. He has had a long career as a journalist and communications specialist with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Prior to her disappearance, shed packed up all her earthly possessions and locked then up in the downtown Greyhound bus station. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Burial in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern IL, PanCan.org, or First United Presbyterian Church Building Fund. Some heard a woman's screams coming from the house Tuesday morning, but ignored them in the belief someone was playing a joke, partying or having a nightmare. LOS ANGELES -- The lone survivor of the massacre of four people in the swank Laurel Canyon home of an attractive blonde woman suspected of dealing in drugs was under a 24-hour hospital guard Friday as the star witness in the case. 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. Although he was often away from home, I was his safe place, Sharon Holmes said. Through his attorney, Nash has consistently denied any involvement in the Wonderland Avenue killings. He went out of his life denying, said Sharon Holmes, (saying) I had no involvement., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. But why are mysteries so endlessly fascinating? In May 1974, he was arrested for and charged with the 1973 murder of a reputed police drug informant who had been killed over a botched drug deal. She was later unable to identify her attackers. At the house, Holmes told his wife, Nash pored over Holmes address book, and stopped when he came to the pages that listed addresses in Ohio, where Holmes was born and where his mother and other relatives still lived. 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. Launius' brazen and fearless nature led both to his dominance of his chosen profession as well as his demise, stemming from the events leading up to his death in the Wonderland Murders. As of January 2017, Susan Launius is both the sole survivor of the Wonderland murders and the only living member of the Wonderland Gang. Elizabeth Short became known as "The Black Dahlia" after her brutal murder. The fourth victim, Billy DeVerell as he died on the floor of the 3rd floor bedroom. He was one of 5 children born during the depression and times were hard. You knew these people.. Early in the morning of the robbery, Holmes visited Nash's mansion ostensibly to party and to buy drugs, but on his way out, left the patio door to the kitchen unlatched. Susan. 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. Court records and pllice statements indicated two of the four victims were under prosecution for dealing in cocaine, heroin and Quaaludes. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. For example, we know that Short lied to her family back East about her career ambitions. . He spent considerable time in the Colorado prison system, but when he was free he operated a successful mobile phone franchise. A visitor to the house, Susan Launius, couldnt have known what the neighbors thought, though it was where her husband Ronald spent most of his time. 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". Sympathy Ideas. 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. In a recent interview with The Times, Sharon Holmes, who divorced the late actor in 1984, described for the first time the story her husband told her less than three weeks after the July 1 killings. 09/14/1943 - 08/10/2014 . Send Flowers. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. One was abruptly interrupted on the morning of July 1, 1981, when a shaken John Holmes crawled into their Glendale bedroom, bleeding, and told his wife that he had been in an accident. She served as a deacon and Read More, Submit an obit for publication in any local newspaper and on Legacy. Its not like there is a shortage of theories on her murderer there just isnt enough clear evidence to point to any one suspect in particular. Charlie told the driver to head to Los Feliz, with which he was familiar after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. 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. You could hit the lofty heights of stardom, like Tom Cruise. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. 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. Originally, McCourt was designated to take part in the home invasion itself, but a day or so before the event, conspirator David Lind (who derisively referred to McCourt as "Titmouse Tracy") took away McCourt's handgun, and McCourt was relegated to driving duty. Find the obituary of Susan Miller-Preciado (1945 - 2018) from Provo, UT. ; her grandchildren, Kristina Meltvedt (Robert), Front . Sign up for service and obituary updates. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of up to 60 minutes for minors, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. It fell to neighborhood housewife Betty Bersinger, walking with her three-year-old this January morning, to make the gruesome discovery. Edmund Brown Jr. owns a house about a mile from the scene of the murders. Police sources said Vlick, who is charged with plssessing drugs and stolen property, is a 'fringe guy' in organized crime circles. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. We have estimated Neighbors knew the place had more than a bad rep it had bad juju. For a much deeper examination of the twisted world of Charles Manson and his infamous band of followers, take a look at The Family: Inside the Manson Cult on MagellanTV. . The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. 