He said that (Nash) told him if he ever talked to the police that (Nash) would kill someone in his family. The detective added that Holmes said he was there when the murders happened, but that he himself did not hurt anyone.. Send Flowers. Burial in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. She is the sole survivor of the brutal Wonderland attack the night of July 1, 1981; she suffered severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger following the attack. He told me that he had set up the robbery. They raised seven children: James Glenn and his wife, Vanneary, David Glenn, Christopher Glenn, Susan Carson, Frances Green, Albert and his wife, Cecile Glenn and Charles and . Following the robbery, Holmes ended up back at Nash's home. He is currently single. 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. Ronald S. Coen, now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, argued that the fatal beatings were intended to avenge the humiliating armed robbery of Los Angeles nightclub owner Adel Nasrallah, also known as Eddie Nash. A survivor, Susan Launius, 25 at the time, suffered brain damage and has been unable to identify her assailants. Coroner Thomas Noguchi said early autopsy results on the bodies found Wednesday -- 12 hours after the neighbors ignored the screams for mercy -- indicated the victims had been beaten to death. 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. That version of the story, Sharon Holmes said, is fiction. In May 1974, he was arrested for and charged with the 1973 murder of a reputed police drug informant who had been killed over a botched drug deal. Dr. Blythe Denham-Kieffer officiating. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. March 17, 1926 - October 31, 2020. Only Susan Launius survived, but her severe head injuries caused her to be unable to recall anything of the attacks. Select boxes below to reduce the number of results. No one but Holmes has ever been charged in the murder case. The fourth victim, Billy DeVerell as he died on the floor of the 3rd floor bedroom. I was involved. Nash was separately convicted of cocaine possession and served about two years in state prison. Cecelia passed away on January 22, 2012, and is buried in Marlin, TX. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. . A unique and . Prosecutors charge that Nash, then a wealthy nightclub owner, ordered the murders . His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. . She was scheduled to appear in court this month on drug charges. 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. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. from the masses of young, aimless drifters who had descended upon the West Coast in the late 1960s, entranced by the supposedly good vibes of a scene populated with other young people, hippies, and freaks not to mention, crooks and hustlers peddling free love and other illusions. . . You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Officers made casts of the victims' wounds to help determine the weapon or weapons used in the attack. Court records and pllice statements indicated two of the four victims were under prosecution for dealing in cocaine, heroin and Quaaludes. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. The robbery was an inside job set up by Holmes, who was a close associate of Nash's, and whom Nash regularly referred to as "my brother". , neither was she a prostitute. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Holmes died on March 13, 1988, from AIDS complications in Los Angeles. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. Confoundingly, after all these years we still havent been able to close the book on this investigation. Search by Name. On the morning of June 29, 1981, four men who lived at the Wonderland Avenue address entered Nashs house through a sliding glass door that had been left ajar by Holmes, according to trial testimony. It was a beautiful morning in Los Angeles, another in a virtually unbroken string of glorious, sunny midwinter days. Breaking into Hollywood And Breaking Apart, Doing Harm: Doctors Who Murder and Maim Their Patients, Jim Jones: The Twisted Story of the Man behind the Jonestown Massacre. For others, its just a dead end. The scene: A long-settled middle-class area on L.A.s Eastside, this neighborhood was largely developed with apartments and single-family homes in the 1920s and 30s. Bill was a member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. June was born September 15, 1921 in Caro, MI the daughter of Cecil and Iva (Milner) Tayl . Holmes spent a good portion of his days (and nights) partying with the Wonderland crew. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, William Launius Sr.; her son William (Joan) Launius Jr. of Millstadt; her daughter Lori (Ken) Harris of Waterloo; her grandchildren William Trey Launius III, Kasey Launius, Hunter Harris, Carter Harris, Tanner Harris, and Cooper Harris; brother-in-law Darwin Kraft; beloved nieces Lisa (Craig) DeBeaumont, Rebecca (Art) Fudge, beloved nephews Todd Kraft, and Karl Eric (Sue) Kraft, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, lifelong friend Theresa Painter, and many other friends. Filicide is the act of a parent killing their child. She was an associate of the Wonderland Gang, hanging around the Wonderland apartment, where she was savagely beaten by criminals with lead pipes on the night of 1 July 1981. Because they tease our, Start your 14-day trial of MagellanTV and get access to 2,000+ documentaries, available anywhere, on any device, For some, Los Angeles is an endless highway to success. Sympathy Ideas. James M. Eisenman, a Century City attorney who represents Holmes estate and his second wife, said he doubts Sharon Holmes story. Biography Susan A. Murphy married Ron Launius in Carson City, Nevada on 16 April 1971, and the two of them were heavy drug users. Charlie and Watson tied the LaBiancas up, convincing the couple theyd be safe if they cooperated. Neighbors in the canyon, where a conversation at night can be overheard blocks away, said they were used to rowdy, all-night parties in the house. March 14, 2021 But the new accounts cast doubt on the story Holmes told a biographer before his death March 13. shed never seen the residence before the day of June 30, 1981. Some heard a woman's screams coming from the house Tuesday morning, but ignored them in the belief someone was playing a joke, partying or having a nightmare. In 1990, Nash was charged in California state court with having planned the murders, and Diles was charged with participating in the murders, but both men were acquitted in 1991. Lt. Ron Lewis discounted speculation that the slayings could be 'random killings' such as the Tate-LaBianca murders committed by the Manson Family in 1969. He was a lifelong member of Zion Evangelical Church in Millstadt, Ill., American Legion Post 502 in Millstadt, Ill., Progressive Mine Workers Local 76, and the Operating Engineers Local 520. Susan Launiuss income source is mostly from being a successful . He resides in Glendale, California. For a much deeper examination of the twisted world of Charles Manson and his infamous band of followers, take a look at The Family: Inside the Manson Cult on MagellanTV. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. The neighborhood: Leimert Park. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Short seems to have been a drifter. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. No visits to agents, no casting call appearances, no registration in acting classes have been discovered. Susan Bell Launius. You knew these people.. to the late Clyde and Jottie Williams Launius. Find an Obituary. Its been proven true again and again over the years: Los Angeles attracts dreamers, starry-eyed souls who come into the Canyon, as the Mamas and Papas sang, only to be disillusioned. Hanson said Holmes never told his attorneys what happened the night of the killings. At least two of the four people beaten to death at the yellow two-story house in rustic Laurel Canyon had narcotics records and the blonde woman who rented the house delivered drugs in her shiny white Mercedes, court records indicated Friday. The objective of the robbery was to steal a hoard of cash, heroin, and cocaine that Holmes claimed was in a safe embedded in Nash's bedroom floor, as well as to retrieve some antique guns the Wonderland Gang had stolen from another businessman and then subsequently, using Holmes as an intermediary, sold to Nash in exchange for drugs. Roland Edward Launius. Star-struck seekers could end up on top of the heap. Three grisly murder cases spread across the 20th century have come to define Los Angeles and Hollywood as a town of shadows more than sunlight. There are other suspects that we feel are involved. Why are we still having these debates? And yet, according to the evidence, neither was she a prostitute. I said, John, how could you? 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