One woman who had sex with Nash remembers a lot of temptation. Pharmaceutical cocaine was one of the ingredients. . This is Susan Launius. 1-20 of 285. He boiled it clean in a pot on Sharons stove. They came from across the countryalthough the Washington, D.C. area was noticeably over-representedas well as from Canada and England, and, in at least one case, all the way from Nazi Germany. Sprinklers were ticking water across lawns. The maid was the only one home, and they tied her up. To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, Death Info and Location even a guess will help. $1 Million - $5 Million. Record information. He was dying. She was twenty, an army brat. But here we are. Laurie was standing at the door when Lange and McClain appeared down the corridor. John Holmes was famous, at least in some circles. Blond and bearded, Launius had served federal time for drug smuggling. Like aliens or something. You sound close., Well, I, I, ah, came with a friend. Finally, he replied: The murders . Someone held a gun to my head. They came even though, at the time, there was no music industry in Los Angeles. Then came the late-night news. You said something about blood., Holmess eyes bulged. Sharing the house with Miller and DeVerell was Ronald Launius, 37. It began, according to Thorsons book, Behind the Candelabra, when Liberace ordered him to have cosmetic surgery. In 1973, in Yuba City, CA, Ron Launius and associate Carroll Evan Sherrill had taken some "bad dope" and Ron confronted another associate, Gary James Moore, whom he accused of being a "snitch" or informant. With all the publicity from the murders, John Holmes had achieved almost mainstream celebrity. So much blood! he groaned over and over. Chris caught up. The master, the giver of hospitality. Wearing jewel-bedecked livery, he would chauffeur Liberace onto the stage in a glittering mini-Rolls-Royce open the door, take his masters fur coat. No strings attached.. Theyd been married sixteen years. 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Amerson says Holmes spent most of his time playing cards and shooting darts. The Starwood, on Santa Monica Boulevard, featured cutting-edge rock & roll. he didnt know what the truth was anymore; about himself, about anything, Sellers said. Holmes broke into cars along the way. March 2 (UPI) -- A Minnesota police officer came to the rescue of a raccoon he spotted running around with a jar stuck over its head. I'll sidestep Nathanael West's blistering "Day of the Locust" to applaud some more recent works like Michelle Huneven's "Jamesland" and the Nina Zero private eye novels by Robert Eversz. He weighed ninety pounds, his fingernails were two inches long. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son After a while, I said I didnt want to go out on the beach anymore. There were contracts out on their lives. He stayed in there like three hours, and Im just sitting there, you know, twiddling my thumbs. U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current. But Deputy District Attorney Ronald Coen said the prosecution would not attempt to prove Holmes actually killed the victims but was an accessory to the crime. Which movie about the entire John C. Holmes story accurately captures the Holmes milieu- "Wonderland" or "Boogie Nights" ? He was involved in one murder and a suspect in at least one more. 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. That evening, Chinn wrote a three-page screenplay; a partnership was born. John continued making films for a while. We went on twenty-four-hour watch. Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, the sheriff's prime suspect in the investigation into the disappearance of Kristin Smart, spoke to KSBY News on Tuesday for her first-ever media interview. Learn more about merges. He went out of his life denying, said Sharon Holmes, (saying) I had no involvement., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Hong Kong court convicts activists behind Tiananmen vigil, Election conspiracies fuel dispute over voter fraud system, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way. Fine. Early in 1983, Holmes was shooting Fleshpond at a studio in San Francisco. Mary was a Bible-thumping Baptist John remembered screaming, yelling, his father puking all over the kids. A porn documentary of his life, made in 1981, was called Exhausted. On weekends they went to swap meets and yard sales. She was nowhere to be found. At the hospital, as he came out of anesthesia, he said to Mary, Ill never have to work again. He didnt. Her daughter was born by emergency C-section. Then, in the summer of 1985, John tested positive for AIDS. Another officer commented, upon hearing of Launius' death, "I suppose they won't need many pall bearers". A California cop called him "one of the coldest people I ever met." The house at 8763 Wonderland rented for $750 a month.. And then, just as we got to this intersection, he slammed on the brakes. And, as Holmess supply of coke dwindled, his conscience was overruled by his jones. He stroked us, jacked us around. Three hours later, everyone was finally awake. He would have to take them to the house.. As the 1980s began, and Holmes became more heavily involved in cocaine, his absences grew longer. The time was right, he told Lind. Susan Launius | Historica Wiki | Fandom John picked up Sharons two dogs and Thor from the kennel. It was a big ordeal for him, says Laurie. According to one Los Angeles law-enforcement official, Ed Nash was a very well-known figure in the Sixties around Hollywood with police, and it was never an antagonistic