320:, a close friend of Georgette's father, pressured the LAPD at his behest to close the investigation as quickly as possible; their reasons for this are unclear, but it was done supposedly to avoid embarrassment and to keep Georgette's romantic life private and her reputation intact, as she was sexually active and she documented all of her social and romantic relationships in her diary, which would had become evidence and thus become available to the public had the investigation and a trial followed.
253:; still, a neighbor, who requested anonymity, told Capt. Gordon Bowers of the Sheriff's Department that he was awakened by screams around 2:30 a.m. He first heard a scream which made him sit upright in bed, followed by a female voice yelling, "Stop, stop, you're killing me!" He said the screaming soon subsided. Thinking it might have been a family argument, he went back to bed.
304:
door. Atwood said he discovered the night light bulb being screwed around a couple of turns. He responded that he had never seen this happen before. Officers testified that the apartment showed no indication of a struggle. Yet the autopsy proved that
Bauerdorf had fought hard to live. Sam Wolf, brother of Bauerdorf's stepmother, denied that the victim suffered fainting spells.
331:
was a top suspect for the Short murder, and his son Steve Hodel has suggested George killed both women due to certain similarities such as the fact that
Bauerdorf was choked with a medical-grade bandage shoved down her throat and that in both cases the media received notes supposedly from the killer
275:
June
Ziegler, who had worked with Georgette at the Hollywood Canteen on the night prior to the murder, told the Sheriff's Department that Georgette had dated a 6'4" serviceman less than a month before her murder. He was a friend of another serviceman whose name was frequently mentioned in the diary.
303:
Atwood also said he entered the apartment the next morning about 11:10 a.m., accompanied by his wife. They found
Bauerdorf's body lying semi-nude in her bathtub. Two of the deputies confirmed the janitor's testimony that Bauerdorf was alone before her slayer evidently lured her to her darkened
245:
A reconstruction of the murder gave investigators the idea that the culprit perhaps entered
Georgette's apartment by passkey and lay in wait downstairs until she got ready for bed. Another possibility was that he rang the doorbell after she retired. Penprase believed it unlikely that Georgette was
225:
coupe, registered in the name of
Georgette's sister, was missing from the scene. When the car was located, there was a dent in one of the fenders. Mechanics said the damage was recent and may have been the result of a collision with another car. The Oldsmobile was discovered abandoned on East 25th
217:
The theory of an intruder was reinforced by an empty string bean can and some melon rinds in a wastebasket in
Georgette's kitchen. Investigators thought she may have eaten a snack before retiring upstairs to her bedroom. Examination of her stomach revealed that she had eaten string beans about an
299:
October 20, a jury of nine men found that
Georgetts's death was a homicide and proposed a thorough investigation to apprehend her killer. During the hearing, Fred Atwood, a janitor of the apartment building, testified that he had heard woman's heels clicking back and forth on the floor, and was
267:
centers and other canteens to try to find and question him. The soldier, identified in news accounts as Cpl. Cosmo Volpe, turned himself in several days after the discovery of
Georgette's body, after he read the police were looking for a "husky, dark-haired GI". He was questioned by police, but
31:
145:, Georgette Bauerdorf was the younger of two daughters born to oilman George Frederick Bauerdorf and his wife, Constance Dannhauser. She had an older sister, Constance (known as Connie). Georgette initially attended St. Agatha's School for Girls in New York City; after the family moved to
213:
stated that an automatic night light over the outside entrance of the apartment had been unscrewed loose so that it would go dark; the murderer was thought to have stood on a chair to reach the light bulb nearly eight feet off the ground. Fingerprints were found on the bulb.
291:
Rose
Gilbert, a secretary to Georgette's father, reported that she occasionally asked men to stop by her apartment briefly, but never asked them to remain and never entertained friends alone as her Catholic education gave her very stringent ideas of propriety.
208:
On October 12, custodial staff came to Georgette's apartment and found her body floating face down in an overflowing bathtub. It is believed that Georgette was attacked by a man who was waiting inside the apartment for her. Inspector William Penprase of the
260:, but was determined not to have been her attacker. Authorities hoped that someone who saw the young woman leaving the canteen, accompanied by an escort, would come forward. Numerous letters received by the victim were scrutinized by investigators.
199:
On the night of October 11, 1944, Georgette left work at the Hollywood Canteen at around 11:15 p.m. She spent the next several hours dancing at a local club called the Palladium, leaving at around 2 a.m. Driving home, Georgette picked up a
279:
Gordon Aadland, the sergeant whom she had given a ride a few hours before her death, recounted in 2012 that was riding a train on his way back to his base when he read about the murder in the newspaper. Aadland wrote a letter to the
218:
hour before her death. Her jewelry and other valuables were not stolen, although almost $ 100 was taken from her purse. There was a large roll of $ 2 bills and thousands of dollars worth of sterling silver lying in an open trunk.
