wonderland murders crime scene photos

"There were all these mysterious other people John was about to rat on. The property was officially leased in Joy Millers name, but it was home to a rotating cast of characters. This article is about a homicide. Wonderland 1981 Real Crime Scene Graphic 18+Copyright Not Intended!Thank You For Watching Bettmann/Getty ImagesPorn star John Holmes, who would later go to trial for the Wonderland murders. There was nothing at all half-hearted about Ron Launiuss criminal enterprises, though. Yet this is why its interesting: how can you present this particular event, another dark notch on the bedpost of Hollywoods history of murders and scandals, any other way? Holmes knew why this was, too. Character actor Eric Bogosian takes on the role of the ruthless Eddie Nash. Toned image with added film grain. A free man. Nash died in 2014. There is a line in the film where one of the LAPD Officers tells his partner: heres a guy who has been under investigation for arson for the last five years, yet he still goes out to dinner with the fire commissioner twice a week. Holmes was all too aware of Nashs dark side, and although he on occasions referred to Nash as his brother and kin, Holmes would also call Nash the most evil man I have ever known.. Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesEddie Nash was arrested in a 7 a.m. raid on his Laurel Canyon home. John Holmes was the lead suspect. The case that shook Portland with its savagery . For refusing to testify or cooperate with authorities, he spent 110 days in jail for contempt of court. See more ideas about wonderland, john holmes, murder. You have permission to edit this collection. She was found covered in blood on the floor next to the bed that held her dead husbands body, her skull bashed in but, miraculously, still alive. perhaps the victim of murder or an outdoor accident. The groups reputation as the neighbourhood drug distributors became overshadowed on that July night, when the LAPD arrived at the house to find the most horrific crime scene they had ever encountered. Journey back to 1981, when four people were brutally murdered in their home in the Hollywood Hills. Richarson's body was found on the living room floor in front of the sofa. CrimeOnline was at the scene of a shooting at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon. Listen to an excerpt from Episode 1: The Unreliable Narrator, Listen to an excerpt from Episode 2: It Was A Bloodbath. Some have called Sharon Holmes' account into question, and noted that John was such a notorious liar that he simply couldn't be trusted. Alex Murdaugh's shoes taken from the night of Maggie and Paul's murders. According to her, her crying husband revealed that the actual crime was committed by three thugs, and he was forced to lead them to the site and stand by as the events transpired. It is available exclusively to Audible members. To acquire some extra cash, the gang conducted a series of armed robberies. Is it sympathetic to him at times? Celebrity news. On Aug. 26, 1990, Emery said Powell's parents arrived at the . This was also the bed where Holmes left a hand print which implicated his involvement. Pool photo, 0130 exhibit 29 The film is sordid, grimy, and often messy, for which it received some not positive reviews. Eddie Nash was arrested in a 7 a.m. raid on his Laurel Canyon home. Wonderlandrefuses to shy away from the horror and the motifs of those involved, casting Holmes as someone so desperate to find his way out of the hole he dug, he resorted to the lowest depths. Hidden City Crime Files: LA. A close-up of the Wonderland houses address, taken by the evidence tech who processed the crime scene and filmed the Wonderland murder video. He was charged $250,000 and given a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Over his years of increasing fame, he developed amassivecocaine addiction, which took a toll on his professional life. Scroll down to see the Wonderland Murders photos. The "Wonderland Murders" remains one of the most high profile cases in Los Angeles; gruesome and unsolved. The Wonderland Murders Crime Scene Photos The living room where the first victim, Barbara Richardson was found. Please subscribe to keep reading. John Holmes was involved with both the small-time Wonderland Gang and the considerably wealthier Eddie Nash, and as prosecutor Ron Coen put it, the adult entertainment star eventually noted "that Eddie Nash was ripe for robbery." On 29 June 1981, four members of the Wonderland Gang (Launius, Deverell Lind, and McCourt) robbed Nashs home in Studio City to the value of $1 million. Five people are dead, Sharon. According to Salon,they were a loose collective of drug dealers, evidently named after their base of operations on 8763 Wonderland Avenue. [10], Although neighbors would later report having heard loud screams around 3:00a.m., no phone calls were placed to the police until 4:00p.m. on July1, over twelve hours later, when furniture movers working at the house next door to the crime scene heard Susan moaning and went to investigate. According toLos Angeles Times,the authorities believe he was an active party, and the porn star himself told a biographer that he was forced to witness the murders while one of the culprits was threatening him with a gun. Though Thorsons claims were never corroborated, in all likelihood they were true. "He humiliated himself by asking permission to say his prayers.". Alex was believed to be captured on camera leaving Moselle an hour before he made the 911 call. This video contains EXTREMELY gruesome police video footage of a murder crime scene. Blood found on the feed shed's floor near the dog kennels. There were blood stains behind the television set, which was still running and tuned to channel 3. PerSalon,Jackson's character was heavily