Hollywood has intrigued us for many years with its glitz and glamour and all the secrets that accompany it. But a few of these are slightly darker than others and may send shivers down your spine.
1. Black Dahlia
In January 1947, the 22-year-old aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was found brutally murdered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Her body was severed at the waist, drained of blood, and eerily posed. The nation was shocked by the brutal and violent nature of this death. Although multiple tips, hoaxes, and even confessions came through, this case was never solved.
2. Natalie Wood
On the night of November 29, 1981, the beloved actress drowned off California’s Catalina Island after spending time on their yacht with her husband. She was found floating in the water, clad in a nightgown and jacket. The official cause of death was initially ruled as an accidental drowning, but lingering questions about how she ended up in the water when she was terrified of water in the first place.
3. Tupac Shakur
This rapper was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas after attending a Mike Tyson fight. He was struck four times and succumbed to his injuries six days later. Even though this case was extremely high-profile, this case ended up being unsolved for all of these years.
4. William Desmond Taylor
Taylor was found shot to death in his Los Angeles bungalow in 1922, but despite numerous suspects, the case was never solved. Some believed the murder was covered up to protect Hollywood’s elite, while others speculated that a spurned lover had sought revenge. While the real reason behind his death was never revealed, the mystery will always intrigue people.
5. Bob Crane
Better known for his part in Hogan’s Heroes, Crane was found brutally bludgeoned to death in his Scottsdale, Arizona apartment on June 29, 1978. His body was discovered with no signs of forced entry, and a camera, which had been recording at the time of his murder, was left on a tripod near the scene. Although authorities had suspects, they never had enough evidence to make a case, so naturally, the case went cold.
6. Thelma Todd
On December 16, 1935, Todd was found dead in her car, parked inside the garage of her ex-lover and business partner, Roland West. Officially ruled as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, her death left behind more questions than answers. With speculation upon speculation, people believed that her death was far from an accident. Unfortunately, speculation is all this will ever be.
7. Ronni Chasen
This Hollywood publicist was killed on November 16, 2010. Chasen was driving home when she was shot multiple times in what initially appeared to be a professional hit. Harold Smith was blamed for her murder, but before he could be taken into custody, he committed suicide. Strange right?
8. The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher Wallace was killed on March 9, 1997, in almost the same way as Tupac Shakur. Biggie was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles after leaving a music industry party. There had been a ton of speculation about whether or not his death was related to Tupac, but with little to no evidence, the case just ended up never being solved.
9. George Reeves
Better known for his role in Superman in the 1950s series, George Reeves’s death raised many questions. On June 16, 1959, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head, with a pistol nearby. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but many people, including close friends and relatives, didn’t believe this to be true. No gunpowder residue was found on his hands, and conflicting witness statements from the party at his home that night only deepened the mystery.
References:
9 Unsolved Hollywood Mysteries
15 shocking Hollywood murders
20 of the Most Infamous Murders to Rock Hollywood
