few:

Vicent Bugliosi, Carol Burnett, Lon Chaney Jr., Judy Garland, Laurence Fishburne, Tamar Hodel, Stephen Kay, Carole Lombard, Ricky Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jason Robards, Alexis Smith, Lana Turner, and Fay Wray.

Kelvin and Angel went to Hollywood High School last week and were able to obtain some Xerox copies from the Year Books which showed our grandfather, Charles Harvey was employed and taught printing to students from 1928-1941. This was an exciting family discovery, since previous to this discovery, no family photograph of grandfather were known to exist.

Hollywood High School Men's Faculty- 1928

Charles Harvey in Hollywood High School Year Books 1930s 1940s

HARVEY & HARVEY- FROM PRINTER TO POOKA

Reprinted below is an excerpted anecdote (The Harvey Story) from "A Death in the Family- There's Mischief Afoot", as originally blogged by me one-year ago in June, 2009. (I have also made some corrected Author Note changes in bold.)

...

In physical appearance, I favor my mother's side of the family.  The Harvey's (U.K.) and the Boyles (Cork County, Ireland) from whom I also inherited my thirsty Irish genes.

From my boyhood, I remember my grandfather, Charles Eugene Harvey as a bear of a man, with snow white hair and a big smile, but that's about all.

Mostly, I remember my mother's stories about him. Her father was born in Pittsburg, PA. He was one of six brothers, four of whom worked in the coal mines. Mother would frequently retell us three sons the story of how at the turn of the century, these six brothers, all over six-feet tall, would walk into a bar-room, order "sarsaparilla" (a non-alcoholic precursor to "Root Beer") and look around the room just daring anyone make a snide remark or  snicker. Tough, coalminers all.

(Author Note-  6.6.2010- As seen in these newly discovered photographs, while grandfather does appear "burly" he cannot be much more than about 5-8 in height, so he was either "the runt of family" or the six-foot stature was my childhood misrembrance of my mother's original description.)

Mother was born in 1906, in New York's Central Park West. Three-years later, the family moved west to Los Angeles. Grandfather, got a job with the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper as a linotype operator, where he worked until retirement. His second career began after his divorce from grandmother, when he started teaching printing at Hollywood High School. 

(Author Note- 6.6.2010- With the new documentation we can now further correct the record. We now know that grandfather Harvey was employed as a Hollywood High School printing instructor from 1928 until at least 1941, so his job at the Los Angeles Examiner was either a partime second-job during the Depression years or he worked two jobs.)

At age 62 (?) he washed his hands of the printer's ink, and in semi-retirement, donned the uniform of a doorman, complete with gold buttons and epaulets, at one of  Hollywood's fancy hotels. 

Mother had a tremendous love for her father. She spoke proudly of the chess-playing atheist who was a voracious reader, a liberal, a thinker and a scholar.  She affectionately described him as a lover of people and life.  

My favorite anecdote about grandfather was the story mother told us about when he was a hotel doorman in Hollywood.  At the hotel he met a woman, who was staying as a long-term guest.  Everyday grandfather would be there to open the door for her as she came and went. The woman was a writer, and being kindred spirits--naturally, they became friends.

One day, she checked out of the hotel and returned to the East. During her stay at the hotel, she had written a play. In November, 1944, it premiered on Broadway. It was a smash hit and ran for nearly five-years. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1945. The name of the playwright? Mary Chase. Her play? HARVEY. Based on her friendship and affection for grandfather, the friendly hotel doorman, she honored him by naming her pooka, the invisible 6-6" rabbit, after him! 

Hollywood High School campus in 1920s and 1930s

UPDATE TO CURRENT BLOG  6.10.10

I.   After receiving the above information on my grandfather I did a little research and located and ordered the Hollywood High School "Crimson and White" booklet which was an informational brochure made by the student body and printed at the school printing press.  I found a booklet printed in 1923-24 and upon receiving it, much to my surprise discovered that grandfather Harvey was teaching printing in 1923! This means he was on faculty at the high school campus for more than 20-years! I have also included a scan of the loyalty song from 1923. Do you think it has changed any? See photos below:

                                 Grandfather Harvey Printing Instructor at Hollywood High 1923

 

 

 

 

1923 Hollywood High School "Loyalty Song"

 

Seen in photo below are, "Harvey Hunters", brother Kelvin (11 months yournger than I) and his wife, Angel, 20 something?

 

 

 

 

The below e-mail comment was received today from "D.E", a highly respected local L.A. researcher/historian. Thanks much for the kind words and encouragement- "D".

D.E., Los Angeles