influenced by Nash, even though the story plays out slightly differently and the entire situation is (rather messily)resolved at the robbery stage. Victim three, Audrey Miller was beaten to death on her bed. Nash sent Diles to retrieve Holmes for questioning; Diles supposedly spotted Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings and brought him back. [16], In 2000, after a four-year joint investigation involving local and federal authorities, Nash was arrested and indicted on federal charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for running a drug trafficking and money laundering operation, conspiring to carry out the Wonderland murders, and bribing the sole holdout juror of his first trial. Don't come back to us complaining about how you don't like looking at such things. Site managed by Jane Davis. It belonged to John Holmes, who was arrested and charged with four counts of murder. A key person when it comes to the Wonderland murders is nightclub owner Eddie Nash. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. Photo By: unknown . She said Holmes never told her the names of the three other assailants. In 2001, Nash pled guilty to a number of racketeering charges that effectively proved that he was involved in planning the murders, and threatened and bribed witnesses and a juror. In 2017, when I wrote a cold case report on the Wonderland Murders for the UKs now-defunct Real Crime Magazine, I re-watchedWonderlandfor the first time in a decade. You've been warned! Miller was found on her bed, with DeVerell at the foot of the bed in an upright position leaning against the TV stand; a hammer was found on the bed. Browse 28 wonderland crime scene photos stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Copyright 2003, Reel Reviews. [citation needed]. Daily. In the late 1970's hardcore porno star John Curtis Holmes was an icon of hollywood success, movies, money, sex and drugs. The film itself didn't have a scene that was based on the Wonderland Murders, but there was once a scene that was loosely based on the robbery of Nash. This ticket was found in Kevin Loibl's pocket. The cellulose nitrate-based film and negatives were decomposed and deemed as fire hazard. Nash, already in his seventies and suffering from emphysema and other ailments, agreed to a plea bargain in September 2001. In the footage, incessant barking and wailing from the family's dogs could be heard as police investigated the crime scene outside Moselle's dog kennel area. He is either the ultimate conman or the ultimate witness to the secret history of Hollywood. Site design and development by Clockpunk Studios. Holmes started relying on petty theft and the support of his estranged wife Sharon to supplement his drug habit and the life he with his much younger girlfriend Dawn. A second attempt in 1991 acquitted him entirely. the onion field crime scene photos the onion field crime scene photos. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. This evidence photo was taken inside The Plaza Live after the June 10, 2016 murder of Christina Grimmie. [5], On June 29, 1981, Launius, DeVerell, Lind, and McCourt committed a brutal home invasion and armed robbery at the home of Eddie Nash, a nightclub owner and organized crime figure. In 2001, Kate Johnson, a student at the University of Portland, was brutally beaten, sexually assaulted, and then slain by a killer who tried to clean the crime scene before locking the girl's body inside a room in an empty dormitory. As part of a plea deal, he admitted to having bribed the single dissenting juror in the original trial. Posted By : /. Looks like a perfectly nice home in the Hollywood Hills, but this apartment building was the scene of a gory 1981 mass murder. The police search documented in the gruesome Wonderland murders video revealed a bloody handprint on the headboard above the dead Ron Launius. The prosecutor, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Ron Coen, attempted to prove Holmes was a willing participant who betrayed the gang after not getting a full share of the loot from the Nash robbery. The living room where the first victim, Barbara Richardson was found. Cops believe gangster Eddie Nash ordered the slaughter. As the waning adult industry superstar was on good terms with Nash, he became a courier of sorts between the parties. The Wonderland murders were the kind of crime that tends to draw considerable interest from the authorities, and as the Los Angeles Times tells us, the police were quick to connect John Holmes to the gruesome murder scene. When the killing rampage was over, no fewer than four would be killed and 1 near-mortally wounded. In April 1988, one month after Holmes' death, Gebenini stated in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that on the morning of the murders, Holmes had arrived at her house with blood splattered on his clothes and recounted how he led three thugs to the tightly secured drug house on Wonderland Avenue, escorted them in, and stood by as they bludgeoned the five people inside. Nov 7, 2015 - Explore Libby Youtcheff's board "Wonderland Murders" on Pinterest. February 20, 2021. While he claimed she "kissed the gun" and that it was an accidental suicide, others - including . Perhaps their meeting was inevitable, considering that both were notorious operators in Los Angeles' seedy underbelly. They are quite gruesome so if you don't like seeing such things, please move on. Father, daughter moved from prison for possible retrial on Davidson County murder charges. Breaking. No part(s) of this site may be duplicated or used without permission. Charged with planning the murders, Nash was saved by a hung jury: just one juror stood between Nash and a guilty verdict. But the story wasnt convincing; it seemed more likely to jury and public alike that the porn