Tour explores mystery of famous crime

The City of Angels is known for fame, fortune and picturesque weather. However, Los Angeles also has a dark side, one full of crime and murder. To shed light on one part of this darkness, one bus tour strives to expose the seedy underpinnings of some of Los Angeles’ finest sites.

The Black Dahlia is one of the most iconic murders in L.A. history. On Jan. 15, 1947, the body of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was found in a vacant lot in Downtown Los Angeles. To this day, her murderer is unknown and Short’s story lives on in the eponymous legend, so named because of Short’s jet black hair, black attire and black, Goth-like makeup.

Short’s story still lingers in the minds of those who live in the Los Angeles area, where it has become a staple in crime history because of its violent nature and lack of resolution — all aspects which are addressed in the Real Black Dahlia Crime Bus Tour, put on by Esotouric.

“We see this notorious, poorly understood and often misrepresented crime story as an opportunity to take people deep into the real life experience of the lost and lonely women of post-World War II Los Angeles,” said Kim Cooper, an Esotouric representative.

Not only does this tour explore the last moments of Short’s life, but it helps give a better understanding of the women who came to Los Angeles during World War II to seek fame and stardom.

“Our favorite passengers for this tour are women who were young in 1947 Los Angeles, who come with their daughter or granddaughter, because they always have stories to share about what it was like in L.A. then,” Cooper said.

The tour goes beyond the murder aspect of the story and hones in on Short’s character. During on the tour, passengers and tour guides interact with one another and talk about who Short really was and who they think killed her.

The tour begins at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, where Short checked her bags after arriving at the Greyhound station and continues to the Olive Street Bar where it is believed Short met her murderer. While traveling through Downtown, the tour explores other sites including the Examiner offices and the Figueroa Hotel, where Short had also stayed. The tour nears its end at Leimert Park, the formerly vacant lot, where Short’s body was discovered in one of the city’s most memorably horrific crime scenes — her body was found in pieces, drained of all blood.

The tour’s unusual nature and grisly eye for detail has made it one of the most famous crime tours in Los Angeles.

“It is honest, immersive, emotional and real,” Cooper said. “It surprises people who think they already knew it all about this case.”

One of the most interesting parts of the tour is the stop immediately following the dumpsite: the house of Dr. Walter Bayley. Bayley wasn’t immediately a key suspect in the case, but was thought to be the killer by Los Angeles Times reporter Larry Harnisch. In recent years, Bayley has emerged as one of the stronger suspects — but he died a year after Short was murdered.

The Real Black Dahlia tour is one of Esotouric’s most popular, drawing a wide range of passengers keen to learn more about Los Angeles history. These same people will try to create their own solutions to the ongoing mystery of the Black Dahlia.

“Our aim — and I think we succeed — is to change the way people think about this case and about the city in 1947,” Cooper said. “It’s an experience that leaves people thinking.”

The mystery of the Black Dahlia will always haunt Los Angeles. Tourists can become active participants in an ongoing crime investigation that has stumped police and forensic specialists for more than 50 years.

The Black Dahlia is a Los Angeles icon and this tour is a new way to see the secret, unexposed, murky side of the city.

For those wishing to explore the darkness, you might have to wait. Tickets for the next tour on Sept. 25 have sold out, but are available again in January.