THE PENNSYLVANIA MURDER GRADING STATUTE

After our American Independence a number of the new states began legislative reforms to codify the crime of murder. One of the earliest states to do so was Pennsylvania. In 1794, that state enacted a murder degree statute which divided murder into first degree capital murder and second degree murder. The Pennsylvania legislature constricted the penalty for felony murder by imposing capital punishment only for such felonies as occurred in the perpetration of arson, rape, robbery or burglary. The statute further provided that all murder in the state other than ones committed in the perpetration of one of the common law felonies specified in their degree statute was to be second degree murder.

Later the felony of kidnapping was added to the list of specified felonies for purposes of felony murder. Only first degree murder served as a basis for hanging. The Pennsylvania statute did not actually formulate a felony murder rule or define the elements of murder. Instead the statute identified participation in certain felonies as a grading element that aggravated murder liability. The statute prescribed that:

All murder, which shall be perpetrated by means of poison, or by laying in wait, or by any other kind of wilful, deliberate and premeditated killing, or which shall be committed in the perpetration or attempt to perpetrate any arson, rape, robbery, or burglary, shall be deemed murder in the first degree; and all other kinds of murder shall be murder in the second degree.

The implication of the statute is that murder in the course of one of the enumerated felonies did not require wilful, deliberate, and premeditated killing. The language of the statute does not suggest that the mere causing of death in the course of any felony was always murder. This idea is much more in line of what Lord Hale was proposing in his writings at the end of the seventeenth century and is similar to Judge Stephen’s jury instruction in the Serne case: that it would be murder only if the felonious act was known to be dangerous to life and likely to cause death. The word “deemed” in the statute implies the notion that a judge or jury could weigh the facts of the case and decide whether the conduct of an accused warranted a charge of murder for which the accused could be hanged.

The Pennsylvania statute was enormously influential, shaping homicide reform statutes in two thirds of the then existing states during the nineteenth century. Twelve states adopted Pennsylvania’s grading scheme with little or no modification, the states which adopted the Pennsylvania statute as drafted were: Virginia in 1796, Kentucky from 1798 to 1801, Maryland in 1810, Louisiana from its admission in1812 to 1855, Tennessee in 1829, Michigan in 1838, Arkansas in 1838, New Hampshire in 1842, Connecticut in 1846, Delaware in 1852, Massachusetts in 1858, and West Virginia, entering the Union with such a statute in 1863.

Another nineteen states adopted a somewhat modified grading scheme. The States that adopted the Pennsylvania statute with a somewhat modified grading scheme were: Ohio in 1815, Maine in 1840, Alabama in 1841, Missouri in 1845, Iowa in 1851, Indiana in 1852, California in 1856, Texas in 1858, New York in 1860, Kansas (entering the Union with such a law in 1861), Oregon in 1864, Nevada (entering the Union with such a law in 1864), Nebraska in 1873, Montana (entering the Union with such a law in 1889), Washington (entering the union with such a law in 1889), Idaho (entering the Union with such a law in 1890), Wyoming (entering the Union with such a law in 1890), North Carolina in 1893, and Utah (entering the Union with such law in 1896).

LATER DEVELOPMENTS IN FELONY MURDER STATUTES

The first true felony murder rule statute was passed in Illinois in 1827. The Illinois statute defined murder as unlawful killing with express malice, or acting with knowledge that the acts will or probably will result in death or great bodily harm, and felony murder. The statute added that an “involuntary killing… in the commission of an unlawful act which in its consequences, naturally tends to destroy the life of a human being, or is committed in the prosecution of a felonious intent… shall be deemed and adjudged to be murder.” Again, we see the influence of Lord Hale and not Lord Coke. Illinois’s statute is a true felony murder statute. Yet, it is not a strict liability statute in that it limits liability for an involuntary killing in the course of a felony that “tends to destroy the life of a human being.” It is not applicable to all felonies. Hale thought that it would be murder only if the felonious act was known to be dangerous to life and likely to cause death.

