Who Did What Now, Episode 179: Black Dahlia - Part 2
Host: Katie Charlwood
Release Date: January 31, 2026

Episode Overview

In this gripping second installment on the infamous Black Dahlia case, host Katie Charlwood delves into the brutal murder of Elizabeth Short, exploring the timeline, the crime scene, forensic details, investigation missteps, suspects, media circus, and prevailing theories. While Part 1 covered Short’s life, this episode (“it has been a month... that has felt like an entire fucking year… And to top it all off, I was already stressed, okay? I was already stressed, and then Catherine O’Hara died.”—03:45) picks up with the discovery of her body and the aftermath, emphasizing both the enduring mystery and the societal context.

“If you haven’t listened to part one, you’re gonna want to go do that. So let’s get a bit more information on the timeline leading up to Elizabeth Short’s death.” (06:15)

Katie warns listeners about the episode’s graphic content and proceeds with a clinical but candid, often sardonic analysis, always mindful of historical and social nuance.

Key Discussion Points

1. Discovery of the Body & Crime Scene Accounts

Timeline & Eyewitness Detail (09:45–17:00):

• On January 15, 1947, Mrs. Betty Berzinger discovers something pale ("At first Mrs. Berzinger thought that someone had dumped a mannequin or a tailor's dummy"—11:40) in a trash-strewn vacant lot at 3825 South Norton Avenue, LA.
• Upon closer inspection, realizes it’s a human body, mutilated and bisected; panicked, she gets help and calls the police.
• Katie discusses discrepancies between reports—was the body right by the sidewalk or further in the lot? Later accounts (including a 101-year-old Berzinger’s interview) suggest deeper placement.
• Police dispatch code called was for a “stuporous drunk,” possibly explaining initial slow response and a single squad car.
• Press invaded the scene rapidly, causing heavy crime scene contamination. Both Aggie Underwood and Will Fowler, famous crime reporters, claim to have arrived first. Fowler even moved the body to close Short’s eyes—actions criticized by Katie:

  “Don’t touch the fucking body... Forensics are not where we are now, but still.” (21:30)

2. Crime Scene & Autopsy Findings

Description, Forensics, and Clinical Observations (22:45–41:00; 33:14–49:47):

• The body was carefully posed: arms above head, legs spread, in a purposely provocative/submissive arrangement.
• “The killer then took the time, both with the torture, the cleaning, the posing...” (46:00)
• Mutilations included the Romanian “Glasgow Smile” (deep mouth slits), missing teeth, ligature marks (wrists, ankles, neck), missing/nicked breast, postmortem bisection ("body was bisected at the waist, severed through vertebrae"), and triggering details about objects found inside her (“her rose tattoo carved off… found within the vagina”—37:50).
• Body shaved, cleaned, possibly with gasoline, and devoid of most blood—indicating the site was not the scene of the murder.
• Livor mortis and other indicators suggest the body was left face down before staging.
• Katie situates these findings in forensic history and debunks certain tropes (e.g. “you do not need medical training to use a sharp knife to cut through a corpse... so could any decent hunter, a butcher, a vet…”—41:20).
• Motives and psychological implications debated (“This was a murder the likes of which had not been seen in Los Angeles. It was gr[e]m[e].”—49:47).

3. The Investigation: Process, Press, and Pitfalls

Investigation and Media Role (51:13–71:00):

• Unprecedented scale: hundreds of officers across agencies involved.
• Early false suspect: Cecil French, with circumstantial red flags (Morals charge, missing car seat) but later cleared.
• LAPD’s cooperation with the LA Examiner led to the paper notifying Elizabeth’s mother with a fabricated ‘beauty contest winner’ excuse before breaking the news of her death—Katie expresses disgust at this insensitivity:

  “...once he’s got this information, like one of the other reporters is like, what the actual fck are you doing? Like, you need to tell her. And after that he just basically goes, yeah, your daughter was murdered. Actually, like, he doesn’t tell her... Prick.” (31:45)

• Identification via fingerprints: Short had two files (job application and underage drinking arrest).
• Connections and movements: Short stayed with Dorothy French in San Diego, moved up and down California, and was last seen with “Red” Manley, who was cleared via alibi and polygraph.
• Scene staged for the press; physical evidence suffered from contamination and lack of preservation.
• Letters and possessions: “Avenger” letters, address book, personal documents mailed to the press, cleaned with gasoline, possible media hoaxes or attention-seeking insertions, many not considered reliable.

4. Suspects and Unsolved Theories

Profiles and Speculation (71:00–109:50):

Notable Suspects:

• Cecil French: False lead, cleared.
• Robert “Red” Manley: Last seen with Short, cleared after providing an alibi and cooperation.
• Mark Hansen: Nightclub owner/landlord connected to Short, but evidence is circumstantial and more suggests predatory landlord, not killer.
• Walter Bailey and Jack Wilson: Later suspects; Bailey lived near crime scene, but was elderly and never implicated at the time. Wilson alleged violent tendencies, but little evidence.
• William Heirens, Carl Balziger, George Knowlton: Various degrees of connection but ultimately dismissed or lacking key evidence.
• Dr. Patrick S. O’Reilly: LA orthopedic surgeon with false identity, violent history, and possible similarity in modus operandi, but not definitively linked.
• Celebrity suspects (Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, Woody Guthrie, Norman Chandler): Emblematic of a sensationalist search for famous culprits.

