The Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short, surrounded by myth and falsehoods, is also known as the Black Dahlia. On the morning of January 15, 1947, it was discovered that Elizabeth Short had met her fate at the hands of a fiendish killer when her body was found in a vacant lot, the top half separated from the lower half. Short’s posed, naked body had been cut in half at the waist and drained of its blood. She suffered blunt-force trauma and multiple lacerations to her head. Her face was cut from the corners of her mouth to her ears – a gruesome cut known as a Glasgow Smile. (Sobel) Her stomach consisted of a greenish brown granular matter that included feces and other particles that could not be identified. Sections of skin and tissue was removed from different areas of her body. She had multiple cuts, abrasions across her body and marks on her …show more content…
The facts of the case quickly became lost in speculation and sensationalism promoted by the media. Their involvement in the murder was almost as detrimental to the development of the case as to the development to Short’s public image. Being responsible for re-creating Short’s character, painting her as a hooker who ran around town and slinking around Hollywood Boulevard with numerous men. Short dated numerous men in order to secure dinner dates as she could seldom afford to eat. Changing the black tailored suit, she was last seen wearing into a tight and sheer outfit, the newspapers took it upon themselves to make Short’s life more exciting and racy in an attempt to keep the daily story fresh. When in all actuality, Short’s wardrobe was tasteful and feminine, filled with high-collared blouses and A-line skirts. Even though her true identity was eventually discovered, the press seldom stated her real name in the headlines. She was no longer Elizabeth Short, the person. Instead, she became known as the tortured and slain girl labeled the Black