Detectives in Los Angeles are now looking into fingerprints from 1943 that might be connected to the infamous Black Dahlia case, where actress Elizabeth Short was found dismembered in 1947. Her remains, discovered almost 80 years ago, were shockingly posed in a vacant lot, leading the person who found her to first mistake her for a mannequin. The gruesome details indicate she was cut in half and scrubbed clean.
“This is probably one of the most difficult cases, realistically, because of the amount of time that has elapsed,” remarked Detective Marty Mogiaro, who now leads the investigation.
Recently, forensic expert Alex Barber claimed to have found evidence tying Short’s former boyfriend, Marvin Margolis, to her death, as well as potentially linking him to the Zodiac Killer, another infamous case in California. Yet, Mogiaro emphasizes that these claims need careful examination. Barber noted he discovered a fingerprint card from 1943 related to Margolis that had previously eluded police.
“As an investigator, I would never say no if it could potentially help,” Mogiaro added when discussing this new lead.
Margolis had served in the Navy during World War II and had a roommate, Bill Robinson, who worked as a cryptologist. Both lived in Los Angeles around the time Short was killed, and Margolis was among the original suspects identified in 1951. After changing his name multiple times, he eventually settled in the Midwest.
The LAPD, however, has not publicly detailed other evidence that may be within its records. Barber’s research indicates that Margolis changed his name after being implicated in the murder.
Barber also mentioned a letter linked to Short’s killer, but past fingerprint analyses on various items sent to the Los Angeles Herald Express did not match those in the FBI’s database. Notably, those items included personal belongings of Short that would have been in her bag the night she disappeared.
Ultimately, Mogiaro reflected on the challenges faced by investigators due to the lack of living witnesses. “All the physical evidence collected so far, that’s all there is,” he said, highlighting the ongoing struggle to solve such a historic and complex case.
