Above, the photo of Carole Landis published in The Times.
omeone was kind enough to send me a scan of this photo. Here are the items on the bathroom counter: a book of matches, a comb and several bottles. It's a bit difficult to tell, but I think a pill bottle is visible behind the large bottle in the center of the photo. If so, we have found four pill bottles so far.
And we get a closeup of her left hand. I noticed right away there's no wedding ring. She had filed for divorce, so that's not terribly surprising -- but worth noting. Also notice that the bathroom appears to be carpeted.
Update: Now this is interesting. According to news reports, Landis was holding a satin ribbon bearing the Lord's Prayer in her left hand. But I don't see any ribbon, just a shadow from the leg of the bathroom sink. Unfortunately, her right hand is obscured.
Of course, we're snooping, so we're going to look into this locking cabinet. What's in here? On the top shelf, we find a small box and what appears to be a small pouch or portfolio-type cover with a snap.
This is the item that interests me the most. On the bottom shelf of this locking cabinet, closest to her head, we find some sort of typed or printed document. Unfortunately, I can't get any more detail by enhancing the photo. But it's clearly a document. Presumably this is not a will as there was confusion after her death about where it was located.
What seems evident, though, is that she was using the locking cabinet to store valuables.
In fact, someone sent me another photo of the scene in which the cabinet door isn't blocked by Detective Jones. At left, there's the lock.
Someone who has more time than I do might find it productive to get a copy of her probate records from Los Angeles County. Because there was a legal dispute over her estate, it's fairly likely there's a large file that should include a detailed inventory of everything she owned when she died.
The portfolio-like thing on the top shelf is commonly used to keep good pearls (it's usually lined in silk), and the small box is about the right size and type for earrings. Perhaps she locked her jewelry in the cabinet.
Larry Harnisch. The leading Black Dahlia expert and a collaborator in the 1947project, Harnisch has been a copy editor at The Times since 1988. He has appeared on many TV shows discussing the Dahlia case, notably "James Ellroy's Feast of Death."
Join him for a spin through old Los Angeles in the Mirror's radio car. Keep your eyes open for Mickey Cohen and Tempest Storm. It's quite a ride.
The reporter's badge belonged to Sid Hughes (1908-1958), legendary reporter who worked at nearly every newspaper in Los Angeles.
Keith Thursby. Keith has been an editor at The Times in news, sports and design since 1986. The Rams moved to St. Louis on his first day as assistant sports editor of the paper's Orange County edition. He grew up in Norwalk and lives in Irvine.
omeone was kind enough to send me a scan of this photo. Here are the items on the bathroom counter: a book of matches, a comb and several bottles. It's a bit difficult to tell, but I think a pill bottle is visible behind the large bottle in the center of the photo. If so, we have found four pill bottles so far. 
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The portfolio-like thing on the top shelf is commonly used to keep good pearls (it's usually lined in silk), and the small box is about the right size and type for earrings. Perhaps she locked her jewelry in the cabinet.
Posted by: Becky | July 06, 2008 at 01:26 AM