In 1829 a statute enacted in New Jersey included within murder killing ” in committing, or attempting to commit, sodomy, rape, arson, robbery, or burglary, or any unlawful act against the peace of this state, of which the probable consequence may be bloodshed… ” During that same year New York passed the strictest of the new felony murder rule statutes. Their statute defined murder as killing “without any design to effect death, by a person engaged in the commission of any felony.” At the end of the nineteenth century, nineteen states had adopted such differing kinds of felony murder statutes. These states were: Illinois in 1827), New Jersey in 1829, Georgia in1833, Mississippi in 1839, Alabama in 1841, Missouri in 1845, Wisconsin in 1849, California in 1850, Texas in 1857, Minnesota (entering the Union with such a law in 1858), Nevada (entering the Union with such a law in 1864), Oregon in 1864, Nebraska in 1866, though repealing the law in 1873, Florida in 1868, Colorado (entering the Union with such a law in 1876), Idaho and Montana (both entering the Union with such laws in 1889), and Utah (entering the Union with such a law in 1896).

The twentieth century began with most states having various ways for defining felony murder: predicating murder liability on implied malice, as well as a felony; predicating murder liability on dangerous felonies, sometimes called enumerated felonies, or predicating murder liability on any felony. Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century we continue to see American states defining felony murder in the same ways. The growth of felony murder in the United States had more to do with Pennsylvania’s 1794 murder grading statute than it did with Lord Coke’s notion in the seventeenth century that a death caused by an unlawful act is murder.

The felony murder rule in the United States has been more expansive than that employed in England due to the pairing of two concepts. One, the concept of felony murder itself and the ways it may be defined by statute and two, the concept of vicarious liability used to hold all co-conspirators liable for the substantive crimes committed by any one of the conspirators in the course of executing the unlawful agreement that may have led to the American felony murder rule.

Such a situation may obtain when Bonnie and Clyde decide to rob the local liquor store and they enlist Clyde’s brother Buck to drive them to the liquor store, stay outside to act as a look out and to be their getaway driver. Buck agrees. If during the robbery the store clerk reaches for his.38 revolver under the counter causing Bonnie to fire her tommy gun at him but she misses and her bullets kills an innocent patron of the store, then Bonnie, Clyde, and Buck would all be held liable for and could each be convicted of conspiracy to rob, armed robbery, and felony murder. The felony murder rule was never applied this way in England.

The Victims Of The Killers

These “Two Tony” serial killers mostly picked their victims up close to the bar closing and women that did not go home with somebody or have their own car. “Elizabeth Short” who always left before the “Trolley’s” stopped running would have had to walk to the trolley pick up point. Some of these women were alcoholics whom lost everything or were begging to survive. Some of these alcoholic women had dates with men who had good incomes and when the man wanted to leave the women stayed and kept drinking at the bar until the bar closed then they walked to whatever place they stayed. These barfly women walking home alone after the bar closed were literally kidnapped off the sidewalk by the “Two Tony” serial killers. A few of the women were abducted during the day by a single individual while they were alone but most were after hour bar abductions.

This complied list of murders fit the “Black Dahlia” profile in that they were very brutal (except for the two bodies that were never found). In at least 4 of the murders the killers left messages for the police. With 2 of the 4 bodies only the messages were left with the bodies never being found. None of the other bodies were cut in two. All were beaten and brutalized to no end with their faces beaten so bad at times you would not be able to recognize them. One was strangled in her car. I didn’t look up murders before 1947 because there’s nothing that fits these kinds of murders. “The Two Tony’s” didn’t show up until 1946 and most of the brutal murders before 1947 were solved. I could not find any murders before 1946 in the Kansas City area where, “The Two Tony’s” came from. Stats and records prior to the 1960’s are inaccurate or non existent.

Elizabeth Short (Black Dehlia) January 15th 1947 B.D. on body. Body dumped in “Leimert Park” on “Norton Ave.” appox. 6 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Jeanne “Nette” Axford (French) “The Lipstick Murder” February 10th 1947 B.D. and TEX on body. Body dumped in a construction area next to the “Santa Monica” airport on “Indianapolis Street” near “Grand View”.

Evelyn Winters March 12th 1947. Body dumped 2 miles north of downtown Los Angeles near “North Main Street” just a few miles from where “South Main Street” turns into “North Main Street” on “Ducommun Street” near the “Union Station Railroad Terminal”.