relationship.. I think they call it a taxi cab. He said he was told he would be killed and people in the book would be killed if (Holmes) didnt do what (Nash) wanted. The murderers were brought to justice. I come back to Wonderland. Everybody at the hotel got to know us, Jeana says. Two days later, Coen alleged that Holmes, acting on Nashs orders, led the killers to the Wonderland Avenue address and then helped murder the occupants. In high school, Holmes said, he slept with all but three girls in his class. Teenage Cowgirls, Liquid Lips, China Cat and Tapestry of Passion. A girl from the dorm recommended him. The police wanted to know who killed the Wonderland Gang. or learn more. Following his arrest in Miami, Holmes was tried for the murder of the Wonderland Gang. Its time, Holmes said, and then he smiled and raised his fist. After a while, the weather report came on. Eddie Nash assumed he deserved a certain amount of respect, says one denizen. He was prepared to testify that Eddie Nash had sent Holmes and Diles to Wonderland Avenue and that Nash felt responsible for the bloody mess that resulted. A stairway, leading from the garage to the front door, was caged in iron. He moved to a modest condo in Tarzana and set about rebuilding, taking college business courses at night. They took back his key to Wonderland, and Launius punched him out, then hit Holmes with his own blackthorn walking stick. Then another. I'm comfortable speaking to 2,000 people about my work, but drop me into a cocktail party with 50 people, and I'm lost. Armed guards in the lobby, in the hallway. Laurel Canyon had long been a prestige address, an earthy, woodsy setting just minutes from the glitter and rush of Tinseltown. . Court records and pllice statements indicated two of the four victims were under prosecution for dealing in cocaine, heroin and Quaaludes. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Meanwhile, Jeana called Holmess answering service and left the number. They made him beg for his life. Hed have Jimmie, the cook, prepare these elaborate spreads. For like three weeks, one of us had to be awake at all times. I called up and said I had some things for the people inside and to let me up. The school was a block away from Nashs place. Others looked like theyd been sucking on the pipe a little too long. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. There were piles of cocaine in front of you. Hard Candy, a 3-D thriller. Women asked him to deflower their daughters. Two customers waited. He hardly knew what Holmes was saying. His lawyer lent him a Volkswagen Beetle and $100, and Holmes showed up at his friend Amersons house. We were really broke. Why would I confront her? John Holmes died on March 13th, 1988. At an alarming rate.. Based on my research, "Wonderland"arrives closest to the truth but in both films an apologist's tone creeps in with reference to Holmes. April Valentine died at Centinela Hospital. I wouldn't doubt it. Drinking, driving. He greeted reporters, had dinner with his lawyer, then called Sharon. He lost his virginity at age twelve to a thirty-six-year-old woman who was a friend of his mothers. She was in intensive care with a severed finger and brain damage. Up to this time, Holmes had been doing mostly photo layouts, stag films and 8-mm bookstore loops. How do you handle this conflict? Remember me?. Blood! Related Stories Do you agree with that assessment? All Marriage & Divorce results for Ronnie Launius. Holmes, meanwhile, had gone back to making films. John? Diles shoved, Holmes skidded across the carpet. Holmes hired the sisters to do gardening around the complex. Mary went to work on an assembly line at a Western Electric plant. A pimp tried to pick her up. Susan Launius - Net Worth March 2023, Salary, Age, Siblings, Bio He beat the shit out of me, then walked back up to the room. Five men and two women were meeting in the breakfast nook, sitting in swivel chairs, leaning against walls. Pairings for the UIL tennis tournament - chron.com The cost of the ISBN - to get your title into other markets like Amazon and bricks and mortar book stores - comes out of the author's own pocket but that's a small price to pay, literally, for everything else Lulu does for authors, such as providing a storefront free of charge. Built in 1925, in the then fashionable Spanish Revival style, it sits in the leafy hills above the Los Feliz neighbourhood, at the fringes of Griffith Park and with a panoramic view of the city. Main Menu. Jeana hung up the phone. At night, she baby-sat for David and Karen. Hed say, Count this. Were talking $56,000 in two boots.. Theyll never steal from anyone again!, Thorson was excused, and Nash closed the door. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? Daniel von Seckendorff on LinkedIn: #microsoftedge #bing #openai #gpt4 They watched some more TV. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people living and working in L.A. who have never given thought to writing a screenplay. March 3 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts library said a book was recently returned with a note apologizing for the tome being 56 years overdue. The first man to win the X Rated Critics Organization Best Actor Award, Holmes was an idol and an icon, the most visible male pom star of his time. Whenever he returned from days or weeks away, Holmes would bring gifts: stuffed animals, roses, a ring. This stuff makes me feel funny too. This button displays the currently selected search type. The Malibu was idling. By the time Johns half brother was born, John was spending most of his time in the woods, hunting, trapping, fishing, staying away from Harold. Get my property! Ten inches long! Launius' wife, Susan Launius, survived the attack. . 