Countless unsolved crimes have left Californians scratching their heads over the years. Here are four of the biggest.
Content warning: This article contains some graphic descriptions of murder.
Some of the country’s most notorious true crime cases have taken place over the 163,696 square miles of California’s landscape. From the Manson Family Murders in Los Angeles to the Zodiac Killer in San Francisco, these crimes have become ingrained in American history. They’ve sparked countless debates and been studied in innumerable documentaries, books, and podcasts. Each one provides a glimpse into the human psyche and serves as a chilling reminder of what people are capable of when driven to extremes. They are both lesson and warning—an intricate tapestry of myth and reality that can become difficult to sort through over time.
It’s impossible to know exactly why serial killers were once so active in The Golden State, or why the specific atrocities that have happened here seem to loom largest in people’s minds. Perhaps the latter is because of the media attention these crimes drummed up, or it may be because California is so often the place where people go to pursue the American Dream, and we, as a community, struggle to accept that this pursuit can result in tragedy instead of success. Whatever the reason may be, a deep-rooted fascination persists and permeates.
This is doubly so for the murders that remain unsolved. Thousands of cold cases exist in the state, many of which we will never find the answers to. Four of these in particular have left Californians confused for decades. The Zodiac Killer is undoubtedly at the top of this list, but the case is so complex that it would warrant its own article, so for now, we’re going to take a closer look at what happened to Georgette Bauerdorf, Elizabeth Short, and Dorothy Jane Scott, and ponder the Keddie Murders.
By telling these stories, we’re contributing to the myth that surrounds these senseless acts of violence, but we’re also shedding light on questions that still need answers. In the absence of clarity and justice, this spotlight is all that remains.
1. The murder of Georgette Bauerdorf
Georgette Bauerdorf was 20 years old when she was murdered in her West Hollywood home on October 12, 1944. She was an oil heiress and socialite who dreamed of becoming an actress. Georgette moved into her apartment at El Palacio, located at 8493 Fountain Avenue, just a few months prior to her death. She worked at the Hollywood Canteen and had recently purchased a plane ticket to visit her boyfriend, Pvt. Jerome M. Brown, in El Paso, Texas.
Her body was discovered by staff from the apartment complex around 11 a.m., and a police investigation began immediately. Responding officers believed a man had either been waiting for Georgette inside her home and attacked her when she returned from work and an evening spent dancing at the Palladium, or knocked on the door and entered shortly before she intended to go to bed.
Numerous suspects were looked into, including several soldiers Georgette had met and danced with at the Hollywood Canteen. But ultimately, no one was ever charged in relation to her murder. A more detailed account of her case can be found here.
2. Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia Murder
The Black Dahlia Murder was one of my first introductions to true crime, as it was with many other people. The brutal slaying of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short took place around Jan. 15, 1947. She was found in Leimert Park in Los Angeles—her body had been severed in half and badly mutilated, and her face was carved from her mouth to her ears in a “Glasgow smile.” Elizabeth was last seen alive on Jan. 9 at the Biltmore Hotel, where she visited with one of her sisters after Elizabeth returned home from a trip to San Diego with her then-boyfriend, 25-year-old Robert “Red” Manley.
Elizabeth was briefly seen again at the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge that same evening before seemingly disappearing. Once her body was discovered and brought to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, an autopsy was performed, and she was formally identified on Jan. 16. Over 150 suspects were investigated, including notable physician George Hodel. Some people confessed to her murder or confessed to witnessing a family member commit the crime, but none of these have ever been conclusively proven.
Internet sleuths on Reddit and beyond have speculated as to who carried out this vicious attack and why. But as time continues to pass, it becomes more likely that this will always be one of California’s biggest mysteries.
3. The Keddie Murders
Another haunting act of violence marring the Golden State’s history is the Keddie Murders, which took place in April 1981. Glenna Susan “Sue” Sharp, John Steven Sharp, and Dana Hall Wingate were slain in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort on the night of April 11. Sue’s daughter, Tina Louise Sharp, had gone missing that same evening. Her body was eventually discovered in April 1984 near Feather Falls.
The quadruple murder was especially confusing given that two of Sue’s sons, Greg Sharp and Rick Sharp, along with a friend of theirs, Justin Smartt, were also in Cabin 28 at the time but were completely unharmed. The former Plumas County Sheriff said, “This thing was planned to a certain degree,” but it never became clear who planned it or why. Suspects were questioned and investigated, including the Sharps’ neighbor, Martin Smartt (Justin’s stepfather), and a friend of Martin’s named John “Bo” Boubede.
Neither man was ever officially charged, and both have since died. New developments were made in 2018 when DNA recovered from the crime scene matched a living suspect who was already known to police. But as of writing, the case remains unsolved.
4. The disappearance and murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
In May 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott was a 32-year-old single mother who was living in Anaheim when she disappeared following a strange sequence of events. On the night of May 28, Dorothy and her coworkers were attending an employee meeting when one of her colleagues, Conrad Bostron, became ill. Dorothy and Pam Head, another coworker, decided to take Conrad to the UC Irvine Medical Center for examination. Once there, the medical staff determined that he had been bitten by a black widow spider and administered treatment.
After Conrad was cleared for release, Dorothy, who had driven the trio to the hospital, went alone to the parking lot to retrieve her car. Pam and Conrad waited outside and noted that Dorothy’s car approached them and then sped past erratically without stopping. Neither of them could see who was behind the wheel as the vehicle’s headlights temporarily blinded them upon passing. They waited for her to return before eventually making their way home. They reported Dorothy missing after a few hours had passed without hearing from her.
In June, the Orange County Register received a call from someone who claimed to have killed Dorothy. Over the next four years, Dorothy’s mother received similarly harassing calls, none of which could be traced. Then, in August 1984, human remains were found near Santa Ana Canyon Road. It was later determined that these partial remains belonged to Dorothy.
A cause of death was never determined, and suspects have never been formally identified, though Dorothy had reportedly been stalked by an unknown man for several months before her disappearance. To learn more about her case, click here.