204:
Army sergeant named Gordon Aadland, who had also gone to the Palladium; she told Aadland also that she was hurrying home to receive a telephone call from her boyfriend in Texas. This was possibly the last time she was seen alive.
332:
taunting the police and boasting of his skills. However, though Hodel is considered the strongest suspect for the Black Dahlia murder, the critics say links between that case and that of Bauerdorf remains highly speculative.
276:
According to Ziegler, Georgette remarked that the tall soldier was very much taken with her. However, she did not return his interest and quit going out with him. The soldier was sought for questioning by officers.
233:. The knuckles on Georgette's right hand were smashed and bruised. There was a large bruise on the right side of her head and another on her abdomen, perhaps the result of blows from fists. She had been
263:
One particular soldier, described as "swarthy", was thought to have been infatuated with Georgette and had cut in on her during nearly every dance on the night of her death. Investigators checked
229:
Georgette had put up a great struggle against her attacker. An examination by Los Angeles County autopsy surgeon Frank R. Webb found abundant bruises and scrapes, and determined that she had been
327:
occurred in Los Angeles a few years after Bauerdorf's death. Authors and investigators have suggested a possible link between the two cases, partly because both women had similar appearances.
256:
A date book was found in Georgette's bedroom containing the names of servicemen. Army authorities joined with the Sheriff's Department in a search for clues. A sailor was questioned in
179:, for $ 90. She told friends that she was going there to rendezvous with her boyfriend, a soldier. On October 11, Pvt. Jerome M. Brown, an anti-aircraft artillery trainee stationed at
246:
accompanied home by a serviceman. She might have met someone at the canteen who drove her home and left her at the door, then later returned to kill her after she prepared for bed.
191:
officials they had met at the Hollywood Canteen on the night of June 13. He left for El Paso several days after their meeting, but the couple continued to correspond by letter.
237:
with a piece of bandage material stuffed down her throat. Webb said her right thigh showed the bruised imprint of a hand "even to the fingernail marks piercing the skin".
269:
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awakened by a loud crash at around midnight on October 11. He recognized the sounds as coming from Georgette's apartment. He said there was no one with her.
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in August 1944. She took an apartment at the El Palacio Apartments at 8493 Fountain Avenue and got a job working as a junior hostess at the
1148:
911:
Haugen, Brenda; et al. (Design by Tracy Davies and Gene Bentdahl; additional research by Marcie Spence and Kathleen Baxter) (2011) .
312:
Bauerdorf's body was shipped to New York via train after it was released by the coroner's office on October 15. Her funeral was held in
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341:
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479:
782:
667:
635:
Aadland, Gordon (28 April 2012). Schwartz, Eric; Tomtas, Justyna; Taylor, Chad; Taylor, Coralee; Taylor, Franklin (eds.).
1153:
580:
Newton, Michael; et al. (Text design by Erika K. Arroyo and cover by Keith Trego and Takeshi Takahashi) (2009) .
1093:
1064:
1123:
150:
106:
435:
700:
Quier, Hawley; Rohn, William J.; Keller, James E.; Dillon, Walter S.; Burkholder, A.N., eds. (16 October 1944).
1138:
1055:
835:
Wertheimer, Kate (21 October 2016). McGinn, Caroline; Calhoun, Dave; Rahmanan, Anna; Juliano, Michael (eds.).
281:
1128:
161:
126:
78:
471:
316:. She was buried in a Long Island cemetery plot the Bauerdorf family had maintained for generations.
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551:
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257:
877:. University of Waterloo School of Architecture (Master's degree). Architecture & Thesis.
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709:
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eliminated as a suspect after he offered proof that he had "checked into his barracks at the
171:
The day before her death, Georgette cashed a $ 175 check and purchased an airline ticket to
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516:
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8:
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recounting his encounter with Georgette; he was later questioned by an officer from the
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369:
188:
1043:
The Black Dahlia Files:The Mob, The Mogul, and The Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles
996:
969:
926:
878:
721:
599:
563:
528:
499:
Shelton, Bruce; Junes, Glenn; Bassett, Norman; Pearce, R.D., eds. (13 October 1944).
475:
386:
378:
165:
1095:
at The Daily Mirror (Larry Harnisch Reflects on L.A. History), retrieved on 11-20-14
957:
Most Evil: Avenger, Zodiac, and the Further Serial Murders of Dr. George Hill Hodel
886:
365:"Miss Bauerdorf, Oil Man's Daughter, Slain By Strangler in Her Hollywood Apartment"
121:(May 6, 1924 – October 12, 1944) was an American socialite and oil heiress who was
59:
747:
Connor, Pauline (5 June 2015). Aldhahi, Mariam; Xie, Jenny; Barber, Megan (eds.).