Laura Trelstad May 11th 1947 Body Dumped In Long Beach Oil Fields. Last seen intoxicated in bars near there.

Rosenda Mondragon July 8th 1947. Body dumped in a vacant lot 1 mile north of where “Evelyn Winters” body was found right off “North Main Street” north of downtown Los Angeles.

Louise Dominguez October 2nd 1947. 17th Street and Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica. Man walked by her and her friends on a really dark sidewalk area and stabbed her. Her body fell on the sidewalk where she died.

Viola Norton February 14th 1948 Survived the attempted murder. Body dumped and left for dead in “Leimert Park” 1 block from where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was found.

Gladys Kern February 16th 1948. Body found laid out in the home she was showing to a potential buyer in the “Hollywood Hills”.

Louise Springer June 13th 1949 Abducted during daylight hours from a parking lot in her car only “One” block away from where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was found in “Leimert Park”. The body was left in the car she was abducted in on “125 W. 38th Street” off of “South Main Street” 2.8 miles south of the bus station in downtown Los Angeles.

Jean Spangler August 11th 1949 One time roommate of “Elizabeth Short”. Body never found but the killer left her purse in “Griffith Park Fern Dell Section” north of “Hollywood Blvd.” at the end of “Los Feliz Drive” just a few miles from “Mark Hansen’s” “Carlos Ave.” home next to the 101 freeway. Jean is listed as a “Missing Person” but her purse strap was broken as is someone ripped it from her and set it down while they were kidnapping her. Same “MO” as Viola Norton. The question is? “Who Did She Know In This Very Wealthy Area?” and “Why Was She Walking Through This Narrow Park Area?”

Mimi Boombauer August 18 1949 Body never found. Purse found with note written in lipstick left on “Wilshire Blvd.” just like the lipstick on the “Jeanne French” body.

Note: The problem with the “B.D.” whom people say is short for “Black Dahlia” is wrong. “Elizabeth Short” was not dubbed the “Black Dahlia” until after her death so the B.D. on her body means something else. Most law enforcement at the time deemed the lettering to be, “P.D” on both bodies and not “B.D.”.

What I saw during my research of the “Black Dahlia” murder was that these two serial killers operated mainly along “South Main Street” in downtown L.A. close to “Skid Row”. The bus station where “Elizabeth Short” was begging for money was on “Los Angeles Street And 6th” around 4 blocks east of “Pershing Square” in downtown L.A. right next to “Skid Row” to the east. It seems that “Elizabeth” lived at the “Astor” hotel 2 1/2 miles away from the bus station so she would have had to leave before the “Trolley’s” stopped running or take a taxi cab back to the “Aster Motel”. Did she get “Snatched Off The Street” as what happened to “Viola Norton” walking to public transportation or did she accept a ride from the two serial killers who ended her life?

In 1947 there were many people turning up missing due to these two serial killers who operated around the “Skid Row” area. There were an estimated 10,000 homeless people wandering around this 4 mile radius. The “Cecil Hotel” at “640 South Main Street” one block over to the South West of the Greyhound bus station where “Elizabeth Short” was last seen alive by a woman police officer was a haven for criminal activity and a rooming house for low income people.

These missing “Skid Row” people were never fully investigated because they were poverty stricken and during WWII and the police dept. was extremely understaffed and struggling to get new police officers trained and out on the streets. In 1947 the Los Angeles Police Dept. was still extremely understaffed and fighting an unbelievable crime rate so many missing persons that were reported were never added to any statistics unless their bodies showed up.

The Crime Families Makeup

Lets be honest here! The “Los Angeles” mafia is listed as being run by the “Jewish Leadership” of “Bugsy Siegel” and “Mickey Cohen” as the Hollywood movie industry still is controlled by the “Jewish Religious Makeup”. The Jewish bosses running the movie studios always replace an outgoing Jewish movie studio boss with an incoming Jewish movie studio boss. Hollywood still is staffed by “Cultural Warriors” but there’s only “Jewish” in the executive positions. The 1947 makeup of the Los Angeles mafia is said to be, “Multi Cultural” except for the mafia bosses. I actually learned this from, “Wikipedia” under the title of “Cohen Crime Family”. The only exception is the “Los Angeles Crime Family” run by “Jack Dragna” who was Italian which is not a religion but I haven’t read it was jewish. “Jack Dragna” was a Catholic.

