Podcast Summary: "Crimes of the Times"

Episode: The Dahlia Zodiac Connection: Part Two

Date: April 14, 2026
Host: Christopher Goffard (L.A. Times Studios)

Overview

In this gripping continuation, Christopher Goffard delves into the provocative theory that connects the infamous 1947 Black Dahlia murder of Elizabeth Short with the unsolved Zodiac killings decades later. This episode scrutinizes a nearly forgotten suspect—Marvin Margolis—a figure now emerging at the center of new research tying him to both cases. The investigation examines Margolis’s troubled background, his complicated relationship with Short, and newly unearthed evidence, including a chilling deathbed drawing. Featuring expert insights from veteran homicide detective Mitzi Roberts and amateur sleuth Alex Baber, the episode probes whether this neglected suspect could be the missing link in two of America’s most haunting mysteries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Re-examining Marvin Margolis as Prime Suspect

• Margolis’s Background & Initial Investigation

  • Margolis, a Navy corpsman at Okinawa, was taking pre-med at USC with ambitions to be a surgeon but never received operative training due to the military’s decision. He lived with Elizabeth Short briefly before her murder ([00:01]-[03:09]).
  • Despite an early investigation, Margolis’s role faded from the narrative, largely due to an alibi provided by his wife and his move to Chicago, where he changed his name ([03:09]-[03:39]).
  • Quote: “Weirdly, one of the suspects police originally found most promising was somehow memory holed by history... the name Marvin Margolis has had a miniscule presence on the lists of potential killers. Until recently, that is.” – Christopher Goffard ([00:36])

• Margolis’s Psychological Profile

  • Military psychiatrists described him as obsessive, explosive, and plagued by PTSD ([02:50], [05:26]).
  • Quote: “He was obsessive. That's in his report... and he's explosive, right? So that being said, it was a nuclear mix from from the get go.” – Alex Baber ([02:50])

2. The Complex Relationship Between Short and Margolis

• Contention and Fear

  • Some evidence, though inconclusive, suggests Short feared Margolis; she told friends an ex-Marine ex-boyfriend threatened her, and by process of elimination, Baber argues Margolis is the only candidate ([06:23]-[07:51]).
  • Goffard and Baber clarify that direct evidence of these threats naming Margolis is not extant—much is deduced ([06:45]-[07:51]).
  • Quote: “We know that Elizabeth said that he threatened her and that she feared him ... documented.” – Alex Baber ([06:45])

• Unreliable Narratives

  • Short was a “habitual teller of tall tales,” further complicating the trustworthiness of reports ([07:56]).
  • Police investigation into Margolis was hindered by his lies, his move out of state, and an unverified alibi from his spouse ([11:12]-[12:09]).

3. Why Margolis Was (and Was Not) Cleared

• A grand jury session and records show authorities remained concerned about Margolis, even as an LAPD memo stated he could be cleared ([12:09]-[13:40]).
• Quote: “The lead investigator testified at the grand jury that he couldn't be eliminated or they couldn't figure him out either way, but he wasn't eliminated.” – Mitzi Roberts ([11:42])

4. The Link to the Zodiac Case

• Cipher and Alias Clues

  • Baber claims the Zodiac’s Z13 cipher contains the name “Marvin Merrill,” one of Margolis’s later aliases ([14:02]).

• The Deathbed Drawing: "Elizabeth"

  • In a pivotal moment, Baber recounts approaching Margolis’s son, only to be shown a chilling drawing by Margolis titled “Elizabeth” ([20:29]-[22:26]):
    • The sketch depicts a naked woman, partially cut off above the navel, with one nipple severed and possibly stab wounds—uncannily similar to Short’s mutilation.
    • Quote: “He finds it, and he turns the phone to me and looks at me, and I say, holy f...” – Alex Baber ([22:11])
  • The drawing was signed “Marty Merrill, 92.” Mitzi Roberts now has possession and is having it forensically analyzed ([23:17]).
  • Roberts notes prior publication of corpse photos might explain Margolis’s knowledge, but the timing and content remain suspicious ([23:29]-[24:14]).

5. Skepticism and Alternative Explanations

• Goffard floats the possibility that Margolis was not the killer but rather morbidly obsessed due to prior intimacy and interest in the Zodiac murders ([25:00]).
• Roberts weighs in: “It's a very sophisticated game for somebody that's not involved ... more indicative of somebody with a very sick, twisted mind, which we know Margolis was described as...” ([25:24])

6. Alibi Concerns and Challenges in Cold Case Investigation

• Margolis’s wife provided his alibi, but Roberts doubts the reliability of spousal alibis ([18:26]).
• The week-long gap (“the missing week”) between Short’s last sighting and the discovery of her body complicated the investigation ([16:51]-[17:55]).
• Detectives faced immense media and public pressure, likely contributing to tunnel vision and investigative lapses ([18:52]-[20:29]).

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Christopher Goffard:

  • “Weirdly, one of the suspects police originally found most promising was somehow memory holed by history...” ([00:36])

• Alex Baber:

  • “He was obsessive. That's in his report... and he's explosive, right? So that being said, it was a nuclear mix from from the get go.” ([02:50])
  • “We know that Elizabeth said that he threatened her and that that she feared him, was in hiding of him. That is documented.” ([06:45])

• Mitzi Roberts (former LAPD Homicide Detective):

  • “The lead investigator testified at the grand jury that he couldn't be eliminated or they couldn't figure him out either way, but he wasn't eliminated.” ([11:42])
  • “I have less faith in spouses verifying alibis than official documents... Moms, children. Yeah. Spouses, lovers even to defend them even when they're the victims of the abuse.” ([18:26])
  • “What's most... interesting about that sketch is that it's a young female, naked from the torso up... And it's titled Elizabeth.” ([23:50])
  • “That is another piece of evidence, I think, that you just can't explain away—the supposed injuries, the...having that sketch named Elizabeth hanging on a wall.” ([24:37])
  • “I think it's more indicative of somebody with a very sick, twisted mind, which we know Margolis was described as when he...got out of the military.” ([25:24])

Important Segment Timestamps

• Margolis as a Suspect, Medical Background, and Alibi: [00:01] – [03:39]
• Short-Margolis Relationship, Threats, and Trauma: [05:26] – [07:51]
• Investigation Problems & Grand Jury Evidence: [11:12] – [13:40]
• Cipher/Deathbed Drawing & Zodiac Connection: [14:02], [20:29] – [25:00]
• Skepticism of Confession, Alternative Theories: [25:00] – [25:58]

Conclusion & Next Steps

This episode delivers a convincing argument that Marvin Margolis deserves renewed scrutiny as a suspect in both the Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases. The convergence of circumstantial evidence—the suspicious drawing, alias clues in Zodiac ciphers, and Margolis’s psychological profile—add fuel to the theory. Yet, as Goffard repeatedly emphasizes, much hangs on inferences, uncorroborated memories, and analysis of artifacts whose context remains murky.

Next episode: A former FBI profiler will dissect whether these two cases—so different in most respects—might really intersect, or whether the connection is another dead end in the long, winding saga of unsolved American murders.

For further reading and to watch video versions, visit: latimes.com/crimesofthetimes