1078:
1068:
955:
916:
847:, England: Time Out England Limited/Time Out Digital Limited (Time Out Group Plc)
585:
465:
462:"Georgette Bauerdorf: The Mysterious Death of an Oil Executive's Daughter (1944)"
702:"Time of tub murder set: Neighbor reports he heard Georgette Bauerdorf's scream"
413:"US, World War II Draft Registration Cards (entry: George Frederick Bauerdorf)"
172:
915:. In Kaelberer, Angie; Edney, Philip; Sandmann, Alexa L.; Klenk, Jane (eds.).
1102:
1082:
965:
961:
675:
591:
382:
313:
250:
234:
142:
122:
94:
55:
637:"Gordon Aadland: The Cold Case that stretches from Los Angeles to Centralia"
467:
Cold Cases: Famous Unsolved Mysteries, Crimes, and Disappearances in America
979:
936:
616:
485:
390:
328:
324:
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Street, just off San Pedro Street, where it had apparently run out of gas.
1061:
756:
474:, United States of America: Greenwood (ABC-CLIO, LLC). pp. 177–182.
201:
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544:"Body of pretty Hollywood girl found in bathtub; police hint foul play"
508:
222:
184:
130:
82:
890:
30:
760:
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288:'s office, who took his testimony, but never heard anything else.
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authorities as the man Georgette had planned to visit. Brown told
512:
1087:
844:
837:"Southern California's thirteen most infamous unsolved murders"
264:
873:. In McKay, Donald; Noufaily, Farid; Leiberman, David (eds.).
668:"Georgette Bauerdorf: The unsolved murder of a L.A. socialite"
176:
436:"California, Death Index (entry: Georgette Elise Bauerdorf)"
584:. In Skordilis, Paul; Likoff, Laurie; Plapp, Chris (eds.).
542:
Poynter, Paul; Poynter, Nelson P., eds. (13 October 1944).
249:
The walls and doors of Georgette's apartment building were
230:
749:"Rent in West Hollywood's Tragically Legendary El Palacio"
783:"GI Hepcat Turns Self In, Tells of Meeting Slain Heiress"
498:
157:. The death of Georgette's mother had preceded the move.
699:
1090:
at the Malefactor's Register, retrieved on 2-13-08.
950:Hodel, Steve; Pezzullo, Ralph (22 September 2009).
781:
582:"BAUERDORF, Georgette Elise: Murder victim (1944)"
434:
411:
811:"Youth Questioned in Georgette Bauerdorf killing"
1100:
1008:People And Place In Strange Death Of Oil Heiress
160:Georgette aspired to be an actress and moved to
1036:Janitor Gives Evidence In Murder of Oil Heiress
952:"Chapter One (PART ONE: Dr. George Hill Hodel)"
1029:Neighbor Tells Heiress' Screams on Death Night
1001:Oil Executive's Daughter Found Dead In Bathtub
590:. Facts on File Crime Library (2nd ed.).
541:
949:
1134:Deaths by strangulation in the United States
1081: (archived June 10, 2007) purchased by
1015:Evidence Shows Heiress Waged Terrific Fight
1075:Georgette Bauerdorf's El Palacio Apartment
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211:Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
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168:, where she danced with enlisted men.
1164:Unsolved murders in the United States
809:Harnisch, Larry (December 27, 2018).
570:
359:
357:
1169:Violence against women in California
665:
459:
1149:Incidents of violence against women
1022:Private Identified as Girl's Friend
587:The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes
450:
13:
925:: Compass Point Books (Capstone).
918:The Black Dahlia: Shattered Dreams
354:
14:
1180:
1119:1944 murders in the United States
1049:
798:– via Newspaperarchive.com.
788:Stars and Stripes, London edition
678:: Empire Media Group, Inc. (EMG)
240:
943:
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859:
828:
802:
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728:
666:East, Michael (7 August 2021).
507:. Vol. 126, no. 246.
501:"Girl found dead in filled tub"
377:. 14 October 1944. p. 15.
133:. Her murder remains unsolved.
1144:Harvard-Westlake School alumni
1045:, New York, Regan Books, 2005.
866:Baktash, Pooya (20 May 2010).
708:. Vol. 77, no. 263.
659:
535:
492:
136:
1:
1159:People murdered in California
990:
921:. True Crime (2nd ed.).
913:"Chapter 4: A Dangerous Path"
790:. October 18, 1944. p. 4
550:. Vol. 61, no. 81.
