The First Suspects - The Black Dahlia Files
Once Upon A Crime
Esther Ludlow
4.6 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 18 November 2025
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this bonus episode, Esther takes listeners back to the earliest days of the Black Dahlia investigation — before the world even knew the victim’s name.
Detectives faced a gruesome and mystifying crime scene in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood. Who was the young woman whose body had been staged so deliberately? And who could have committed such a shocking crime?
Using witness statements, police reports, and historical accounts, Esther reveals how investigators built their first list of suspects — and how each was eventually ruled out.
From Elizabeth Short’s friends and lovers to shady landlords and reluctant witnesses, these early leads laid the groundwork for a case that would haunt Los Angeles for decades.
🎧 Next Time on Broken
In the next episode, we’ll examine the shocking details of the crime scene and autopsy — how Elizabeth Short was killed, the forensic evidence left behind, and what it tells us about her murderer.
We’ll also start piecing together theories about motive — and why her killer may have wanted her body to be found.
Make sure you’re subscribed and that your app is set to automatically download new episodes so you don’t miss what’s next in Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder.
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
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, true crime fans, want to travel with us? |
| 0:05.0 | Tickets are officially on sale for our very first trip, and it's to Mexico City, and we want you to join us. |
| 0:13.0 | We'll spend four unforgettable days in Mexico City from March 27th to 30th, 2026. |
| 0:19.0 | You'll experience the real CDMX, with local guides to sit mescal, |
| 0:23.8 | eat tacos like locals, and explore one of the world's most vibrant cities, safely and |
| 0:28.9 | stress-free. It will be a trip you'll be talking about for years to come, and one you'll experience |
| 0:34.5 | with me, Lorena, and a killer crew of podcast fans just like you. |
| 0:39.2 | Your spot includes meals, activities, and expert guides, all for $1951. |
| 0:45.4 | Flight's not included, but everything else? Handled. |
| 0:48.7 | We've got just 8 to 20 spots, so don't wait. Book now and let's make memories in Mexico together. Click the link in the show notes to reserve your spot today. |
| 1:01.0 | This podcast details true crime cases. It contains adult themes and may contain descriptions of violence. It is not |
| 1:12.6 | intended for children. Listener discretion is advised. |
| 1:24.1 | Thank you for joining me for this bonus episode of Once Upon a Crime. |
| 1:28.9 | The Black Dahlia First Suspects. |
| 1:32.2 | Before we dive in, let's take a moment to catch up on where we've been. |
| 1:37.3 | Over the last four episodes, we've followed the story of Elizabeth Short, |
| 1:41.5 | a young woman chasing dreams in post-war Los Angeles. |
| 1:45.0 | We've traced her journey from Medford, Massachusetts to California, her struggles to find work, |
| 1:51.0 | and her complicated relationships with men who promised love, adventure, or opportunity, |
| 1:56.0 | and often delivered heartbreak instead. |
| 1:59.0 | We've seen how Elizabeth's final months were marked by instability, loneliness, and constant |
| 2:05.5 | movement, from cheap hotels to borrowed couches, as she tries to build a life in a city that could |
... |
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