From Wondery

November 22nd, 1951

When you're gonna catch the Black Dahlia Killer?

Detective Lieutenant Harry Hanson hears this question, frequently garnished with overtones of sarcasm at least once a day.

It is asked by people who know nothing about murder.

Harry Hansen knows a great deal about murder.

He's been working on murders for the Los Angeles Police Department since 1936.

He's an expert.

Take the Black Dahlia, for instance. The body of Elizabeth Short was found

January 15, 1947, and the weeds just off the sidewalk on South Norton Avenue between 30th and

Coliseum Streets. Later, her address book and other papers were sent to police.

Lieutenant Hanson may not catch the killer, but it won't be for want of trying. In fact,

because of the number of false leads, they have done more work on this one than any other

murder in local history. The astonishing total of 33 persons have confessed to

killing Elizabeth Short, two of them twice. This complicates things because

the officers have to prove these people didn't do it while trying to find the

person who did. Obviously a fertile field for developing split personalities.

When the case first broke, homicide officers started a simple file on it as they do for every other case.

But as the months went by, the file grew so big that Hansen, Lieutenant Finnis Brown, and Captain John Lorman, now head of the division,

set up an elaborate cross-index system that gives immediate access to the hundreds of letters

and thousands of cards pertaining to the case. They fill to the bursting point a five-foot steel

cabinet. Reaching at random into the file, Hans a five-foot steel cabinet.

...