A look at the notorious convicted murderer's life in prison after she drowned her two sons in 1994. His surgery wouldnt heal up, either. Hed say, Count this. Were talking $56,000 in two boots.. Sharon had been a virgin when theyd met. Bring me their eyeballs in a bag, and I will forget what you have done to me! While Holmes was in jail, Amerson had started a company called John Holmes Productions. John was into Save the Whales. By Steve Helling. Almost everything publicly known about porn king John Curtis Holmes is apocryphal, anecdotal, secondhand or informed by conjecture. The complex had ten free-standing cabana apartments, built around a courtyard. I come back to Wonderland. Police, however, believe that Holmes actually took part in the fatal beatings. Its like being married to a hooker., And so began the loops and the stags, and then Johnny Wadd was born. Editors picks The armed intruders robbed Nash and his 300-pound body guard, Gregory Diles, of $10,000, two plastic sacks of cocaine and other property. He went out of his life denying, said Sharon Holmes, (saying) I had no involvement., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Hong Kong court convicts activists behind Tiananmen vigil, Election conspiracies fuel dispute over voter fraud system, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way. He could repair anything, liked sketching and working in clay. Both cars slowed, pulled even in the middle of the street. At night, she baby-sat for David and Karen. Rush hour was on. Lets talk about your latest book, Long Time Money and Lots of Cocaine. Why did you package the transcript of John Holmes preliminary hearing in the Wonderland murders? In 1960 he opened a hot-dog stand on Hollywood Boulevard. Thats what its all about. 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. I trusted you! Susan Launius's income source is mostly from being a successful . Now he never went anywhere without his brown Samsonite briefcase. Big Rosie, the manager, let Jeana work the switchboard and clean rooms in exchange for rent. This means absolutely nothing to me. She even had to have part of her skull surgically removed as a result of her injuries. She had two daughters, had once been married to a Beverly Hills attorney. The bodies were discovered by workmen next door; theyd heard faint cries from the back of the house: Help me. He had set it up with the other people, the people that lived at Wonderland. He also collected animal skulls. Management asked Jeana to leave. John was really sick by this point, says Laurie. We closed up the office and went to the beach. Holmes drove to Nashs again to make sure the sliding door was still open. On Christmas Day 1980, hed even presented Jeana. I loved him. They watched some more TV. He would have to take them to the house.. Diles got seven years on charges stemming from the drug raids. Nash was separately convicted of cocaine possession and served about two years in state prison. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot. Recently, Holmes had been drifting from job to job, trying to find a niche. Except for the . But I had no reason to confront her. Gregory DeWitt Diles, six feet four, 300 pounds, barged through the front door of the house on Dona Lola, dragging John Holmes by the scruff of his neck. Called the Wonderland Killings, the brutal murder of 4 people in a Laurel Canyon home gained even more noteriety when authorities discovered that porn star John Holmes had played a mysterious role in the case.Age and Occupation: 46. Jewelry, wads of money. While awaiting that trial, he was ordered by a judge to tell the grand jury what he knew about the Wonderland murders. The pivotal event in porn history was the release of Deep Throat, starring Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems, in 1972. How long have you lived in Los Angeles, and which neighborhood do you live in? . Dickman and Throbbin, a lampoon of Batman and Robin. John and Jeana painted the Malibu gray with a red top. The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Best coffee city in the world? Then one day Harold threw John down the stairs and came after him. One night Holmes told Jeana to meet him at the van. 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. 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. . 'I was laying down on the bed. He didnt want part of him ending up in a jar somewhere. The maid was the only one home, and they tied her up. He cut Holmes off, canceled his insurance. Their association ended in one of the most brutal mass murders in the history of Los Angeles. His lawyer hired a young associate to stick Nash with a pin whenever he nodded off in court. -, Press J to jump to the feed. How students with Asperger's cope at university. For like three weeks, one of us had to be awake at all times. A Prison Interview With Scott Thorson, Wonderland Murders Witness and The finish was drippy and streaked, but it didnt matter. to tell them who it was, Sharon Holmes said. It was amazing, the haphazard way in which people would come and go. We have estimated Susan Launius's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. John continued making films for a while. When I come home at night, the tools stay on the job., You are having sex with other women, said Sharon. It's a yellow - sometimes green - vehicle with four tires and a Middle Eastern man behind the wheel. Holmes had nothing to do and nowhere to go. Its the cops.. but who will buy LA's Los Feliz Murder House? - The Independent Blood! . In the meantime, here's an interview with Bren: 1. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Ricks cited Nashs need for delicate surgery to remove a sinus tumor. Is this your brother? They sat around a glass table in the breakfast nook. The Devil and John Holmes - Rolling Stone You cant do this to me, he said. He said he was told he would be killed and people in the book would be killed if (Holmes) didnt do what (Nash) wanted. His old friend was happy to pick them up. During recesses in the trial, Nash would go out to his car and smoke freebase. Remember me?. Most people find it hard to believe, but I'm an introvert. The attack was allegedly masterminded by organized crime figure Juan Nel 8kfollowers More information Removing Bodies From Wonderland- This Day in History: Jul 1,1981: The Wonderland murders Murder Stories John Holmes Forensic Psychology Laurel Canyon Unsolved Serial Killers True Crime Too bad youre so young, he said finally, then left. Then another. There was one hitch. Thats bullshit. They did hits off Eddies pipe, eyed the door. I said, John, how could you? He even had the Holy Rollers sister smoking., In the morning, they went out to get food. Detectives said they had talked to Susan Murphy Launius, 29, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where she is in critical condition with gashes in her head and neck. wikipedia.en/Wonderland_murders.md at main chinapedia/wikipedia.en They were stupid. They had a few questions for John Holmes. She didnt have any money. Holmes was into Nash for a small fortune. Its business.. Are you awake? Holmess eyelids fluttered. See that car over there? It was dark, and there wasnt any traffic. Also while in college, he said, he danced nude modern jazz ballet and drove an ambulance. The bride wore white. Atkins was convicted for her involvement. Finally, on the afternoon of November 22nd, 1982, Holmes relented and testified. His voice had a smooth Arabic lilt. The Seven Seas was a bus-stop joint across Hollywood Boulevard from Manns Chinese Theaters. Through his attorney, Nash has consistently denied any involvement in the Wonderland Avenue killings. Nash loves me. Susan A. Murphy married Ron Launius in Carson City, Nevada on 16 April 1971, and the two of them were heavy drug users. Mystery Of A Massive Library Fire Remains Unsolved After More - NPR he didnt know what the truth was anymore; about himself, about anything, Sellers said. The time was 2:30 in the afternoon. Thats probably why he always came back. A sunny room in the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sepulveda, California. They made him beg for his life. Each time, drugs, money and weapons were seized. In high school, Holmes said, he slept with all but three girls in his class. The house at 8763 had passed from a raucous group of women neighbors recall naked women being tossed from the first-floor balcony to the members of the Wonderland Gang. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tabs. Launius, Deverell, and Miller, along with the girlfriend of an accomplice, Barbara Richardson, died from extensive blunt-force trauma injuries. This is an archival story that predates current editorial management. It was owned by the pediatrician she worked for; she and Holmes lived rent-free in an adjacent house. Just after the murders, Nash and Diles had found themselves in a world of shit. His first porn film was made while he was working his way through college. The Holy Roller was up in the balcony, waving a Christian flag, praying and hollering, singing We Shall Overcome. She said John had cut some coke with an old tarot card and she believed it was a sign from the devil. Mrs. Kraft was a former registered nurse at Memorial Hospital, former administrator at Memorial Convalescent Center and owner of Toddle Town Inc, comprised of Toddle Town, Toddler House and Learning Journey. Do you agree with that assessment? Blood and brains splattered everywhere, even on the ceilings. With the release the same year of The Devil in Miss Jones and Behind the Green Door, porn became part of popular culture. It was Sunday evening and the drugs were gone, the money was gone, the situation was desperate. Holmes nodded his head, put out his cigarette, closed his eyes. Teenage Cowgirls, Liquid Lips, China Cat and Tapestry of Passion. The setup, the robbery, Nashs threat to kill his whole family, Sharon included. Hed sent two of his minions out to score more drugs, but they hadnt yet returned. He wanted to be in charge. Behind him was his partner, Mac McClain. Above all, he said, he loved his work: A happy gardener is one with dirty fingernails, and a happy cook is a fat cook. John picked up Sharons two dogs and Thor from the kennel. I watched them beat them to death., It was them or me. DeVerell, 42, was also a heroin addict. Susan Launius was severely beaten in her bed, but she narrowly survived, albeit with amnesia, head injuries, and the loss of a finger. The man who owned the house was named Adel Nasrallah. Dole said there's no question that Trump lost his reelection race - narrowly but fair and square. Memorial has already been merged. Nolan Miller Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. By June, she was thinking, Well, Im not doing anything here. On June 27th, two days before the robbery at Nashs, she flew to Los Angeles. Here, this back bedroom, thats Diless room, he said. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. Thorson had been addicted to cocaine for several years. I played in the water. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, was one of the victims. Then Holmes hit on a more direct way to make money. Apparently, Holmes had made good his promise and stopped doing drugs. Now she shook her head slowly, walked around the car to the passenger side. We were real friendly. He was also a drug dealer and a heavy user. I was just taken off my feet. He began spilling to Blake in 1973, after he was arrested on a movie set. I think they call it a taxi cab. In time, Jeanas father went back to Miami and took Terry with him, and Jeana moved in with Johns half brother and his wife, David and Karen. Holmes talked a while, looked Jeana up and down. It began, according to Thorsons book, Behind the Candelabra, when Liberace ordered him to have cosmetic surgery. He walked through the door, flopped on the bed, passed out. Hed messed up a delivery, had a big argument with DeVerell and Launius. Susan Launius - Net Worth March 2023, Salary, Age, Siblings, Bio Jeana was afraid to look at John. Six months later, on September 8th, 1988, Diles and Nash were charged with the murders on Wonderland Avenue. His attorney told reporters that hed changed his mind because of certain arrangements that had been made and certain circumstances that had arisen. Every time you read something, they say its a big mystery. The Wonderland case was still open. We went on twenty-four-hour watch. Usually, they smoked freebase and had sex. Whenever he returned from days or weeks away, Holmes would bring gifts: stuffed animals, roses, a ring. One of the actresses in the cast was Laurie Rose. A look at years past when snows creeped into our citified neighborhoods, away from the mountains and foothills. Her new boss, a pediatrician, had shut down the office for the afternoon, and shed gone to the market, planned a special dinner for her husband. Now, as McCourt turned right, off Laurel Canyon Boulevard onto Dona Pegita, he saw Holmes driving back toward them. He did not testify at his trial, and his later secret testimony before the Los Angeles County Grand Jury remains sealed. McCourt drove up the hill on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, across Mulholland Drive, over the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, down into the Valley. Nash was a drug dealer and a heavy user. Or perhaps he had flown from Las Vegas. His drug of choice was freebase; sometimes he mixed the crack with heroin. His business empire totally atrophied as a result of the coke. He and Sharon settled into a strange hybrid of domesticity. Nash and Diles were well known on Sunset Strip. On April 29, 1986, fire tore through Los Angeles' Central Library more than one million books were damaged or destroyed. How could he rent a car? Shed gotten a job at a nursing home and was paying her mom rent, trying to rebuild her life. Jeana was tucked into another hotel in the Valley. Hed underestimated Nash once, but hed never do it again. He had a tape measure in one hand, his penis in the other. But Detective Tom Lange of the Los Angeles Police Department, the lead investigator on the case, said, There is no mystery, because we know who is involved and we know why. Ill pick you up.. Ron Launius was born in 1944 in Shawneetown, IL. Just recently, he had begun training to be a uniformed security guard. What does the print-on demand delivery system offer over other, similar systems like iUniverse.com? Eversz is one of the best unsung novelists in the crime genre we have working today. So much blood! Holmes was having a nightmare. He was very possessive. Launius actually went to shoot her and his partners had to stop him. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? John Holmes, who was tried for and acquitted of the crimes, never told his wife the names of the assailants, she said. At midnight, the Wonderland people scraped together $400, and Holmes, whose pretense for entrance would be buying drugs, drove off to Nashs house. He sent flowers, presents, photos of them with the dog. Nobody had gotten it yet, but it was still in the back of our minds. Susan Launius | Historica Wiki | Fandom Kurrus Funeral Home - 2008 Obituaries Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. On weekends they went to swap meets and yard sales. He always had large quantities of coke, heroin, Quaaludes and other drugs at the house. I wouldnt want to be operated on in San Quentin Prison, Ricks said sympathetically. Laurie worked as a secretary. When he did coke, says Jeana, hed do it until it was all gone, and then hed scrape the pipe and smoke all the resin he could find, and then hed take a bunch of Valium. When you met with Eddie, you met at his place, on his terms. He wanted me to view his body and make sure that all the parts were there, says