373:. Vol. 93, no. 91.
282:Los Angeles Police Department
104:St. Agatha's School for Girls
1038:, October 21, 1944, Page A3.
515:, United States of America.
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7:
1031:, October 16, 1944, Page 2.
1024:, October 15, 1944, Page 3.
1017:, October 15, 1944, Page 3.
1010:, October 14, 1944, Page 3.
1003:, October 13, 1944, Page 5.
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10:
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1058:Hollywood Canteen photo ID
839:. North American edition.
712:. United Press. p. 15
554:. United Press. p. 10
149:in 1935, she attended the
1154:People from New York City
472:Santa Barbara, California
446:– via Ancestry.com.
423:– via Ancestry.com.
325:murder of Elizabeth Short
307:
194:
155:Westlake School for Girls
119:Georgette Elise Bauerdorf
111:Westlake School for Girls
100:
90:
67:
42:Georgette Elise Bauerdorf
37:
28:
21:
342:List of unsolved murders
1124:American murder victims
641:The Chronicle Newspaper
594:: Facts On File, Inc. (
552:St. Petersburg, Florida
318:William Randolph Hearst
883:University of Waterloo
16:Heiress, murder victim
1139:Female murder victims
710:Reading, Pennsylvania
672:Front Page Detectives
645:Centralia, Washington
460:Katz, Hélèna (2010).
270:Lockheed Air Terminal
548:St. Petersburg Times
517:The Associated Press
375:The Associated Press
183:, was identified by
1129:American socialites
1088:Georgette Bauerdorf
1062:Georgette Bauerdorf
1056:Georgette Bauerdorf
1034:Los Angeles Times,
1027:Los Angeles Times,
1020:Los Angeles Times,
1013:Los Angeles Times,
1006:Los Angeles Times,
647:: CT Publishing LLC
598:). pp. 32–34.
596:Infobase Publishing
505:The Tuscaloosa News
91:Cause of death
23:Georgette Bauerdorf
1071:newspaper clipping
1067:2007-12-12 at the
1041:Wolfe, Donald H.,
875:Tale of Two Cities
370:The New York Times
151:Marlborough School
107:Marlborough School
997:Los Angeles Times
975:978-1-101-14035-2
932:978-0-7565-4358-7
879:Waterloo, Ontario
734:Newton 2009 p. 32
722:Google Newspapers
605:978-1-4381-1914-4
564:Google Newspapers
546:. National news.
529:Google Newspapers
481:978-0-313-37692-4
323:The high-profile
297:coroner's inquest
166:Hollywood Canteen
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220:
216:
207:
198:
170:
159:
140:
118:
117:
73:(1944-10-12)
1114:1944 deaths
1109:1924 births
896:7 September
851:7 September
766:7 September
757:Los Angeles
716:7 September
682:7 September
651:7 September
611:7 September
558:7 September
523:7 September
519:. p. 2
442:October 16,
419:October 16,
396:7 September
202:hitchhiking
181:Camp Callan
147:Los Angeles
137:Early years
52:May 6, 1924
1103:Categories
991:References
964:: Dutton (
891:10012/5205
820:August 27,
794:August 27,
509:Tuscaloosa
258:Long Beach
223:Oldsmobile
185:Fort Bliss
131:California
83:California
48:1924-05-06
761:Vox Media
383:0362-4331
348:Footnotes
235:strangled
123:strangled
101:Education
1065:Archived
841:Time Out
336:See also
141:Born in
60:New York
1077:at the
923:Mankato
513:Alabama
391:1645522
221:A 1936
173:El Paso
972:
929:
845:London
753:Curbed
602:
478:
389:
381:
308:Legacy
265:U.S.O.
195:Murder
85:, U.S.
62:, U.S.
871:(PDF)
295:At a
231:raped
177:Texas
970:ISBN
927:ISBN
898:2021
853:2021
822:2019
796:2019
768:2021
718:2021
684:2021
653:2021
613:2021
600:ISBN
560:2021
525:2021
476:ISBN
444:2018
421:2018
398:2021
387:OCLC
379:ISSN
189:Army
153:and
68:Died
38:Born
968:).
887:hdl
1105::
999:,
960:.
954:.
881::
843:.
813:.
786:.
759::
755:.
751:.
739:^
692:^
674:.
670:.
643:.
639:.
625:^
572:^
511:,
464:.
452:^
385:.
367:.
356:^
175:,
129:,
81:,
58:,
982:.
939:.
900:.
889::
855:.
824:.
770:.
724:.
686:.
655:.
619:.
566:.
531:.
488:.
400:.
50:)
46:(
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