Synopsis

When Elizabeth Short came to Hollywood she was not unlike thousands of other young women from the East, hoping her good looks and a little bit of talent would propel her into the land of the rich and famous. Elizabeth Short did earn notoriety, but in a horrifying way that would come to chill even the most seasoned investigators. The story of the girl, who became known as the Black Dahlia only after her tragic and violent death, has been an ongoing obsession since her body was found severed and drained of blood in a vacant lot in Los Angeles in 1947. Within weeks of the murder, 37 innocent men and women had confessed to the crime. What is it that fascinates us so about the Black Dahlia? And who could have committed such a violent, brutal, yet well-planned and executed crime? Even today, new leads are still being uncovered in the case, and more books and movies based on the crime are in the works.

Famed crime writer Joseph Wambaugh looks at the facts of the case and gives us his expert opinion on the mystery of the Black Dahlia.