Laurie. Basically, he said, Im going to have to run, Sharon Holmes recalled, And I said, Youre going to have to tell me. . After bathing at Sharons, Holmes had come here, to this motel in the Valley. Id usually fall asleep on the couch.. She was in intensive care with a severed finger and brain damage. Thorson had driven from Lake Tahoe to score from Nash. He never went home again. She was later unable to identify her attackers. Even Near The Hollywood Sign, Authorities ID Man Arrested In Killing Of LA Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell As Husband Of Housekeeper, Another Missing Hiker Has Been Found Dead In San Gabriels As Search For Actor Julian Sands Continues. You cannot merge a memorial into itself. The Hippie 'Flower-Child' Revolutionaries & Their Ties To The Military Because hed already been tried, Holmes would not be able to invoke the Fifth Amendment. Susan Launius, 25, Ron Launiuss wife. That house, she thought. In a career that would span twenty years, Holmes made 2274 hard-core pornographic films, had sex with 14,000 women. By May, Jeana began taking his calls. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. 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. He has just published his latest project about one of Los Angeles's most well known murder cases in the 80s. We scattered his ashes over the ocean.. I'll sidestep Nathanael West's blistering "Day of the Locust" to applaud some more recent works like Michelle Huneven's "Jamesland" and the Nina Zero private eye novels by Robert Eversz. jaydubya2009 10y. german apple cake recipe milk street. Chris caught up. House tossed by assailants. 26th Hall of Fame. At home, Nash walked around in a maroon silk robe, or sometimes in bikini briefs, his body covered with a thin sheen of sweat. $1 Million - $5 Million. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. When Detectives Bob Souza and Tom Lange entered the home, nestled in the hip L.A. enclave of Laurel Canyon, they found pills and pipes scattered all over the flooralong with four dead bodies whose. I had to take them there., I took them there. John bought himself an El Camino pickup and a large diamond solitaire that became his trademark in films. What's different Mr. The man was a poster child for sociopathic behavior. They threw brown bags of dope off the balcony. Jeana dropped out of Glendale High School. There were piles of cocaine in front of you. In the still unpublished official version of his life, Holmes is quoted as saying that he was held at gunpoint at another house while the killers, whose names he did not know, went to the home on Wonderland Avenue. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the. I think L.A. should be broken up into a series of counties so we have better choices. The house at 8763 Wonderland rented for $750 a month. For the first few months, while she was in Oregon with her mother, Jeana had refused to take Holmess calls. Launius and four of his associates were found dead in their townhouse on Wonderland Avenue, in Laurel Canyon on July 1, 1981. He was prepared to testify that Eddie Nash had sent Holmes and Diles to Wonderland Avenue and that Nash felt responsible for the bloody mess that resulted. . Hed been in jail eleven months in all, 110 days on the contempt charge. He chewed gum and overacted. Ill have them on their knees! Nash ranted to Thorson. I have been fascinated by the Wonderland case ever since co-producing the documentary Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmesin 1999. The color drained from his face. Edmund Brown Jr. owns a house about a mile from the scene of the murders. Holmes, in those days, was a string bean, six feet tall, 150 pounds, hair still cut in a military buzz. Let him scream? Eight years in prison, a $120,350 fine. Thorson, who was waiting to be sentenced on a drug-related armed robbery, had sought a deal with police. Do you find it challenging to make new friends here? Holmes hired the sisters to do gardening around the complex. How could you do this thing! Eddie Nash screamed. Susan Lanius (unlucky) wife of Ron Lanius played by Christina Applegate in the movie Wonderland. Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. For his part, Holmes did anything he could for Nash. The youngest son in the family, Nash arrived in America with seven dollars in his pocket. But Holmes kept calling. There was a telephone at the entrance, an electronic deadbolt on the gate, two pit bulls sleeping on the steps. Ill never forget that as long as I live, she said. The police wanted to know who killed the Wonderland Gang. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents. She was living in Hollywood while her autistic son attended the Belle Dubnoff School for Brain-Damaged Children. He was dying. Holmes told his wife that he rode with three armed men to the address on Wonderland Avenue. Two weeks later, it was reported that hed lost only seven pounds. He wasnt specific, but it really didnt matter anyway. There wasnt any trouble. 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 only recall seeing 'shadowy figures.'