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. Based on the material given to us by John Holmes (for the book), that version of the facts is not an accurate one, Eisenman said. Writer and documentary producer. Sharon always knew when he was lying. Jeana was doing freebase too, almost every night. Didn't expect my day to start by downloading #microsoftedge or willingly going to #bing to see #openai's new #gpt4 model. At the end, there were six working at once on his penis. We want to talk to you about Eddie Nash, said McClain. He said, Im gonna die! and drove off., When he came back, says Laurie, he was laughing about it. Nash was missing part of his sinus cavity, one of his lungs had been removed, and he had a steel plate in his head. She cleared her throat John?, You had this dream. The consumption of alcohol and drugs was an ongoing, everyday affair, says an attorney who is a longtime acquaintance of Nashs. The cops were calling it the Four on the Floor Murders. It was a strange and violent time and men wore double-breasted suits and snap-brim Fedoras. An ex-convict whod served time for burglary, forgery and assault to commit rape, Lind had been invited to town, he would later tell a court, to practice his profession, committing crimes. He said that (Nash) told him if he ever talked to the police that (Nash) would kill someone in his family. The detective added that Holmes said he was there when the murders happened, but that he himself did not hurt anyone.. . Launius and four of his associates were found dead in their townhouse on Wonderland Avenue, in Laurel Canyon on July 1, 1981. They hadnt spoken in two years. Addled synapses played him a picture: Eddie Nash. They made a run to McDonalds for hamburgers. For his part, Holmes did anything he could for Nash. Hed have me make these peanut-butter chocolate-chip brown-sugar butter cookies. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. Then he designed a massive gold and diamond ring in the shape of a dragonfly, and a gold belt buckle, measuring eight by five inches. Now he was a drug delivery boy for the Wonderland Gang. Her lover was Billy DeVerell. Her brother Chris, 16, lived in Oregon. A doctor of dubious practice prescribed a salad of different drugs to aid the weight loss. He also collected animal skulls. Holmes let his hair grow, started wearing three-piece suits. He worked for others for a time, then opened Beefs Chuck, a hotdog stand on Hollywood Boulevard. Hanson said Holmes never told his attorneys what happened the night of the killings. The jury found him innocent. There were seven of them meeting in the house on Wonderland Avenue, a jaundiced stucco box on a steep, winding road in the hills above Hollywood. That house, she thought. 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 only recall seeing 'shadowy figures.'. Nash was a drug dealer and a heavy user. Launius' years of operation: 1972-1973 (after he returned from Asia and before prison), 1978-1981. Things started to click. That we were on the right track, that this is indeed what had happened, that this was the motivation, that this was how it came down. Show your appreciation with the gift of Flickr Pro. She was thin, blond, foulmouthed, a heroin addict with seven arrests. He lost his thumb and three fingers. I believe that cocaine paranoia created within him the desire to stay within that closed environment that he had control over. He was frozen. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. Then, when Eddie Nash got out of jail, John was very, very worried. Now Holmes owed the Wonderland Gang, too. Jeana stood up, moved closer to the tube. Now the police wanted Holmess testimony. They did hits off Eddies pipe, eyed the door. John and Jeana painted the Malibu gray with a red top. It was a simple ceremony. We went to a motel, had a nice reunion. By the time they pulled into the apartment complex managed by Sharon Holmes, it had been decided. Susan Launius - Remote Medical Transcriptionist - LinkedIn Jeana, Ive got to tell you. Dickman and Throbbin, a lampoon of Batman and Robin. They wanted to see Holmes. He tried to think. Edward Sutter Obituary (1919 - 2012) - Millstadt, IL - Belleville News I know Eddie. Holmes, 37, was formally charged with four counts of murder and one of attempted murder following his arrest last December in Miami. Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now, How 4 Words Upended A University's Journalism Program, And Stirred A Reckoning Over Race, What A Popular Yoga Teacher's Descent Into Conspiracy Theories Says About The 'Wellness To QAnon Pipeline', Ancient Lung Disease Strikes Countertop Cutters In LA, The Groundbreaking Suicide Squad That Tested Early Rockets And Flirted With The Occult. They needed a score. He said, I had to stand there and watch what they did, Sharon Holmes recalled. Whos this in Montana? His family had owned several hotels before the creation of Israel in 1948. Officers made casts of the victims' wounds to help determine the weapon or weapons used in the attack. This is an archival story that predates current editorial management. He offered the police secrets. Holmes was crumpled on the floor. Nashs and Diless attorneys maintain their clients innocence and question the credibility of witnesses for the prosecution. 