It is hypothesized that since he is a doctor, he saw through Elizabeth's lie and acted in a fit of rage. While she did have a lover who died at war, she was never pregnant. We also know that Elizabeth wasn't shy about asking for money and she often tried to gain some through a sympathetic sob story that her husband had died in World War II and she miscarried. She may have contacted Dr Bayley, a surgeon who specialized in liposuction, hysterectomies and amputations. What we do know about Elizabeth is that before her murder she was short on cash and constantly moving. It is theorized that Dr Bayley's degenerative brain disorder which symptoms include homicidal ideation/behaviour in even pacifists. He was considered a suspect until his alibi was established for January 14 and 15.ĭr Walter Bayley who knew Elizabeth's older sister, Virginia. He was known to have mental instability, which also made him suspicious. Some believe that he was the unidentified man who was last seen with her before she vanished. Robert Manley was a hardware salesman who had dated Elizabeth in the past. One page was missing and it is assumed that the killer's name was listed on this page. Another item was her "trick book" which listed the names of her clients. Other men who knew her were brought in they were also later cleared.ĭuring the investigation, the murderer taunted the police with letters, sending them a packet of Short's belongings including her birth certificate, address book, and social security card, which had been soaked in gasoline to eliminate fingerprints. He was brought in for questioning but later cleared of any involvement in the crime. Some suspect that the man was Robert Manley, a hardware salesman who had dated her in the past. She was last seen at a diner in San Diego, leaving with an unidentified man. It seemed as if she were constantly on the move. Her last days were shrouded with mystery.
However, with no prospective jobs and little money, she turned to prostitution. Across her face was a deep cut called the Glasgow smile.Įlizabeth had come to Hollywood hoping to become an actress.
The passerby who discovered her remains thought it was a discarded mannequin at first because the body had been neatly bisected at the waist. Nicknames: None (Elizabeth Short was never known as "The Black Dahlia " this was a name the press called her after her murder.)ĭetails: One of the most famous unsolved crime mysteries of the Twentieth Century, the mutilated remains of twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Short were found posted in a vacant lot in the unfinished Leimert Park housing development of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947.