S20 Ep129: Sisters In Death: The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress, and Their Hunter w/Eli Frankel
Darkness Radio
Darkness Radio
4.8 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 28 October 2025
⏱️ 138 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker, an award-winning producer, true-crime researcher, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest - and most gruesome - murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary.
In January 1947, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD—all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.
Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma.
One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.
On Today's TCT, Eli Frankel joins us to talk about why he believes he has found the definitive killer in the Black Dahlia case after five grueling years of research. Eli also makes his case and draws the parallels between the two girls, not just in the similar ways they were killed, but in the one person they had in common that they both knew! and another interesting theory comes up during the show as to why the Black Dahlia Case stalled out and went cold!
PLUS AN ALL-NEW DUMB CRIMES/STUPID CRIMINALS W/JESSICA FREEBURG!
See the video of an Iguana who ends up on the wrong side of the law and gets arrested by police: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/10/10/hes-a-big-boy-massive-iguana-arrested-in-daytona-beach/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
Get your copy of "Sisters In Death..." here: https://bit.ly/3JyngF4
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and check out Jess on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicafreeburgwrites
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome into the best in True Crime Podcasting. |
| 0:25.1 | This is True Crime Tuesday. |
| 0:26.2 | I'm your host, Tim Dennis. |
| 0:27.1 | Got a great show in store for you today, folks. |
| 0:29.8 | Jessica Freeberg's on the way with dumb crime, stupid criminals, and just a bit. |
| 0:33.4 | But first, you know, we started out this program many, many years ago. |
| 0:37.5 | In fact, I want to say, gosh, it's been almost 14 years now, a true crime Tuesday, talking about the Black Dahlia. We're going to talk about the Black Dahlia today with a great author who's put together a very interesting slant on the Black Dahlia. In fact, I think he's got this whole thing figured out. I will go out on that branch, out in that limb, and tell you, I think our guest today, Eli |
| 0:58.9 | Frankel, has this whole thing figured out. |
| 1:01.8 | Brilliantly, as a matter of fact, with his new book, we'll tell you about that book here |
| 1:05.6 | in just a moment. |
| 1:06.8 | Eli Frankl has served as a television and documentary production company owner, |
| 1:11.3 | Emmy nominated executive producer, network executive showrunner, editor, |
| 1:16.0 | camera operator, writer, and director of multiple series for broadcast television, cable television, |
| 1:20.7 | and streaming networks. |
| 1:22.2 | His credits include MGM Epic's definitive Charles Manson documentary series, |
| 1:30.5 | Heltter Skelter, Netflix Emmy-nominated Skin Decision, Revenge Body with Chloe Kardashian, American Chopper, Survivor, Amazing Race, and |
| 1:36.8 | many other series. |
| 1:37.6 | I have no idea what he's doing here, but I'm honored to have him here. |
| 1:41.3 | A graduate of the University of Southern California's Distinguished School of Cinema Television Film Production Program. |
| 1:47.5 | He wrote, directed, and co-produced the Future Film 21, or Feature Film 21. |
| 1:52.4 | It's a Future Film as well, which was selected for the independent feature film market, |
| 1:57.3 | the New York Film Festival, and won Best Picture Award at the Rhode Island International |
... |
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