The way the Los Angeles mafia was set up is that “Bugsy Siegel” was a crime boss in the New York crime family of “Lucky Luciano”. “Bugsy” was sent out to Los Angeles to oversee New York operations in the Los Angeles market. There were already two crime families operating in Los Angeles and these families were the “Cohen” and “Los Angeles (Jack Dragna)” crime families. “Bugsy Siegel” arrived and brought both crime families together under one tent. The “Cohen” and “Los Angeles” crime families hated each other but were under pressure to get along or “Lucky Luciano” who had a crime family that would wipe out both of their crime families, “Would Do So”.

Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was the crime boss in the Los Angeles area since the early 1930’s. “Mickey Cohen” with his “Cohen Crime Family” was “Bugsy Siegel’s” Lieutenant” in 1947 and became the “Boss” after “Bugsy” was killed in June of 1947 by “Lucky Luciano” for 2 million dollars that was missing from the “Flamingo Hotel” build in Las Vegas. “Bugsy Siegel” was killed in June of 1947 which caused a huge mafia war for power after his June death between “Mickey Cohen” and “Jack Dragna”. My point is that the two rival crime families united under”Bugsy Siegel” may have imported some of his most ruthless killers prior to 1947. People may reject this theory but when you need an army of “Hit Men” you hire intelligent people that like to kill naturally even if there is no pay involved.

What people do not see is that “Jack Dragna” a “Mafia Boss” in the Los Angeles area lived just 4 1/2 blocks from the “Elizabeth Short” body dump site in “Leimert Park”. Really makes you turn your attention to whom you believe was the killer of the “Black Dahlia” who were in my own opinion the “Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers” called “The Two Tony’s” out doing random killings between “Mafia” contracts or ordered by “Mickey Cohen” to send a message to his rival “Jack Dragna”.

Bugsy Siegel was the big daddy of Los Angeles and was part of the New York mafia of “Lucky Luciano”. If you were an intelligent killer and could get the job done without bringing attention to the “Mafia Families” you had a job.

Mickey Cohen operated the “Cohen” crime family under his mobster boss “Bugsy Siegel”. Cohen was constantly being attacked and had numerous of these, “Serial Killer Type Body Guards” around. As a matter of fact, one of “Mickey Cohen’s” body guards was killed by the daughter of “Lana Turner”.

Jack Dragna ran the “Los Angeles” crime family with his own slew of “Mafia Serial Killer Hit men” so there were no shortages of “Serial Killers” running around Los Angeles. When “Bugsy Siegel” came to Los Angeles it was said that himself and “Dragna” worked well together but many people in the city were dying.

There have been stories of the “Hollywood” mafia killing “Elizabeth” and although an ordered hit on her is not likely it may be that some of the “Hit Men” employed by “Mickey Cohen” were mentally ill “Serial Killers”. The city of Los Angeles blamed the high crime rate on returning soldiers but the reality most likely is the high crime rate was due to the many “Mentally Ill Hit Men Serial Killers” being brought into the Los Angeles area to eliminate witnesses in prosecutions against the “Mafia”, protection of the Mafia and to fight the wars between the rival “Cohen” and “Dragna” families.

When these mafia “Hit Men” did not have any paid contracts they would scour the Los Angeles streets looking for “Victims” which are always women but some men here and there. Women are easier targets but I’m sure some men were victims of these “Mentally Ill Mafia Hit Men Serial Killers”. The women usually get raped before they are killed so women are more preferable.

The Serial Killers On The Loose

When I finished this look at “Elizabeth Short’s” murder I came to a possible conclusion that her “Serial Killers” may have been imported by the “Jewish Mafia Boss Mickey Cohen” who controlled the Hollywood/Los Angeles crime syndicate under “Bugsy Siegel”. I say “Jewish” because the two big bosses and many mafia executives in Los Angeles were Jewish while the rest of the crime family members were mainly “Italian” with a huge mixture of others. These mafia crime families unlike the “New York” crime families were seeded in a cultural mix.

