Susan Launius, who lay wounded with severe head injuries for hours before being discovered in the house by neighbors last July 1, testified during Holmes' preliminary hearing that she could. (John) was so much of a liar . By light, four people - Ron Launius, his accomplice Billy DeVerell, Billy's girlfriend Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson - lay dead in the house. Though many questions about Shorts final weeks in Los Angeles have been answered, the circumstances of her demise and the post-mortem mutilation of her corpse are yet unknown. Select boxes below to reduce the number of results. She was the only survivor of the Wonderland murders, although she suffered severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger following the attack. And what fiendish sadist could have inflicted such pain prior to her death, and then carefully exsanguinated the corpse, washed her thoroughly, and carved her in two? This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. She liked to go to concerts and enjoyed many types of music. It fell to neighborhood housewife Betty Bersinger, walking with her three-year-old this January morning, to make the gruesome discovery. That year, however, Launius was convicted of smuggling heroin and cocaine across the US/Mexico border and eventually served three years of an eight-year sentence in a federal prison. Special thanks to Hospice of Southern IL for their care and compassion. . Her husband, Ron, 37, of the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, was one of the victims. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Visitation: 4 8pm Thursday August 14, 2014 at Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home, Belleville IL, and 9 10am Friday August 15, 2014 at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville IL. The LAPD estimates that over the years theyve received. Interment will follow in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville IL. Ill never forget that as long as I live, she said. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William E. Launius Sr. (Belleville, Illinois), who passed away on March 14, 2021, at the age of 77, leaving to mourn family and friends. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. With St. Clair County COVID mandate in place, guests will be required to wear masks and the maximum number of 50 guests will allow for proper social distancing. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern IL, PanCan.org, or First United Presbyterian Church Building Fund. For a time, John Holmes was silent. And the character that caused all this trauma? He is not dating anyone. Funeral, time pending, Friday at First Presbyterian Church, Belleville. Early in the morning of the robbery, Holmes visited Nash's mansion ostensibly to party and to buy drugs, but on his way out, left the patio door to the kitchen unlatched. Joy Audrey Miller, 46, who rented the house, had a record of six arrests -- three for peddling dope -- and had been under surveillance since Jan. 7, 1980, by narcotics officers who saw her selling drugs in front of the house at least eight times, affidavits said. Sign the Guest Book. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. (Image Credit: Wikimedia). Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. The final victim was Barbara Richardson, 22, Sacramento, Calif. Court records revealed that a codefendant in Miss Miller's narcotics case was John 'Ricco' Vlick, 53, who lives in a wood-shingled house only two blocks from the scene of the killings. Though she presented herself as an aspiring actress, no evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim. Then, reeling from the shock of seeing a nude and clearly tortured, bisected body, Betty covered her daughters eyes and ran to the nearest neighbors home to phone the police. Visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. David Clay Lind was a biker, heroin addict, and member of the Aryan Brotherhood who befriended Launius when the two men served time in prison together. is robert peston married to charlotte edwardes. 1969: The Manson Family Killing Spree; Night 2 Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. How did Shorts body end up in this strange residential environment, seven miles and seven days away from. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. 'We'll probably find a real motive,' he said. . Court records and pllice statements indicated two of the four victims were under prosecution for dealing in cocaine, heroin and Quaaludes. Though she presented herself as an aspiring actress, no evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim. They enjoyed a 56 year union until Mr. Launius passed away on January 29, 2003. Biography Susan A. Murphy married Ron Launius in Carson City, Nevada on 16 April 1971, and the two of them were heavy drug users. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Burial in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, Ill Read More, SUSAN LAUNIUS Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. (73 years old). Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Launius was married in November 1954 to the love of his life, Cecelia Irene Rutkoski from Marlin, TX. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. did in 1932, peering over the edge at the expanse of Los Angeles as you prepare to leap to your undying infamy. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. A survivor, Susan Launius, 25 at the time, suffered brain damage and has been unable to identify her assailants. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. The Dignity Memorial online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Police sources said Vlick, who is charged with plssessing drugs and stolen property, is a 'fringe guy' in organized crime circles. Holmes told his wife that he rode with three armed men to the address on Wonderland Avenue. Funeral, time pending, Friday at First Presbyterian. Let others know about your loved one's death. (Image Credits: [left] The Sun UK; [right] IMDB). Or you could climb the literal heights of the Hollywood sign, as Peg Entwistle did in 1932, peering over the edge at the expanse of Los Angeles as you prepare to leap to your undying infamy. . One was abruptly interrupted on the morning of July 1, 1981, when a shaken John Holmes crawled into their Glendale bedroom, bleeding, and told his wife that he had been in an accident. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. When one of Nashs bodyguards spotted Holmes wearing a ring that had been purloined that night, the whole thing fell apart. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. . Search by Name. The 43-year-old actor died as a result of complications arising from his infection with the AIDS virus. Susan was a lifelong member 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. In their comfortable Los Feliz dwelling, constructed in 1922 and situated near the crest of a hill, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca relaxed uneasily at the end of their Saturday. For example, we know that Short lied to her family back East about her career ambitions. March 17, 1926 - October 31, 2020. He went out of his life denying, said Sharon Holmes, (saying) I had no involvement., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. Confoundingly, after all these years we still havent been able to close the book on this investigation. And following that, why was she transported there, posed like a cheesecake model, with a ghoulish smile cut into her cheeks, and left to be discovered, causing revulsion and terror? And with overnight lows in the 40s, theres no chance of slipping on treacherous, ice-slick streets. . According to our Database, He has no children. In 2001, he reportedly had been wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department for "assault with a deadly weapon and failure to comply on the original charge of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance". He has had a long career as a journalist and communications specialist with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She would survive her wounds. LAUNIUS, JUNE E. Flushing Age 90 of Flushing, died Thursday, June 21, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. She is survived by : her parents, Clyde Crandall and Fern Crandall. And yet. He was one of 5 children born during the depression and times were hard. The neighborhood: Laurel Canyon. In the summer of 1981, Sharon Holmes said, she and John Holmes were living together as the managers of a small Glendale apartment complex. of Cabot, AR. Holmes was quickly spirited away to Nashs house and beaten until he revealed all his secrets. He enjoyed fishing in his quiet time. . She was found covered in blood on the floor next to the bed that held her dead husband's body, her skull bashed in but, miraculously, still alive. If the LaBiancas were spooked by the grisly events of the previous night, they werent concerned enough to lock their back door. Neighbors knew the place had more than a bad rep it had bad juju. At the same time, two-bit hustler and self-styled guru Charlie Manson and his gang were cruising the city in their 59 Ford Galaxie looking for another likely target in their LSD-drenched plan for world domination, nicknamed Healter (sic) Skelter. He had been critical of the amateurishness of the night before, and he wanted to offer his death squad an opportunity to regain his approval. Detectives said they had talked to Susan Murphy Launius, 29, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where she is in critical condition with gashes in her head and neck. Later she worked with her husband at Launius Marketing. After all, there are reasons the mythical Boulevard of Broken Dreams is said to slice through the heart of Hollywood. Accounts vary as to how and why Holmes arrived there; according to some sources, Holmes went there himself to try to make himself appear innocent, whereas others claim Holmes was kidnapped by Nash's henchmen when they recognized him walking around wearing some of Nash's jewelry. On July 1, 1981, around 3 am, the occupants would come under attack. But Sharon Holmes and Jeanna Sellers insist that it is true. Send Flowers. In a recent interview with The Times, Sharon Holmes, who divorced the late actor in 1984, described for the first time the story her husband told her less than three weeks after the July 1 killings. Short seems to have been a drifter. So Holmes summoned his wife into the bathroom, drew steaming water into the tub, slipped in, and began to talk. Scott Thorson, who was buying drugs at Nash's home, wrote in his memoir My Life with Liberace (1988) that Nash had ordered Diles to bring Holmes to Nash's house, which Diles did after finding Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. During Holmes murder trial in 1982, then Deputy Dist. The fourth victim, Billy DeVerell as he died on the floor of the 3rd floor bedroom. No one but Holmes has ever been charged in the murder case. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Mrs. Launius moved to Bloomfield, Missouri, where she met the love of her life, Kent A. Launius. David Lind, ordinarily a resident of the Sacramento area, came to Los Angeles in the summer of 1981 at Launius' behest, to aid in their growing drug-distribution business. Prosecutors charge that Nash, then a wealthy nightclub owner, ordered the murders . The scene: A tract of land being developed into new homes to accommodate young working-class families in postwar L.A. By the time of the Wonderland murders, Lind had been incarcerated several times for armed burglary, forgery, assault, and assault with the intent to commit rape. We have estimated Roland Edward Launius was born on March 17, 1926 in Bauxite, AR (although the family home of John R. and Ora Ophelia Launius was in El Dorado). So, Nash became the target of a harebrained idea. The news coverage of the brutal Benedict Canyon murders was disturbing to them, and Rosemary had retired to their bedroom while her husband stayed up reading the paper. A visitor to the house, Susan Launius, couldnt have known what the neighbors thought, though it was where her husband Ronald spent most of his time. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Nash was separately convicted of cocaine possession and served about two years in state prison. 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