# Black Dahlia
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [July 7, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769 "2003-07-07T14:20:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jenex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jenex)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/1 "2003-07-07T14:20:05Z")
Not really sure if this is a “Great Debate” or “General Question.” It’s a generally debatable question. Does anyone have any ideas about who killed the Black Dahlia, Elizabeth Short? A friend of mine says she, the Black Dahlia…not my friend, was a hermaphrodite. A picture of the crime scene doesn’t appear to support the hermaphrodite story but I’m still curious. Does anyone know any obscure facts?
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### Author:  [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/2 "2003-07-07T15:48:39Z")
I don’t know who killed the Black Dahlia, but I’ve seen the documentary about her that James Ellroy worked on. It included an extremely graphic photo of the body, and all I’ll say about it is that she was _not_ a hermaphrodite, at least from what could be seen. The documentary also made no mention of that.
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### Author:  [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/3 "2003-07-07T16:31:51Z")
The hermaphrodite story doesn’t seem to hold water. Although I suppose it’s possible the killer ripped out the parts that would be the clue and somehow your friend heard about this… from the KILLER who showed your friend the gruesome pickled trophy!!!
No, seriously, that part is not true. It is true that she was, like so many fallen women of they day, in bad shape health-wise. I’ve always been particularly disturbed by the information about her bad teeth. Can you imagine trying to be a friendly gal with horrible rotting teeth breath?
I suggest visiting your local library if you want to learn more.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/4 "2003-07-07T18:06:11Z")
According to this recent article, this man’s father did it.
> [@](#):
>
> Now a former LAPD homicide detective, Steve Hodel, claims to have solved the mystery and has published his findings in a new book, Black Dahlia Avenger. The most remarkable aspect of Hodel’s claim is the identity of the supposed killer: Dr George Hodel, the detective’s own father.
>
> He had been a wealthy LA doctor who was also, according to his son, a Jack the Ripper figure who probably murdered many other women but was protected by connections within the LA police.
[http://books.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4651290,00.html](http://books.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4651290,00.html)
Fab true crime writer John Gimore also wrote a book about the case, although I don’t think he made any concrete statements about the identity of the killer.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/5 "2003-07-07T18:11:23Z")
Both Steve Hodel and John Gilmore are full of crap—I’ve seen them both interviewed and have read Gilmore’s book, and they are both excellent at spinning “absolutely nothing” into a web of their own pet theory.
I did read that Eliz. Short had gynecological problems that may have made sex difficult or impossible, but no that she was a hermaphrodite.
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### Author:  [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dahlia/186769/6 "2003-07-07T23:45:41Z")
I tried reading the Hodel book and it was just utter crap. “Look! This photo looks like the Black Dahlia!(Not really.) And that type of thingie in the background looks like something Daddy had!” Based on that kind of evidence, I can say with some confidence, that my Dad was St. Patrick.