Its a miracle that, despite the thousands of hopeful souls who attempt to break in to the stardom proffered by the architects of Hollywoods dream factory, there arent more tragic tales of disheartened dreamers losing it all. Whatever the mood was prior to the night of August 8, the night of August 9 was filled with trepidation. Location of the so-called 5th victim, Susan Launius was found at the foot of her husband's bed. William "Bill" Edward Launius Sr., 77, of Belleville, born in East St. Louis on September 29, 1943, passed away Sunday, March 14, 2021 at Cedarhurst in Waterloo IL, with his children by his side. The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. Susan Launiuss income source is mostly from being a successful . Clyde Lee Launius, age 92, passed away on January 23, 2023 at La Bonne Maison Assisted Living Facility in Sikeston, MO. Roland Edward Launius. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision that killed at least 36, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut. In 2001, he reportedly had been wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department for "assault with a deadly weapon and failure to comply on the original charge of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance". After all, there are reasons the mythical Boulevard of Broken Dreams is said to slice through the heart of Hollywood. . Joy Audrey Miller, 46, who rented the house, had a record of six arrests -- three for peddling dope -- and had been under surveillance since Jan. 7, 1980, by narcotics officers who saw her selling drugs in front of the house at least eight times, affidavits said. Find the obituary of Lois Marjorie Launius Vaughn (1924 - 2019) from Dexter, MO. (73 years old). Tracy Raymond McCourt was the driver of the stolen 1975 Ford Granada that carried the Wonderland Gang to Eddie Nash's home on the night of the robbery. Provo City Cemetery 610 S State St, Provo, UT 84606. Funeral: 10:00am Friday August 15, 2014 at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville IL. Another victim, William DeVerell, 44, who lived at the house, had an arrest record in the 1950s, mostly for narcotics but had not been arrested in the recent case. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. he didnt know what the truth was anymore; about himself, about anything, Sellers said. Prosecutors charge that Nash, then a wealthy nightclub owner, ordered the murders . The Black Dahlia murder, the Manson Family spree, and the Wonderland killings are each crimes of their era with resonance that reaches to today. Visitation: 4 8pm Thursday August 14, 2014 at Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home, Belleville IL, and 9 10am Friday August 15, 2014 at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville IL. The news coverage of the brutal Benedict Canyon murders was disturbing to them, and Rosemary had retired to their bedroom while her husband stayed up reading the paper. Click or call (800) 729-8809, Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Accounts vary as to how and why Holmes arrived there; according to some sources, Holmes went there himself to try to make himself appear innocent, whereas others claim Holmes was kidnapped by Nash's henchmen when they recognized him walking around wearing some of Nash's jewelry. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. Funeral: 10:00am Friday August 15, 2014 at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville IL. So Holmes summoned his wife into the bathroom, drew steaming water into the tub, slipped in, and began to talk. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, Ill Read More, SUSAN LAUNIUS Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. But why are mysteries so endlessly fascinating? Susan Launius was born on 1951. But Nash had a sneaking suspicion about his friend Johnny Wadd, who had visited the home only hours before the robbery. And following that, why was she transported there, posed like a cheesecake model, with a ghoulish smile cut into her cheeks, and left to be discovered, causing revulsion and terror? Mrs. Launius enjoyed working on the gardens at her home, which she treasured. It fell to neighborhood housewife Betty Bersinger, walking with her three-year-old this January morning, to make the gruesome discovery. It was in prison that David Lind met Ron Launius. Would you like to offer William E. Launius Sr.s loved ones a condolence message? 'We have interviewed her but we're not going to say anything about it.'. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. So,, Whether its a whodunnit story, a bank heist, or an unsolved problem of science, we love a good mystery. Remarks by neighbors in the trendy, secluded area above the Sunset Strip and court records revealed the occupants of the stucco house on Wonderland Avenue lived in Southern California's 'fast lane' -- a lifestyle surrounded by drugs, flashy cars and trouble with police. 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. And yet, according to the evidence, neither was she a prostitute. When Holmes returned to his car hours later, two armed men ordered him to drive to Nashs home, he said. Basically, he said, Im going to have to run, Sharon Holmes recalled, And I said, Youre going to have to tell me. . By light, four people - Ron Launius, his accomplice Billy DeVerell, Billy's girlfriend Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson - lay dead in the house. So, Nash became the target of a harebrained idea. Los Angeles and Hollywood, L.A.s evanescent city within the city casts a long shadow for strivers and dreamers. There is no photo or video of William E. Launius Sr..Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. He is currently single. Or you could climb the literal heights of the Hollywood sign, as Peg Entwistle did in 1932, peering over the edge at the expanse of Los Angeles as you prepare to leap to your undying infamy. Unfortunately, thats not always the case. 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. He writes on a wide variety of topics, including outer space, the fine arts, and modern history. You knew these people.. . A host of musicians, actors and artists make their homes in the rustic canyon. In the summer of 1981, Sharon Holmes said, she and John Holmes were living together as the managers of a small Glendale apartment complex. Though many questions about Shorts final weeks in Los Angeles have been answered, the circumstances of her demise and the post-mortem mutilation of her corpse are yet unknown. So, how much is Susan Launius worth at the age of 71 years old? Ronald Launius had a kind of second family there in Laurel Canyon, a cohort that included friends, accomplices, and hangers-on. Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Mary, nee Bell, Haywood; a sister Mary Jane Haywood; and a sister-in-law Nancy Kraft. As the wife of a drug dealer on the rise, she was protected from the gritty details of the life while enjoying its benefits for one, the money was great. She narrowly survived the Wonderland murders, being beaten so badly that she could not remember anything about the incident. . In the weeks before the killings, Coen told the jurors, Holmes ferried property stolen by the Wonderland Avenue gang to Nashs heavily secured home in Studio City, where he exchanged it for drugs. . The case against Holmes was built largely on two pieces of evidence: An admission that Holmes allegedly made to Los Angeles Police Detective Frank Tomlinson after his arrest in Miami in December, 1981, and a bloody palm print left by Holmes on the rail of a bed on which one of the victims, drug dealer Ronald Launius, died. No visits to agents, no casting call appearances, no registration in acting classes have been discovered. 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. that Nash ordered Holmes to execute a plan for payback and then some. For others, its just a dead end. You could hit the lofty heights of stardom, like Tom Cruise. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. . did in 1932, peering over the edge at the expanse of Los Angeles as you prepare to leap to your undying infamy. Police, however, believe that Holmes actually took part in the fatal beatings. He spent considerable time in the Colorado prison system, but when he was free he operated a successful mobile phone franchise. He is survived by : his children, William Launius Jr. (Joan) of Millstadt and Lori Harris (Ken) of Waterloo; and his grandchildren, William "Trey" Launius III, Kasey Launius, Hunter Harris, Carter Harris, Tanner Harris and Cooper Harris. Share Obituary. COVID origins? . The final victim was Barbara Richardson, 22, Sacramento, Calif. Court records revealed that a codefendant in Miss Miller's narcotics case was John 'Ricco' Vlick, 53, who lives in a wood-shingled house only two blocks from the scene of the killings. There are other suspects that we feel are involved. How did Shorts body end up in this strange residential environment, seven miles and seven days away from. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. On July 1, 1981, around 3 am, the occupants would come under attack. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. Grief Support. He was one of 5 children born during the depression and times were hard. She was an associate of the Wonderland Gang, hanging around the Wonderland apartment, where she was savagely beaten by criminals with lead pipes on the night of 1 July 1981. Visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. For others, its just a dead end. The address: Wonderland Avenue. LAUNIUS, JUNE E. Flushing Age 90 of Flushing, died Thursday, June 21, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw. Scott Thorson, who was buying drugs at Nash's home, wrote in his memoir My Life with Liberace (1988) that Nash had ordered Diles to bring Holmes to Nash's house, which Diles did after finding Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings. 'We'll probably find a real motive,' he said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The day after the robbery, someone who knew Nash apparently spotted Holmes in Hollywood, wearing a piece of jewelry that had been stolen from Nashs home, he told his wife. Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a favorite photo or memory, and send flowers or gifts to the family. She was later unable to identify her attackers. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. As the wife of a drug dealer on the rise, she was protected from the gritty details of the life while enjoying its benefits for one, the money was great. On June 29, 1981, the Wonderland Gang, comprising Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, David Lind, Tracy McCourt, and their associate, John Holmes, conspired to launch a home invasion and robbery upon Eddie Nash, a reputedly powerful organized crime figure who usually referred to himself in the third person as "The Nash". The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. The armed intruders robbed Nash and his 300-pound body guard, Gregory Diles, of $10,000, two plastic sacks of cocaine and other property. From Crime Stories to Our Place in the Universe: Mysteries Exist for Us to Solve. Following the robbery, Holmes ended up back at Nash's home. Laurel Canyon had its share of free-spirited, drug-friendly residents, but had never seen this level of violence and brutality. There was "a lot of screaming going. She was a wonderful mother, aunt, and dear friend. Interment will follow in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville IL. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca were brutally murdered in their Los Feliz home by members of the Manson Family in 1969. Officers made casts of the victims' wounds to help determine the weapon or weapons used in the attack. Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Mary, nee Bell, Haywood; a sister Mary Jane Haywood; and a sister-in-law Nancy Kraft. He said, They stuck a gun to my head and they made me go back in (to the Wonderland Avenue house) and open the door. Thats what he told me. 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. The LAPD estimates that over the years theyve received. Funeral homes; Help and advice. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William E. Launius Sr. (Belleville, Illinois), who passed away on March 14, 2021, at the age of 77, leaving to mourn family and friends. For some, Los Angeles is an endless highway to success. The robbery was an inside job set up by Holmes, who was a close associate of Nash's, and whom Nash regularly referred to as "my brother". The house, tucked deep in Laurel Canyon, was a suspected drug den where parties raged around the clock. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The neighborhood: Laurel Canyon. Coroner Thomas Noguchi said early autopsy results on the bodies found Wednesday -- 12 hours after the neighbors ignored the screams for mercy -- indicated the victims had been beaten to death. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, was one of the victims. Holmes spent a good portion of his days (and nights) partying with the Wonderland crew. He is from . The neighborhood: Leimert Park. Face of Ron Launius (May 18, 1944 - July 1, 1981) Ronald Lee "Ron" Launius was the leader of the Wonderland Gang, a squad of drug dealers that operated out of a dope house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California, moving large amounts of cocaine and small amounts of heroin. Mrs. Launius moved to Bloomfield, Missouri, where she met the love of her life, Kent A. Launius. I know who did it.. John Holmes himself never offered a public account of what happened on that July night. 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