Yes, in 1947 a mafia war broke out in “Los Angeles” and “Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers” were brought in from all over the United States to fight the war. Even though “Elizabeth” was killed before the “Mafia War” started I’m sure a slew of “Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers” were brought into the Los Angeles area long before “Elizabeth” was killed in the struggle for dominance between the “Cohen” and “Los Angeles” “Mafia” families.

I was absolutely correct in my speculation that “Elizabeth Short’s” killers were brought in before the mafia war started in mid 1947. I really cannot believe I found the conclusion that “Mickey Cohen” was indirectly responsible but what is really more shocking to me is I may have found out who the actual “Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers” are who murdered “Elizabeth”. I believe the “Two Tony’s” were the pair of killers that took “Elizabeth Short’s” life.

The Two Tony’s

The “Two Tony’s” were “Anthony Brancato” and “Anthony Joseph Trombino”. Both met in the Kansas City mafia and started handling business in Los Angeles away from any organized mafia family. The “Two Tony’s” were part of a Kansas City mafia family and needed permission to move to Los Angeles. Once in Los Angeles they worked for the “Cohen Crime Family” for several months before they went independent.

It’s said that both migrated to Los Angeles in “Mid 1947” after “Bugsy Siegel” was killed and the mafia war broke out but in reality they migrated to Los Angeles in 1946 and worked for the “Mickey Cohen” crime family before they broke away to become, “Independent Hit Men For Hire”. There’s no absolute date as to when they migrated to Los Angeles but it was in 1946 before the “Black Dahlia” murder. I’ve read several statements saying the “Two Tony’s” were involved in the shooting of “Bugsy Siegel” which means they were in Los Angeles before the mafia war broke out. People just assumed “The Two Tony’s” were brought to Los Angeles to fight in the mafia war between “Dragna” and “Cohen” but in reality they were in Los Angeles in late 1946.

Even though the “Two Tony’s” worked for the “Cohen Crime Family” the “Two Tony’s” went freelance shortly after they came to Los Angeles and it’s said in many statements that they are suspected of being involved in the assassination of “Bugsy Siegel in June of 1947 which was ordered by “Lucky Luciano” himself. “The Two Tony’s” did participate in the assassination attempt of “Mickey Cohen” by “Jack Dragna” in 1949. I speculate the “Two Tony’s” split from the “Cohen Crime Family” in the late part of 1946.

The “Two Tony’s” whom really were “Independent Hit Men For Hire” were also “Violent Serial Killers”. They had been arrested 46 times with 17 convictions while working for the big three crime families in Los Angeles. Their crimes included aggravated assault, armed robbery, burglary, narcotics violations, rape, and in addition, they were suspected of several murders. I haven’t read anything about the LAPD suspecting them of the non mob murders around L.A.. With all these arrests between 1946 and 1951 they were still set free. Reality says something about the Los Angeles justice system which was filled with corrupt judges.

What really gets me about the “Two Tony’s” is that they went to work for the “Cohen Crime Family” then started working for the “Los Angeles Crime Family (Jack Dragna)” and “Mickey Cohen” did not retaliate against them for this. “Mickey Cohen” did make a small statement about the “Two Tony’s” years later and he said the “Two Tony’s” started to disrespect and bully ordinary people which was not needed on the west coast.

The “Two Tony’s” may have been trying to form their own “Crime Family” by hustling cash on their own away from any of the established Los Angeles crime families with a few other personalities of the day. “Bugsy Siegel”, “Mickey Cohen” and “Jack Dragna” never did anything to stop them. What finally got the “Two Tony’s” killed is they robbed the “Flamingo Hotel In Las Vegas” which was owned by the really powerful “New York Mafia” and “Lucky Luciano” who killed the “Two Tony’s” August, 6th 1951 on the spot for the robberies.

Did the Los Angeles police know about, “The Two Tony’s”? Maybe not at the time of the “Black Dahlia” killing even though they started racking up their 46 arrests and 17 criminal convictions. The police were “On The Take” and downplaying mafia activity.

