Katharina Buczek
So, the investigators reportedly moved on, and the unrest surrounding Jean’s unsolved case only grew. Soon, the press began referencing the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short– which is otherwise known as “the Black Dahlia case.”
Jean’s background as an aspiring actress and even her physical appearance were strangely similar to Elizabeth’s. And due to this, many people began to theorize that perhaps the same person who had mutilated Elizabeth Short was also behind Jean’s disappearance.
And recently, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the son of the prime suspect in Elizabeth Short’s case– Steve Hodel– suggested that his father might have been behind both murders.
Steve claimed that his celebrity doctor father, George Hodel, was the Black Dahlia murderer. And in support of this theory is the fact that Jean’s ripped purse was discovered just a few miles away from George Hodel’s home.
However, George Hodel died on May 17, 1999. So, his involvement in either of the cases will likely remain unconfirmed.
At the time of Jean’s disappearance, this speculation regarding Hodel was also not supported by any evidence. So, three weeks into the investigation, investigators were at a loss.
“The only thing we have been able to find out is that this girl really got around,” one detective even said to the press.
Authorities ultimately found links between Jean and a wealthy nightclub owner, a prominent educator, various jet setters and actors, and even a gangster.
During this era in Hollywood, it was not uncommon for movie stars, studio businessmen, and mobsters to mingle.
Jean was even seeing David Ogul, also known as “Little Davy,” who was once the bodyguard of Mickey Cohen– a Jewish mobster. In fact, witnesses recalled seeing both Jean and David in Palm Springs just a week before she disappeared.
The main problem with this lead, though, was that David actually disappeared a few days before Jean did. He was reportedly under indictment for conspiracy, and it was later reported that David was murdered for speaking with law enforcement.
