The Possible Suspects In The Still Cold Black Dahlia Case

In 1947, the police were about to find one of the grisliest crime scenes of all time. Elizabeth Short was just 22 years old when a housewife was walking with her child through Los Angeles and uncovered her body. It didn't take long for the police to identify her as the youngster, with the world quickly dubbing Elizabeth the Black Dahlia.

Not only had her body been cut in half and laid out in the open, but someone had given Elizabeth a gruesome Chelsea smile. Although they searched high and low and investigated every lead, the police never found and pinned the crime on a suspect. Even 75 years later, people wonder about the possible suspects in the still cold Black Dahlia case.

George Knowlton's daughter claims she helped him move the Black Dahlia

Janice Knowlton was working off a hunch when she started investigating the Black Dahlia case. Why? She believed her dad, George, was to blame. Janice states she suppressed memories for years but later remembered her dad allegedly abused her when she was younger. Janice even claimed that she was ten years old when she saw George end Elizabeth's life with a hammer at their home before she was forced to help him move the Black Dahlia's body. While Janice was adamant she was telling the truth, her sister and the police have written off her accounts as they claim the story doesn't match the evidence. 

George Hodel was a skilled surgeon at the time of the Black Dahlia case

It wasn't until LAPD detective Steve Hodel started investigating his dad, George, that he uncovered clues that could link him to the Black Dahlia case. What began as a hunch soon turned into a full investigation, as Steeve discovered photos of a woman resembling Elizabeth Short, proof George bought concrete similar to bags found near her body, and knew his dad was a skilled surgeon who could have altered the Black Dahlia's body. After publishing his book, Steve was sent even more evidence that George was involved. The most compelling was a recording after the police bugged George's room, where he spoke about ending Elizabeth's life and stated they could no longer question his secretary as she had lost her life.

Walter Bayley is another surgeon who had close ties to the Black Dahlia

There have been several suspects in the still cold Black Dahlia case. Still, the police have long believed the person behind the horrific crime was a skilled surgeon. It wasn't long before journalist Larry Harnisch pointed the finger at Walter Bayley. In 1996, Larry found evidence that Walter's daughter knew Elizabeth, he had an office where she was last seen, and Elizabeth was discovered 45 seconds from his ex-wife's house. Walter also seemingly matched the FBI sketch of the potential Black Dahlia suspect. Larry claims Walter would have known precisely how to end Elizabeth's life and wouldn't have been phased, adding he could have potentially lost his temper in a fit of rage. He even added the surgeon might have been trying to terrorize his ex-wife with where Elizabeth's body was discovered. 

Orson Welles has been named a prime suspect by a friend of Elizabeth's

One of the most surprising names on the list of possible suspects in the black Dahlia case is actor and director Orson Welles. It all started when Mary Pacios, who grew up with Elizabeth, began investigating the case. Mary claims that Orson's name kept cropping up - and that was just the beginning. She added the director allegedly had a magic trick where he would pretend to saw women in half, just like how the Black Dahlia was discovered. Plus, Mary claims Orson wanted to use mutilated mannequins with a Chelsea smile in his movie 'The Lady From Shanghai.' While the mannequins were never used, Mary says they were created just three months before Elizabeth lost her life.

The possible suspects in the still cold Black Dahlia case are just that - suspects. Unfortunately, no one has ever been named and charged with the horrific crime, but that hasn't stopped people from wondering all about what happened to Elizabeth Short and how she tragically lost her life at just 22 years old.