7 May 2013. Before them were two pairs of handcuffs, a stolen police badge, several automatic pistols and a dogeared sheet of paper, a floor plan. The Wonderland Gang Murders: What You Need To Know | Crime News He was great. What's different Holmes wouldnt tell. His black club was like a Hollywood Harlem, jazz and pinkie rings and wide-brimmed straw hats. He told us everything initially, right after it happened. By 1973, John and Sharon were sharing the same house, even the same bed, but they were no longer having sex. All Rights reserved. 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. He sounded a lot like Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver and bore some resemblance to the actor who played him. The Hippie 'Flower-Child' Revolutionaries & Their Ties To The Military They were stupid. Considering employee opinions. This time, the gang decided not to wait for his return. Holmes finally called on the afternoon of the 29th, after the Wonderland Gang kicked him out. It had a tropical motif, a menu of special drinks, a Polynesian revue, sometimes belly dancers. 'I was laying down on the bed. The letters "IC" pronounced properly can say "icy" meaning very cold. Just recently, he had begun training to be a uniformed security guard. 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. This is a man who pimped out his underage girlfriend to Eddie Nash in exchange for drugs and that's just the beginning of his sins. There was a lot of traffic, all day, all night, says a neighbor. Go!. He invested in movies, leased office space to several porn-related operations. Then what?, I leave the sliding door unlocked this one, said Holmes, pointing to the floor plan, here, in the back. So you go in, Launius was saying to Holmes, reviewing the plan. He was in so much pain, you couldnt touch him. In the car were De Verell, Launius, McCourt and a man named David Lind, a friend of Launiuss. The bodies were discovered by workmen next door; theyd heard faint cries from the back of the house: Help me. It's a yellow - sometimes green - vehicle with four tires and a Middle Eastern man behind the wheel. Holmes nodded his head, put out his cigarette, closed his eyes. Wednesday afternoon, July 1st, two days after the robbery. When asked to elaborate, the policeman explained: "A trash can only has two handles". Hed been in jail eleven months in all, 110 days on the contempt charge. 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. Hed underestimated Nash once, but hed never do it again. Everybody was down there. First his forehead, then his cheeks, then his neck. He was willing, even eager, to murder a helpless woman who was no physical threat to him. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. He had a full erection. Web Design & Digital Marketing Help me. A fifth victim was carried out alive. This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Nashs house was raided three times. People are after John, and they think youre with him. The guest bedroom. LOS ANGELES -- The lone survivor of a bloody attack at a Laurel Canyon home last summer testified today she does not recall seeing porno star John Holmes in the house the night she was attacked and four others were bludgeoned to death. Why did you choose to publish the book on Lulu.com. The lone survivor of a bloody attack at a - UPI Archives In the end, both Diles and Nash went to jail. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. It's been many, many years since we saw this much snow in our mountains. Harold drank a lot. Only Launius' wife Susan survived the attack, allegedly masterminded by organized crime figure and nightclub owner Eddie Nash. The Wonderland case was still open. Soon after, Detectives Lange and McClain called the hospital. Susan Lanius (unlucky) wife of Ron Lanius played by Christina Applegate in the movie Wonderland. His eyes blinked rapidly. He looked like a guy in a dive bar in El Paso, according to a neighbor. Rush hour was on. She cut her eyes slowly, caught his profile. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? His mistress, Jeana, whod been with him since she was fifteen, was turning tricks to support his habit. In 1981, Ron Launius and his gang of thieves and drug dealers, with assistance from porn star John Holmes, robbed the home of businessman and gangster Eddie Nash. The Devil and John Holmes - Rolling Stone Take care of him, Sharon said. pillsbury company net worth; does gotomeeting work in china; tanner mark boots website Barbara's cousin tells me this info. Later it was reported that Holmes interrupted his fast, ate a meal, then continued his fast. LAist Interview: Rodger Jacobs | LAist Susan A. Murphy Launius, then 30, while not an official member of the gang, was married to gang member Ron Launius and had a drug habit. Haltingly, Holmes confessed to his wife that he had played a central role in four brutal murders earlier that month in a drug dealers hillside home in Laurel Canyon. Holmes told his wife that he rode with three armed men to the address on Wonderland Avenue. ''Wonderland,'' directed by James Cox, is part of a curious, somewhat unsavory subgenre of movies that involve washed-up, sort-of-famous people and death by bludgeoning. signs you are both hiding your feelings. Nobody knew wherewe lived. He was like the old John. Where are you calling from? When I got out, he said, Lets go, and we drove toward home. Above all, he said, he loved his work: A happy gardener is one with dirty fingernails, and a happy cook is a fat cook. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. He told us certain things. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. John? Theres somebody out there who wants to kill me, Holmes told Sharon, his wife of 16 years.