. Wonderland murders | Historica Wiki | Fandom Listen, he said, grabbing her elbow. What he was famous for was his penis. A girl entered stage right. He thought one porn person in the family was enough, she says. Then another girl, another. Videos . Miss Miller's shiny white 1969 Mercedes 280 SL was used to deliver narcotics to her customers, detectives said. . Haltingly, Holmes confessed to his wife that he had played a central role in four brutal murders earlier that month in a drug dealers hillside home in Laurel Canyon. The car was on the other side of Santa Monica Boulevard, across six lanes of traffic. Holmes and Jeana watched from the bed. Please enter a valid Memorial ID. The Starwood, on Santa Monica Boulevard, featured cutting-edge rock & roll. On Mulholland Drive, silently watching as the city falls down and taking a naturalist's notes. She reached up and took Johns chin in her hand, turned his head side to side. He wanted witness protection, a new name, money, a home. The next day, while Holmes was at work, a delegation of residents came to see Jeana. He looked very scared. Im going to quit. John? Change your mind. He took over the kitchen. British bus driver stops to give loose sheep a lift. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 02:26. This stuff makes me feel funny too. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. John swung and knocked his stepfather out. There was a lot of traffic, all day, all night, says a neighbor. Jeana packed her bag, gathered up Thor, put Johns gun in her pocketbook. You could walk up, whisper something in his ear, and hed make it available. Hed been ripped for eight pounds of cocaine, but the Wonderland Gang hadnt found his private stash, and now he was bubbling his glass pipe furiously. After that I was his.. He went to garage sales and bought old furniture. Susan Flores, mother of 'prime suspect' in Kristin Smart case - KSBY When he got out of jail, Holmes was jubilant. John leaned up against the back bumper, smoking a cigarette. Laurie was nineteen; she came from a small town outside Vegas. A poster for the 1977 John Holmes film The Jade Pussycat., NBA 'Investigating,' Team Suspends Ja Morant After Allegedly Flashing Gun on Social Media, Alex Murdaugh Juror Says Cellphone Video, 'Big Liar' Testimony Led to Guilty Verdict, She Used the Bathroom And Became a Target of the Culture War, Here's How LaRussell and Intuit are Helping Independent Artists Understand How to Achieve Their Financial Ambitions, Alex Murdaugh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Wife and Son, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, See the Beths Deliver Refreshing 'Expert in a Dying Field' Mini-Set on 'CBS Mornings', Netflixs Sex/Life Is Back to Satisfy Your Softcore Desires. One woman survived the attack. Why? All the sugar helped him come down. 7 May 2013. Not only did the Black Dahlia murder occur in '47 but the town was full of soldiers returning from the war with scarred psyches. When Amerson raised their rent to $400, they got their own place in Encino. Holmes muttered something to Nash about the gang. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click 10 Dec 2013. The lone survivor of a bloody attack at a - UPI Archives GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Wonderland murders - Wikipedia He went white. Its like being a carpenter. Eruption, a porn remake of Double Indemnity. Jeana said nothing. par | Juil 2, 2022 | mitchell wesley carlson charged | justin strauss net worth | Juil 2, 2022 | mitchell wesley carlson charged | justin strauss net worth Now, home early from her office, Sharon left her purse in the foyer, squeaked down the hall on white rubber soles to the bathroom of their one-bedroom apartment in Glendale. In the end, the most damaging evidence the prosecution could produce was a palm print on a headboard above one of the victims. . They shared an apartment with another divorced woman and her two children. She hadnt seen him in three months. myers park country club lawsuit; turkey hill frozen yogurt discontinued. Isnt that where John gets his drugs?. A bloody mess. There was a lot of screaming going on, Holmes told his wife. In the end, both Diles and Nash went to jail. Diles smacked Holmes, threw him across the room, shoved him against a wall. Reportedly, at the time of his death,[3] police investigators throughout California, largely in the Sacramento area, had 27 open homicide cases they believed were perpetrated by Launius. signs you are both hiding your feelings. Rodger Jacobs is an author, journalist, documentary producer, blogger and familiar gadfly in the LA blogosphere. Amerson, meanwhile, accused his friend of embezzling $200,000 from the company. He seems like he was a crazy fucker. Nash shut the bedroom door. A mother and daughter offered to help. Inside was her husband, John. Wonderland (2003) - Plot Summary - IMDb Come with us, Sharon., It can be the three of us, Sharon, like old times.. Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, the sheriff's prime suspect in the investigation into the disappearance of Kristin Smart, spoke to KSBY News on Tuesday for her first-ever media interview. Holmes buzzed an outside intercom box and asked someone inside to let him in. She opened the door, folded her arms against her chest. 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. Nash was leafing through a little black book that Diles had taken from Holmess pocket.