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. Susan Bell Launius. He said he was told he would be killed and people in the book would be killed if (Holmes) didnt do what (Nash) wanted. Manson, along with his henchman Tex Watson, easily walked into the home and surprised both Leno and Rosemary. He was a lifelong member of Zion Evangelical Church in Millstadt, Ill., American Legion Post 502 in Millstadt, Ill., Progressive Mine Workers Local 76, and the Operating Engineers Local 520. The objective of the robbery was to steal a hoard of cash, heroin, and cocaine that Holmes claimed was in a safe embedded in Nash's bedroom floor, as well as to retrieve some antique guns the Wonderland Gang had stolen from another businessman and then subsequently, using Holmes as an intermediary, sold to Nash in exchange for drugs. At 71 years old, Susan Launius height not available right now. . When one of Nashs bodyguards spotted Holmes wearing a ring that had been purloined that night, the whole thing fell apart. Only Susan Launius survived, but her severe head injuries caused her to be unable to recall anything of the attacks. Short seems to have been a drifter. 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. The 43-year-old actor died as a result of complications arising from his infection with the AIDS virus. . 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? John Holmes, who was tried for and acquitted of the crimes, never told his wife the names of the assailants, she said. March 17, 1926 - October 31, 2020. , money, salary, income, and assets. is robert peston married to charlotte edwardes. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. It was in prison that David Lind met Ron Launius. Holmes told his wife that he rode with three armed men to the address on Wonderland Avenue. 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. 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. 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. The neighborhood: Laurel Canyon. Filicide is the act of a parent killing their child. Susan B. Launius. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Charlie and Watson tied the LaBiancas up, convincing the couple theyd be safe if they cooperated. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. Add a Memory. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Launius, 36, was a Vietnam Veteran who had been dishonorably discharged after the Air Force discovered he had been smuggling heroin back to the states from overseas in the body bags of deceased servicemen.Married to his second wife Susan, Launius was basically on a crime spree throughout most of the 1970s including one incident in Mexico where . 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. Sign the Guest Book. . Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. And (that they) made him watch.. As the 1980s began, and Holmes became more heavily involved in cocaine, his absences grew longer. They raised seven children: James Glenn and his wife, Vanneary, David Glenn, Christopher Glenn, Susan Carson, Frances Green, Albert and his wife, Cecile Glenn and Charles and . She is survived by : her parents, Clyde Crandall and Fern Crandall. Prior to her disappearance, shed packed up all her earthly possessions and locked then up in the downtown Greyhound bus station. Susan Launius Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, Ill., born Sept 14, 1943, in Belleville, Ill., died Sunday Aug. 10, 2014, at her . If the LaBiancas were spooked by the grisly events of the previous night, they werent concerned enough to lock their back door. Susan was a lifelong member 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. When Holmes returned to his car hours later, two armed men ordered him to drive to Nashs home, he said. The scene: A tract of land being developed into new homes to accommodate young working-class families in postwar L.A. On July 1, 1981, three members and one associate of the gang died in the Wonderland murders (also known as the "Four on the Floor murders" or the "Laurel Canyon murders"). Funeral homes; Help and advice. Blogs; Online will; Shop. Unfortunately, thats not always the case. She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, William Launius Sr.; her son William (Joan) Launius Jr. of Millstadt; her daughter Lori (Ken) Harris of Waterloo; her grandchildren William Trey Launius III, Kasey Launius, Hunter Harris, Carter Harris, Tanner Harris, and Cooper Harris; brother-in-law Darwin Kraft; beloved nieces Lisa (Craig) DeBeaumont, Rebecca (Art) Fudge, beloved nephews Todd Kraft, and Karl Eric (Sue) Kraft, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, lifelong friend Theresa Painter, and many other friends. 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. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. In their comfortable Los Feliz dwelling, constructed in 1922 and situated near the crest of a hill. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. But before they headed east, Holmes paid a final, early morning visit to his wife. Share Obituary. Charlie told the driver to head to. 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. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. So, Nash became the target of a harebrained idea. . Only Susan Launius survived, but her severe head injuries caused her to be unable to recall anything of the attacks. 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