In January 1947, Los Angeles detectives began questioning the men who had known Elizabeth Short. Some had dated her. Others had given her money, meals or somewhere to sleep. Each had a story to tell about the 22-year-old woman whose mutilated body had been discovered beside a sidewalk in South Los Angeles.
Those relationships were central to the investigation. Short had spent months moving between temporary accommodations, depending on the kindness of acquaintances and sometimes returning to people with whom she had previously fallen out. Her circumstances made her vulnerable to someone who knew her well enough to offer help when she needed it.
Detectives faced the task of separating genuine assistance from possible exploitation. They needed to establish who had seen Short, who had access to her and whether the explanations offered by the people closest to her could withstand scrutiny.
One young man attracted their attention. He had known Short personally and had reasons to be uncomfortable discussing their relationship. Police questioned him, accepted his explanation and eliminated him from suspicion.
But his involvement in the investigation did not end there. More than three years later, investigators working for the Los Angeles County District Attorney were still examining his background, gathering records and pursuing questions about his relationship with Short.
His name was Marvin Margolis.
The surviving records raise the possibility that detectives had encountered one of the strongest suspects in the Black Dahlia murder during their original investigation, then allowed him to walk away before fully establishing what he knew.
