Black Dahlia Murder
Uploaded by Hammersgirl03 on Aug 29, 2004
Black Dahlia Murder
Who killed the Black Dahlia? That is the question that has intrigued and mystified people, since the hideous crime was committed in 1947. The sensational nature of the murder, the unusual name of the case, and the lack of a solution to the case add to the mystery.
On January 15, 1947 a woman, by the name of Betty Bersinger, thought she saw a dummy lying in the grass. As she looked closer she realized that it was not a dummy, but the body of woman, severed and mutilated. The body had been severed into 2 halves and lay separated from one another, with the bottom half twisted into some kind of sexual pose. Her face and body had been slashed viciously. Rope marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck suggested a very nasty scene before she died. (Taylor)
By the time detectives got to the scene, it was very much alive with reporters, photographers, and a curious crowd of bystanders. The crime scene was being trampled by outsiders who were more than likely destroying the evidence. Captain John Donahoe, of LAPD’s Homicide Division, cleared the scene and the body was taken to the Los Angeles County Morgue. Fingerprints were lifted and sent to the FBI in Washington. Meanwhile, an examination of the body was started at the coroner’s office. It began to detail an incredible and horrifying variety of wounds on the woman’s body, although the official cause of death was “hemorrhage and shock due to concussion of the brain and lacerations of the face.” (Carter)
Dr. Victor CelFalu assisted Dr. Newbarr, Chief Surgeon on the woman’s autopsy. A report, written by Dr. Newbarr, is quoted below:
There are multiple lacerations to the mid-forehead, in the right forehead, and at the top of the head in the midline. There are multiple tiny little abrasions and lacerations. The trunk is completely severed by an incision, which is almost straight through the abdomen. There are multiple crisscross lacerations in the suprapubic area, which extend through the skin and soft tissues. There are lacerations of the intestine and both kidneys. The uterus is small and no pregnancy is apparent. The tubes, ovaries, and cul-de-sac are intact. Within the vagina and higher up there is lying loose a piece of skin with fat and...