Porn star John Holmes ‘took a lot of secrets to his grave’: author

Forty-three years after the Wonderland murders in California, an author believes adult film star John Holmes knew the truth.

“The short answer is yes. He took a lot of secrets to the grave,” crime writer Michael Connelly told FOX News Digital.

“He was very involved…and this was about a drug rip-off case,” Connelly said. “But I don't think he was the only one involved, or that he was the only one who knew. [what happened] — That's unbelievable. I think he knew a lot and left that behind. ”

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A still-unsolved 1981 case is the subject of MGM+'s new true-crime documentary series, “The Wonderland Murders and the Secret History of Hollywood.” It is based on Connelly's Audible podcast of the same name.

The program features new interviews with key survivors of the case, including former detectives, prosecutors and undercover investigators. It also includes a final interview with Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover and a prominent figure in the trial.

Mr. Thorson died on August 16 in Los Angeles. He was 65 years old.

Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover, said in a documentary series shortly before his death: (MGM+)

“Movies, other documentaries and books have also come out… [but] I don't think anything has ever fully explained it,” Connelly said. We present some interesting portraits by relentless detectives who, in most cases, have never actually told their stories. …And I think we delved deeper into who our main villain, Eddie Nash, is than anyone has ever done before.

The Wonderland Massacre is being investigated in a new true crime documentary series. (MGM+)

“This is a very complex case…and I think this is a new way of looking at it.”

On July 1, 1981, the bodies of Ron Launias, William “Billy” Deverell, Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson were discovered inside a Laurel Canyon home on Wonderland Avenue.

Police believe the victims were beaten with hammers and metal pipes. The Los Angeles Police Department compared the murders to the Tate-LaBianca murders committed by the Manson family exactly 12 years earlier.

Here you can see Michael Connelly interviewing Scott Thorson. (MGM+)

Launias' wife, Susan Launias, was the only survivor of the attack. According to the US Sun, her screams could be heard by movers working on the house next door. they called the police.

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According to the Los Angeles Police Department at the time, the murders appeared to be similar to those committed by the Manson family. (Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)

Susan suffered severe head injuries. Part of her skull was removed in emergency surgery. She later testified that she only remembered seeing “a shadowy figure.”

A palm print was found at the crime scene. It belonged to Holmes.

The original detectives on the case testified in a documentary series. (MGM+)

Executive producer Allison Ellwood told Fox News Digital that before the murders, Laurel Canyon was best known as a haven for musicians in the '60s and '70s. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Mama Cass, and James Taylor are among those who once called this home.

The house where a gruesome murder took place. (Kevin P. Casey/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“This story overturns the negative image of what was once an idyllic place with beautiful music,” Elwood said. “It had become a den of drug thieves. The atmosphere was completely different. And L.A. had changed.”

When the murders occurred, Holmes was crowned the “King” of adult films. By the early 1980s, he had appeared in more than 1,000 films, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. He is rumored to have slept with more than 14,000 women during his 20-year career and was paid $1,000 per scene.

Bobby Egger, former Los Angeles Police Department narcotics detective (MGM+)

After Holmes achieved fame and fortune, everything came crashing down when he developed a serious addiction to cocaine.

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John Holmes in Los Angeles, circa 1975 (Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images)

“What was wrong with John Holmes? Drugs and his addiction,” Connelly said. “A big part of this project is its social history. It's a personal story about how drugs destroy people.

“Look at Holmes…but it also shows the changes that took place in the late 70s and 80s, when…an inspirational, mind-opening drug…evolved into a drug purposely created for addicts… It's also about dramatic changes, and this documentary tells that history.

Mac McClain, former Los Angeles Police Department detective (MGM+)

“But the other thing that was happening was how the pharmaceutical business evolved and changed,” Connelly said. “Very similar to this crime, it was a very brutal, very bloody job.”

John Holmes developed a serious drug addiction. (Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images)

According to the US Sun, the Ohio-born actor began freebasing homemade crack cocaine, which left him incapacitated and unable to work. He soon turned to petty crime to overcome his addiction.

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Tom Lang, former Los Angeles Police Department detective. (MGM+)

According to the documentary, Holmes became involved with the Wonderland Gang, a group of drug dealers known as one of the most feared cocaine traffickers in Los Angeles. Launius, Deverell and Miller were members. Richardson was dating gang member David Lind.

The story involves Eddie Nash, a former actor turned nightclub owner and drug dealer.

Two days before the murder, his home was robbed and his bodyguard was shot dead. He ordered his colleagues to question Holmes about the theft, Variety reported. Trial testimony revealed that four men entered Nash's home through a sliding door that Holmes allegedly left open.

Around 1981, Eddie Nash was arrested in a raid. At the time, federal agents reportedly captured 2 pounds of cocaine. (Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

According to the paper, Thorson testified that he was at Nash's house to buy drugs when he witnessed Holmes being beaten and threatened while tied to a chair. He claimed that Holmes, fearing for his life, revealed the identity of the thieves. The paper noted that Launias, Deverell and Miller took part in the robbery.

Liberace (right) and Scott Thorson (left) have been together for six years. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection, Getty Images)

Although Mr. Thorson's claims have been questioned over the years, Mr. Elwood said he believes Mr. Thorson.

“His stories are sometimes very outlandish,” she admitted. “It's hard to imagine if that's true or if he's exaggerating. …But it's hard to imagine Michael working seriously with him to figure out the details and corroborate things with detectives and prosecutors. I see. And his story is true. Michael tried to poke a lot of holes, but he never really found anything. ”

Val Kilmer played John Holmes in 2003's Wonderland. (Shutterstock)

“It's hard to believe everything,” Connelly said. “But we always found corroboration of that. … We found the detective who took him into witness protection. So we did our best to confirm his story. Because some of the stories go too far.”

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Scott Thorson struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life. (Rick Mayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

In court, Thorson accused Nash of orchestrating the murder in retaliation, the newspaper reported. However, Nash's trial ended in a hung jury. He was never convicted.

Holmes was tried for the Wonderland murders and was acquitted. He and his wife divorced in 1984. A year later, he tested positive for AIDS.

On his deathbed, Holmes refused to provide detectives with further details about the murders, according to multiple reports. He died in 1988 at the age of 43.

This 1982 photo shows John Holmes after his release from Los Angeles County Jail. (Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

After Sharon's death, Holmes confessed in 1981 that he had played a key role in the murder, the Los Angeles Times reported. Holmes claimed that he took several people to his home, beat five of them inside, and stood by as blood splattered on them. Investigators suspected Holmes was acting on Nash's orders.

Holmes never told his wife the name of his attacker and never publicly explained what happened. He was also adamant about never hurting anyone.

Nash passed away in 2014. He passed away at the age of 85.

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John Holmes was charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He was acquitted of all criminal charges. (Getty Images)

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”[Holmes] “Drugs made me a victim,” Connelly said. “Drug addiction…drives people to commit horrific acts….Was John Holmes a cold-blooded murderer? The jury said no. “There are different levels of guilt. It's all up to the viewer.”