Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder - Part Four: The Black Dahlia’s Lost Week
Once Upon A Crime
Esther Ludlow
4.6 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2025
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this fourth installment of Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder, we trace Elizabeth Short’s final, mysterious days — the missing week between her last confirmed sightings in early January 1947 and the shocking discovery of her body on January 15th.
This episode follows “The Lost Week” through the eyes of those who crossed her path, beginning with Robert “Red” Manley, the married salesman who would become the first and most infamous suspect in the case. Listeners will hear how Manley’s brief encounter with Elizabeth turned his life into a nightmare — from his interrogation by the LAPD to his tragic decline under the weight of suspicion and mental illness.
We’ll also explore the early stages of the investigation: the first crime scene discoveries, the detectives who took charge, and the swarm of reporters who would turn the story into a national obsession.
Finally, we close with a look ahead — teasing the next chapter in this haunting story, where the list of suspects grows and the myths begin to take root.
About This Series
BROKEN: The Black Dahlia Murder is a six-part Once Upon a Crime original series.
Through extensive research, historical records, and firsthand accounts, Esther Ludlow uncovers the truth behind America’s most infamous unsolved murder, separating fact from fiction to rediscover the real woman behind the myth.
📚 Sources
Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by John Gilmore
The Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood by William J. Mann (upcoming)
Contemporary newspaper archives, LAPD records, and witness interviews
Featured Guest: William J. Mann
In this episode of Once Upon a Crime, we’re joined by William J. Mann, acclaimed author and historian, whose work brings the glamour and the darkness of old Hollywood vividly to life. You’ll hear clips from my interview with him as we discuss his latest book, Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood — a gripping new take on one of America’s most infamous unsolved murders.
Pre-order the book here: Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood
To explore more of William J. Mann’s fascinating work — including his previous bestsellers and a calendar of upcoming appearances — visit his author page on Simon & Schuster.
🎧 Next Time on Broken
In a bonus episode, we’ll examine the full suspect list—from wartime lovers to Hollywood hangers-on—and the man who drew the most intense scrutiny of all: Mark Hansen.
Who were they? What secrets did they hide? And which of them came closest to the truth?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast details true crime cases. It contains adult themes and may contain descriptions of violence. |
| 0:07.1 | It is not intended for children. Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:15.8 | It was just after 10 o'clock in the morning of January 15, 1947, when a young mother named |
| 0:23.2 | Betty Bersinger bundled her toddler into a stroller and set out for a walk. |
| 0:29.3 | The air in Los Angeles that morning was cold and dry, the kind that makes sound carry, a dog |
| 0:35.3 | barking, a car door slamming, the rattle of the stroller wheels |
| 0:39.5 | on the sidewalk. The war had ended barely two years before, and the city was changing fast. |
| 0:48.4 | Construction crews were carving new neighborhoods out of what had once been farmland, |
| 0:53.4 | places like Limerd Park where Betty lived. |
| 0:56.5 | Neat rows of small homes sat beside wide, empty lot still waiting for buyers. |
| 1:02.2 | As she walked along Norton Avenue, something pale in the weeds caught her attention. |
| 1:08.1 | At first, she thought it was a mannequin, the kind used in store windows downtown. |
| 1:12.6 | It looked so white against the brown winter grass, so clean, that for a moment, her mind refused to register which she was seeing. |
| 1:21.6 | She slowed her pace, and then the details sharpened. |
| 1:25.6 | The shape wasn't plastic. |
| 1:28.5 | It was human. |
| 1:30.1 | The figure laid only a few feet from the sidewalk, perfectly still. |
| 1:34.8 | The skin was bloodless, the body naked, and horribly, cut cleanly in two at the waist. |
| 1:42.1 | There was no blood around her, no sign of a struggle. |
| 1:46.0 | For a long second, Betty couldn't move. |
| 1:49.0 | Then instinct took over. |
| 1:51.0 | She grabbed her child, turned the stroller around, and ran. |
... |
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