I could not find any 1945 or 1946 murder reports in Kansas City where the “Two Tony’s” met showing any unsolved murder pattern that moved to the Los Angeles area. Except for the bloody beatings of women in Los Angeles during 1947 that were published in print any records of other murders not published in newspapers cannot be found and there were plenty of them.

“The Two Tony’s” were violent and savage serial killers whom were paid good money by organized crime to beat up and kill any resistance against organized crime. Assaults in this time period were 8 to 1 compared with murders. “The Two Tony’s” were paid to “Beat The Holy Crap Out Of People” too and this explains why so many women in 1947 Los Angeles were found dead after they were brutally beaten, strangled or cut in half.

My personal thought is “Elizabeth Short” was one of the “Two Tony’s” first serial killings after they arrived in Los Angeles. “The Two Tony’s” killed “Elizabeth” and sent her body as a message to “Jack Dragna” who lived 4 1/2 blocks from the body dump site.

“The Two Tony’s” were getting contracts from both the “Cohen” and “Dragna” crime families for sure. It’s definitely known that “The Two Tony’s” tried to kill their former boss “Mickey Cohen” several times for “Jack Dragna”. “The Two Tony’s” in their spare time were raping and beating women which the LAPD suspected them of doing right along with many unsolved murders. Did the police suspect “The Two Tony’s” of killing all the women that were turning up dead, “NO”. I did not read anything that stated the police suspected them of slaying these unsolved “Elizabeth Short” type serial killings but the LAPD did suspect them of other killings.

The End Result Of My Look Into The Elizabeth Short Killing

The “Mickey Cohen” “Two Tony Mafia Soldiers” brought into the Los Angeles area were responsible for the death of “Elizabeth Short”. I will say the “Two Tony Mafia Soldiers” who worked for “Mickey Cohen” at the time of “Elizabeth Short’s” death did it because “Mickey Cohen” had more ties to Irish and Scottish gangs who used the “Glaskow Smile” to make a statement. At one time “Mickey Cohen” was called the “Irish Mickey Cohen” which isn’t Scottish but it shows he was in involved with people from the Irish/Scottish area in England. “Jack Dragna” was “Mickey Cohen’s” bitter rival and his home was just 4 1/2 blocks from the “Elizabeth Short” body dump site which makes me believe “Elizabeth” was placed there cut in half with the “Glaskow Smile” as a message to “Jack Dragna”.

Most of the women were taken off the streets and beaten up to the point they could not be recognized or stabbed viciously to the point the stabbing was about releasing anger and rage rather than just being an ordinary killing. “Elizabeth Short” was a message to “Jack Dragna” and I further believe that “Mickey Cohen” told his “Two Tony Serial Killer Soldiers” to grab any ol women during one of their killing sprees and dump it next to “Jack Dragna’s” home so brutalized the message could not be misunderstood.

In my opinion “Elizabeth Short” was killed by the roving “Two Tony Mafia Soldiers” of “Mickey Cohen” who tried to kill “Viola Norton” a year later but failed and the Los Angeles police department due to public pressure to solve her murder kept investigating the murder as being done by someone she knew instead of targeting the “Two Tony Mafia Soldiers” whom were “Serial Killers” by nature. These acts of not investigating the crimes as mafia related would have been ordered by corrupt cops and judges.

The public pressure was great in 1950 to find the killer of “Elizabeth Short” and some push back on “Mickey Cohen” himself was going on by the LAPD because of public pressure. “Mickey Cohen” was being harassed extensively by the Los Angeles police department as his attempted assassination by “Jack Dragna” and the “Two Tony’s” was ongoing. The “Two Tony’s” left the “Cohen Crime Family” and became freelance killers for hire while they formed their own crime family.

Even though the LAPD were harassing “Mickey Cohen” it really makes you think the Los Angeles Police Dept. did not see “The Two Tony’s” as the “Black Dahlia” killer because they “Tossed Mark Hansen’s” home looking for blood evidence in 1949.

Some of the Los Angeles police were on the “Mafia Payroll” and for decades avoided going after the killers the “Mafia” hired as their soldiers. In the 1970’s when “Serial Killers” emerged on their own not associated with the “Mafia” is when the problem of “Serial Killers” had to be addressed and taken seriously by all police departments. During the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s the federal and local governments were breaking up most of these crime families leaving these serial killers without jobs working for the mafia.

