UMVA has learned that a decades-long mystery in Los Angeles may finally be on the cusp of a major breakthrough, as cold case detectives re-examine crucial evidence in the infamous Black Dahlia murder case.
The unsolved slaying and dismemberment of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short in 1947 has long been one of the city's most enduring and chilling mysteries, with her mutilated remains discovered in a vacant lot and her gruesome crime scene shocking the nation.
According to information obtained by UMVA, newly discovered fingerprints from the crime scene, which date back to 1943, are now being scrutinized by detectives for potential links to the killer, including possible connections to Short's ex-boyfriend Marvin Margolis and the notorious Zodiac Killer.
Independent forensic examiner Alex Baber, co-founder of the Cold Case Consultants of America, has found evidence suggesting Margolis, who served in the Navy during World War II, may have been involved in the crime, and that he may also be linked to the Zodiac Killer, another infamous unsolved case in California.
"As an investigator, if it potentially could help, I would absolutely not turn it down," said Detective Marty Mojarro, one of two LAPD cold case investigators tasked with re-examining the case.
Mojarro and his team are working with Baber and his team to vet the new evidence and compare it to what they already have in the case file, with the hope of finally bringing closure to the families of Elizabeth Short and other victims of the Zodiac Killer.
"We don't have live witnesses to interview," Mojarro said, "all the physical evidence that was ever collected – it is what it is." But with the re-examination of the new fingerprints, the LAPD is holding out hope that they may finally be able to crack the case.
