Alina

Yeah, we were living with a lot of people, so might as well. Before you have kids, before all that stuff. Now, during this time, Elizabeth was barely getting by on her wages from her job as a waitress at the Florentine Gardens nightclub. In a few weeks before her death, she had actually struggled to afford rent. She was really, like, had her last few pennies.

Yeah, we were living with a lot of people, so might as well. Before you have kids, before all that stuff. Now, during this time, Elizabeth was barely getting by on her wages from her job as a waitress at the Florentine Gardens nightclub. In a few weeks before her death, she had actually struggled to afford rent. She was really, like, had her last few pennies.

Yeah. Her friend Ann Toth told detectives two or three weeks before Christmas, she said she was going to Berkeley. But instead of going to Berkeley, she went to San Diego. And she said just before Christmas Day, she sent me a wire saying she was low on funds and asking me to send her 20 bucks.

Yeah. Her friend Ann Toth told detectives two or three weeks before Christmas, she said she was going to Berkeley. But instead of going to Berkeley, she went to San Diego. And she said just before Christmas Day, she sent me a wire saying she was low on funds and asking me to send her 20 bucks.

She had been gone about three weeks when I received another wire saying she was coming back and stating that a letter would follow. This is the last I heard of her. The letter never came.

She had been gone about three weeks when I received another wire saying she was coming back and stating that a letter would follow. This is the last I heard of her. The letter never came.

Yeah. Ann Toth may have never heard from her friend again, but Elizabeth did return to Los Angeles on January 9th. That evening, she was seen leaving the Olive Street entrance of the Biltmore Hotel. And this would be the last time anyone but her killer would see Elizabeth Short alive. Now, by 1947, people in Los Angeles had become pretty accustomed to seeing reports of violence in the press.

Yeah. Ann Toth may have never heard from her friend again, but Elizabeth did return to Los Angeles on January 9th. That evening, she was seen leaving the Olive Street entrance of the Biltmore Hotel. And this would be the last time anyone but her killer would see Elizabeth Short alive. Now, by 1947, people in Los Angeles had become pretty accustomed to seeing reports of violence in the press.

But the story of Elizabeth Short's murder was truly unlike anything anybody had ever seen. The news of the discovery hit the papers that very afternoon and set off a media frenzy. And it's really due to what police historian Glynn Martin called, quote, the brutal, misogynistic and ritual nature that the murder contained. I mean, yeah. Now, again, it's true. She hadn't just been murdered.

But the story of Elizabeth Short's murder was truly unlike anything anybody had ever seen. The news of the discovery hit the papers that very afternoon and set off a media frenzy. And it's really due to what police historian Glynn Martin called, quote, the brutal, misogynistic and ritual nature that the murder contained. I mean, yeah. Now, again, it's true. She hadn't just been murdered.

She'd been mangled. She had been mutilated. I mean, she had been posed. She had been humiliated by being left naked and exposed like that. There was clear evidence of what a Los Angeles Times reporter called, quote, an orgy of torture.

She'd been mangled. She had been mutilated. I mean, she had been posed. She had been humiliated by being left naked and exposed like that. There was clear evidence of what a Los Angeles Times reporter called, quote, an orgy of torture.

That is honestly, as kind of like crass as that sounds, it is exactly what it seems to have happened here.

That is honestly, as kind of like crass as that sounds, it is exactly what it seems to have happened here.

But again... Probably a better way to say it. Pretty crass. Adding to the sensationalism, the members of the press were quick to emphasize the sexual undertones of the crime, labeling the killer as, quote, a sex maniac and a sex fiend, which... I guess you can somewhat understand because she was found... Because why are you focusing on only that?

But again... Probably a better way to say it. Pretty crass. Adding to the sensationalism, the members of the press were quick to emphasize the sexual undertones of the crime, labeling the killer as, quote, a sex maniac and a sex fiend, which... I guess you can somewhat understand because she was found... Because why are you focusing on only that?

I can understand that they're saying there's a very big sexual aspect of this crime, a very sadistic sexual aspect of this crime. But not hyper-focusing on it. But, like, my friends, she was also drained of blood, bisected, and given a Glasgow smile.

I can understand that they're saying there's a very big sexual aspect of this crime, a very sadistic sexual aspect of this crime. But not hyper-focusing on it. But, like, my friends, she was also drained of blood, bisected, and given a Glasgow smile.

I don't think we should focus on one aspect of this. Yeah, we should focus on all of it. But as was common at the time, journalists and law enforcement were kind of like intertwined in each other's work.

I don't think we should focus on one aspect of this. Yeah, we should focus on all of it. But as was common at the time, journalists and law enforcement were kind of like intertwined in each other's work.