Theories Explored:

• The “Torture Doctor”—George Hodel:
  • Prominent in popular history, accused by his own children (his son Steve Hodel, in particular, makes the case in books and media), but Katie is highly skeptical:

    “He was a terrible person… but a murderer of Elizabeth Short, specifically—I don’t subscribe to that particular theory.” (99:37)

  • No physical evidence ties Hodel to the crime; many claims rest on circumstantial links and, Katie suggests, confirmation bias.
• Unknown Local/Transient Killer Theory:
  • Given postwar LA’s transient population, it’s plausible the perpetrator was a local or drifter who blended in and escaped notice.
  • “Easy if someone did do that, for it to slip between the cracks.” (103:20)
• Butcher or Medical Professional Theory:
  • While the technical nature of the bisection is compelling, Katie highlights that butchers and even hunters or morticians, not strictly surgeons, would have the necessary skills.
• Serial Killer/Escalation Theory:
  • The case could fit into a pattern of escalating violence and ritualism, but no directly comparable crimes have surfaced.
• Media Hoaxes & False Confessions:
  • Many letters, confessions, and clues were likely red herrings—either products of attention-seekers, copycats, or the press themselves.
  • “Dubious, okay, dubious.” (58:30)

5. Societal, Gender, and Media Commentary

• Katie is sharply critical of victim-blaming and the recurring salacious framing of Elizabeth Short—persistent theories about sex work or pregnancy are debunked as attempts to make her “slightly more... deserving of murder.” (108:55)
• “Women, especially victims of violent crimes, becoming footnotes in their own stories.” (109:46)
• The continuing myth-making around Short is discussed as both sad and inevitable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Historical Uncertainty and Memory:

  "We don't remember the memory. We remember the last time we remembered that memory. Like a photocopy of a photocopy. And eventually for most people, it gets fuzzy." (16:10)

• On Crime Scene Handling:

  "Don't touch the fucking body... Forensics are not where we are now, but still." (21:30)

• On the Popular ‘Medical Training’ Theory:

  “You do not need medical training to use a sharp knife to cut through a corpse... so could any decent hunter, a butcher, a vet, even a farmer, a slaughterhouse worker or a cook.” (41:20)

• On Media and Sensationalism:

  "The killer is taunting and then he's not. And then you've got so many false leads and so many copycats coming in... if they wanted to do anything else and mess with the press, it's just gone now." (109:38)

• On Enduring Mystery:

  "Elizabeth Short lived a life that was, at the time, unremarkable... A life and death shrouded in myth and mystery and a case that will never have a satisfying conclusion because y’all just love the drama." (111:54)

• On George Hodel Theory Skepticism:

  "There is no physical evidence that directly links him to Elizabeth Short. And it just feels like... you’re so desperate for that to be the answer that you’re just trying to load as much sort of opinion and bias towards it." (100:13)

• On Sensational Theories:

  "Please stop. It’s like, stop comparing everything to the Zodiac, okay?... the MOs are completely different. Like, pay attention to this.” (110:01)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 06:15 – Episode focus shift; warning for intense content
• 09:45–17:00 – Discovery of Elizabeth Short’s body; witness accounts
• 22:45–41:00 – Crime scene details and forensic summary
• 33:14–49:47 – Autopsy walkthrough, clinical observations
• 51:13–71:00 – Investigation scope, major suspects, and media
• 71:00–109:50 – Late-breaking theories, detailed suspect analysis, and discussion of broader implications
• 109:46–111:54 – Societal/gendered analysis, myth-making, and closing thoughts

Tone and Style

Katie’s delivery is frank, sardonic, and analytical. She mixes dark humor and righteous anger (“Love y’all... If you didn’t like it, you can just keep your mouth shut. I don’t need to hear it,” 111:59) with in-depth knowledge, skepticism, and sensitivity—especially regarding the mistreatment of victims by both the media and society.

Summary

Who Did What Now – Black Dahlia: Part 2 delivers a highly researched, pointed, and often darkly witty breakdown of the infamous 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short. Katie Charlwood systematically debunks myths, critiques media sensationalism and police mishandling, and reviews the evidence and suspects—always centering the victim’s humanity and lamenting how her legacy is both myth and tragedy. Despite exhaustive inquiry, she concludes the case will likely never be solved, leaving listeners with a more nuanced, less sensationalized understanding of the Black Dahlia’s legacy.

Recommendations from Katie (end of episode):

• Watch: Schitt’s Creek (“Katherine O’Hara forever!”)
• Read: Rebel of the Regency by Anne Foster (of Vulgar History)
• Listen: Some Kate Bush (“That’s what I’ve got now.”)

For detailed context, research citations, or historical nuances, Katie recommends listening to Part 1 and supporting women historians whenever possible.