In my own opinion the top “Prosecutors” and “Police Executives” governing Los Angeles in 1947 did not know anything about who killed “The Black Dahlia”. She was killed by rogue mafia soldiers who were between “Mafia Contracts”. Body’s were popping up here and there all over Los Angeles that the newspapers “Never” printed up. The newspapers only printed up the killings that became “Popular”, just like today with hundreds of other killings never getting a mention. The big thought was veterans were still blood thirsty after WWII and doing all the killings when the fact was the mafia was hiring “Serial Killers” to lets say, “Take Care Of Business”.

The Final Conclusion

The Los Angeles police dept. without a doubt knew all about the “Mafia” families working the city and them not knowing that women were being killed by these “Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers For Sport” is a sandwich that is hard for me to swallow but I have to swallow it because they tossed “Mark Hansen’s” home in 1949 looking for blood evidence in the “Black Dahlia” murder. I have to believe law enforcement in 1947 did not know the killings were being done by the “Two Tony’s” even after they had been arrested 43 times with 17 convictions.

In my personal opinion, “The Two Tony’s” snatched “Elizabeth Short” off a Los Angeles street when she left the “Corral Bar” in the “Greyhound Bus Station” just like “Viola Norton” was snatched off an Alhambra street a year after “Elizabeth” was taken. Alhambra sets on the northern border of Downtown Los Angeles near the Skid Row district.

“Gladys Kern” on February 16th 1948 was found laid out and dead in the home she was showing to a potential buyer in the “Hollywood Hills”. The police got a message from the killers assistant indicating there were “Two” killers.

“Elizabeth” was on her way to catch a “Trolley” or even the “Subway” back down to the “Astor Motel” 2 1/2 miles away where she was residing at the time when, “The Two Tony’s” saw her walking and grabbed her off the street like they did to “Viola Norton” a year later. Of course she should have taken a “Cab” but the “Trolley” would have saved her so much money over taking a “Cab”.

The “Two Tony’s” were vicious out of control “Serial Killers” who found a way to make money while applying their skilled trade of killing and satisfying their urges of murdering people in the underworld of organized crime.

“Elizabeth Short” in my own opinion may not have been the first “Two Tony” killing in the Los Angeles area. The “Two Tony’s” at that time were seriously controlled by “Mickey Cohen” until they broke away before the “Big Los Angeles Mafia War” broke out. On appearances and in speculation it looks like “Mickey Cohen” who was brutal himself ordered a body from the Skid Row area be brutalized and dumped in the area of “Jack Dragna’s” home to send a message.

What “Mickey Cohen” did not expect was the way the “Two Tony’s” brutalized “Elizabeth Short’s” body. Whenever there is a suspected mafia killing it makes headlines but the snatching of an innocent woman off the street then “Cut In Half” and given the “Glasgow Smile” of over the top. “Mickey Cohen” even as brutal as he was most likely went ballistic over the media sensation that happened.

This type of brutal killing really satisfied the “Two Tony’s” so they kept grabbing women through 1947, 1948 and 1949 between their work as organized crime operatives. I would suspect many women outside the L.A. jurisdiction were victims of, “The Two Tony’s” and never recognized in newspaper and police reports.

This quote below is from “Mickey Cohen” about the “Two Tony’s”. This statement is most likely a confession as to why “The Two Tony’s” and the “Cohen Crime Family” parted ways. “Mickey Cohen” admitted the “Two Tony’s” were out of control killers after they murdered “Elizabeth Short” so brutally in a way that disrespected the rules of the “Cohen Crime Family”. The actual killing wasn’t the problem but the brutalization of “Elizabeth’s” body was a big deal that was not necessary for the message to “Jack Dragna”. The way “Elizabeth’s” body was brutalized was so horrific even the brutal “Mickey Cohen” was freaked out. The rules of mafia murders were not being respected. It Really makes me wonder why the “Mafia Crime Families” let the “Two Tony’s” live? My speculation is the “Two Tony’s” were being used as pawns to take any heat off of them.