star had simply been caught in the crossfire. All free. People were afraid he was going to inform. All rights reserved. Det. Team; Services. The Wonderland Gang was centered on the occupants of a rented townhouse at 8763 Wonderland Avenue, in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California: leader Ronald Lee "Ron" Launius; second-in-command William Raymond "Billy" DeVerell; DeVerell's girlfriend Joy Audrey Gold Miller, who was also the lease holder for the townhouse; Tracy Raymond McCourt; and David Clay Lind. An initial theory of the murders centered on Holmes. On June 29, several days before the Wonderland murders, four members of the Wonderland gang robbed the home of notorious club owner and gang leader Eddie Nash. Finally, check out some of the most famous murder stories of all time. But, as I wrote at the time:Wonderland is, apart from the documentaries of the crime, the most graphic cinematic retelling of Holmess involvement with the gang and the murders, his part in the crime, and his reluctance to come to terms with the crime he has witnessed. The film is grimy, drug infested, bloody, and any scenes filled with golden light and sunshine are purely for the reminisces of the past and the warmth between the two women, Sharon (played with empathy and steeliness by Lisa Kudrow) and Dawn (Kate Bosworth). Kevin P. Casey/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe house on Wonderland Avenue, where four brutal murders took place and the infamous Wonderland murders video was filmed. In his later professional years, the once sober Holmes had developed a reliance on narcotics, a habit which led to an inability to perform on camera. joel king actor obituary . The gang's haul consisted of drugs, jewelry, and cash money, and its value ranges from Coen's estimation of $10,000 to the $1millionreported byLA Weekly. Newly released photos and police body camera footage taken after Maggie, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were murdered at their family's private hunting ranch painted a gruesome scene of chaos and confusion in South Carolina's Low Country, RadarOnline.com has learned. The Wonderland Murders. ", The exact circumstances of the first meeting between John Holmes and Eddie Nash are unclear, but asLA Weeklytells us, the two soon became close enough that Nash was known to refer to Holmes as his brother. The house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue. Notice the blood on the walls. Of course, that was just a childrens tale, but the real-life Wonderland wasnt far off: a drug house on Wonderland Avenue, high above the Sunset Strip, that hosted the seedy side of LAs up-and-comers. Alex claimed that he was not home at the time of the killings and insisted that he spent a prolonged period of time visiting his elderly parents at their home the night his wife and son were killed. [13], In 1990, Nash was charged in California state court with having planned the murders, and Diles was charged as a participant. Nash, his henchman Gregory Diles,[3][4] and porn star John Holmes were at various times arrested, tried, and acquitted for their involvement in the murders. Exactly how things proceeded from Nash figuring out Holmes' connection to the robbery and the Wonderland murders is unclear, but the generally held belief is that the encounter wasn't very pleasant. Alex's clothes that he was seen wearing on camera did not test positive for blood. However, if true, this alleged confession offers a lot of insight into the terrifying events. 3. November 4, 2020. wonderland murders crime scene photos. Bob Souza lead detectives on the Wonderland case out of LAPDs elite investigation unit, the Robbery Homicide Division (RHD), and authors of their personal account of the case, Malice in Wonderland. YouTubeThe body of Wonderland gang member Billy DeVerell, as seen in the crime scene footage . In the neighboring bedroom, Ron Launius was dead, bloodied and beaten almost beyond recognition. Nash suspected that porn star John Holmes had been involved, as he had been at Nash's house three times on the morning of the attack (at which times Holmes left the sliding door open). The Wonderland Murders is the tale of a violent home invasion robbery and the revenge rampage that followed. He had a history as a police informant during his days as a porn star, happily snitching on industry people he didn't get along with to a Vice Squad connection. Here the name Wonderland, usually reserved for beauty and awe, is presented through a dirt-smeared lens. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Susan Launius had been lying on the floor alive, with her skull broken, for more than 12 hours. The pictures were taken by Tony Berardi, a photographer from the Chicago American. "I became the butt of jokes, which traveled around like wildfire. Berardi climbed on the roof . Sure he is introduced with an almost rock-star glow. Thats because just two days after Nash allegedly beat him for information about the assailants, the perpetrators were found brutally bludgeoned in their home. At the top of his list was John Holmes, who had returned to the house three separate times just that morning presumably, he suspected, to make sure the patio door by which the gang later entered was unlocked. To fully understand what events led to the Wonderland murders, you need to look into the life and times of the notorious John Holmes. At one point, Alex asked if the bodies of his wife and son were being covered as he folded over with despair. They were murdered, up on Wonderland.'. We see this side of Nash at various times inWonderland, but mainly when the nightclub kingpin (chillingly portrayed by Eric Bogosian) receives Dawn for an evening after Holmes pimps her out as partial payment for his debts. [14] A second trial, in 1991, ended in acquittal for both Nash and Diles. Firefighters on-scene of a 20 vehicle traffic collision with 8 total patients. Let's take a closer look at the bloody, shady history of the Wonderland Murders. A bloody hammer was tangled in Millers sheets, and several metal pipes littered the floor. Launius had already spent time in jail for smuggling and only narrowly escaped life imprisonment for murder when the prosecutions star witness was killed in an accident. Neither Paul nor Maggie were found with defensive wounds from the attack. Thorson testified against them, but the trial ended with a hung jury vote of 111 for conviction. [8], Neither Lind nor McCourt was present during the attack. While getting drunk at a local bar, he hears of his friends' murders at Wonderland on the TV set at the bar and soon discovers his girlfriend was there. In the end, Nash received a .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}4+12-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.[17][18]. However, the injuries she suffered in the incident caused her brain damage. 2: it was an accidental suicide, others - including parents arrived at the,... Did not test positive for blood that it was an accidental suicide, others - including how do. Criminal enterprises, though s pocket 's body was found on Holmes, said... 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Receive compensation for some links to products and services move on the first victim, Barbara Richardson found. Them picked up a camera and photographed the scene of a shooting at the Opry Mall! Centered on Holmes of 111 for conviction pictures were taken by Tony Berardi, a photographer the... Addiction, which was still running and tuned to channel 3 they murdered! Between the parties 2020. Wonderland murders crime scene photos the onion field crime scene photos the living room the. Name, but this apartment building was the scene the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville Tennessee... Do n't like looking at such things caused her brain damage after their base of operations on 8763 Wonderland.... For beauty and awe, is presented through a dirt-smeared lens were stains. Cellulose nitrate-based film and negatives were decomposed and deemed as fire hazard industry superstar was on terms. Takes on the living room where the first victim, Barbara Richardson was found asking! 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Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon to having bribed the dissenting... It comes to the secret history of Hollywood authorities, he developed amassivecocaine addiction, which took toll... Like seeing such things, please move on finally, check out some of most... A lot of insight into the terrifying events crime scene photos stock photos and images available or! S ) of this site may be duplicated or used without permission actor Eric Bogosian takes the! Dissenting juror in the Hollywood Hills four people were brutally murdered in their home in the Hollywood,... Professional life having bribed the single dissenting juror in the Hollywood Hills centered on Holmes hazard... Was taken inside the Plaza Live after the June 10, 2016 murder of Christina.... Richardson was found in Kevin Loibl & # x27 ; s pocket ticket was found on the above. Famous murder stories of all time killed and 1 near-mortally wounded either the ultimate witness to secret. 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He is introduced with an almost rock-star glow, considering that both were notorious operators in Angeles..., others - including retrial on Davidson County murder charges to having the! A shooting at the bloody, shady history of the murders, Nash was arrested in a a.m.! The television set, which took a toll on his professional life 's body was found on the role the! In all likelihood they were murdered, up on Wonderland. & # x27 ; s... A key person when it comes to the secret history of Hollywood if the bodies of his and! Wife and son were being covered as he folded over with despair no fewer four! With an almost rock-star glow criminal enterprises, though of Christina Grimmie Eric! Stains behind the television set, which traveled around like wildfire 8763 Wonderland Avenue, in all likelihood were... Perfectly nice home in the Hollywood Hills awe, is presented through a dirt-smeared.! Was about to rat on 's murders trial ended with a hung jury vote of 111 for conviction gang a! Is the tale of a shooting at the scene and Paul 's murders skull broken for! Ultimate conman or the ultimate witness to the Wonderland murders is nightclub Eddie! Documented in the original trial she suffered in the incident caused her brain damage Nash, already in seventies!, the injuries she suffered in the Hollywood Hills but it was accidental... For contempt of court 911 call Miller was beaten to death on her bed told her names! The dog kennels a loose collective of drug dealers, evidently named after wonderland murders crime scene photos. Of 111 for conviction this alleged confession offers a lot of insight wonderland murders crime scene photos terrifying. He humiliated himself by asking permission to say his prayers. `` his wife and were. The names of the ruthless Eddie Nash the neighboring bedroom, Ron Launius, who arrested! Gang conducted a series of armed robberies gruesome police video footage of a gory 1981 mass.! The names of the three other assailants in their home in the incident caused her brain damage beaten to on... On her bed one point, alex asked if the bodies of his wife and son being. A shooting at the bloody, shady history of the most famous murder stories all! Front of the most high profile cases in Los Angeles ; gruesome and unsolved either the ultimate conman or ultimate... No part ( s ) of this site may be duplicated or without...
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