Actual Quote From “Mickey Cohen” About The “Two Tony’s”:

“Then he started stepping out on his own. He was on the heavy and on the heist, but he was heisting people that were contrary to the rules of the people that he was supposed to have respected – not only me, but others. They were wild-haired young bloods that thought they were just going to run roughshod over everybody. Well, I couldn’t pay them much attention then. But because of my troubles, they thought they didn’t have to show any respect for nobody.”

In 1950 I didn’t see any reports of missing or brutalized women unsolved. I speculate between November of 1949 and August 6, 1951 “The Two Tony’s” were racking up many of their “49 arrests” and “17 convictions” said to have happened and this would be the reason these brutal serial killings would have stopped. I do know in 1951 before “Lucky Luciano” killed “The Two Tony’s” “One Of The Two Tony’s” spent his last $10,000 on bail and when the police released him another law enforcement agency picked him up on another robbery charge and he didn’t have any more cash to bail himself out again. The police constantly arresting the “Two Tony’s” for all the robbery’s they were doing most likely saved many women from becoming victims of this pair of serial killers.

Did the police connect their knowledge received here and there of the possibility that the killings were done by two? “NO”! at least in 1947 the police had no idea because the hint of two killers had not be received. I haven’t read anything that stated they knew in 1948 when “Viola Norton” told them. The city of Los Angeles was blaming the rise in crime and murder on returning WWII vets and this assumption was “Dead Wrong”. The “Two Tony’s” were laughing at the police and running around Los Angeles raping women and killing people at their leisure. The police were just chasing around all the people in “Elizabeth Short’s” stolen address book the “Two Tony’s” sent the police and ignoring all other hints and evidence.

A poignant thought, or, perhaps, call it a critical issue, crossed my mind recently regarding law, morality, and justice as applied for human beings who essentially have no voice in determining their right to live and survive being murdered. This issue goes along with the rephrasing of the tritely offered, and answered, question. “Does a woman, any woman, in the United States have the unfettered right to abort, and murder, a child that has been conceived and is growing, with a fetal heartbeat, inside of her?” This is a very important question that has been flippantly answered by a legislated law in New York State, which allows a pregnant woman to decide, with impunity, to end the life of a child at any time prior to the time of birth, or at birth, based entirely upon her emotional state of mind; and which affords a physician immunity from prosecution for allowing a normal healthy child to die unattended after being delivered from the mother’s womb, or by C-section, if the woman decides that the child is not worthy to live. Had such a law been proposed by the New York Legislature in 1787, at the time the U.S. Constitution was being formed in the Constitutional Convention, the men legislating New York laws would have undoubtedly repudiated it calling it a license to kill the unborn. This New York State legislation was, however, overwhelmingly approved in 2018 by a majority of New York State legislators and the governor of New York, who happily signed the bill into law. Yet, such a perverse law was never debated in New York State government, or in any other State, until around 1920, when the wretched woman abortionist Margaret Sanger found support on the U.S. Supreme Court, in Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr. and, earlier, in the White House, in President Woodrow Wilson for her plan to impose her eugenics birth control plan on the republic. Human life, all human life, in-utero or after birth, was, before the advent of Sanger’s proposition, regarded as sacrosanct by the federal and State governments, and laws were imposed by all U.S. States criminalizing unnatural abortion. Yet, Sanger eagerly languished in her own little morbid world propagandizing her proposition that some human life is just not worthy of being born, or even worth living after being born. Sanger was the person who coined and popularized the phrase, birth control. Sadly, though, regarding herself an advanced thinker beyond her years, Sanger had never applied the notion, that some people aren’t worthy of being born, to herself.

Popular historians of the various decades of the 20th Century were frequently prone to not revealing the details of the sad parts of contemporary history that reflect poorly on the supposedly reputable people making that history. To state the true austere facts about immoral people who are supposedly publicly distinguished in their probity and beyond the commission of immorality is regarded as taboo. For instance, if a President of the United States committed first-degree cold-blooded murder, it would be job of the Secret Service and the FBI to suppress all facts that would lead a rational person to conclude that the President had committed the crime, and, then, kill, murder, and disappear everyone possessing those facts who would consider going-public with the truth about the murder. The object of such a cover-up would be to make it appear that the President was a respectable person, incapable of having anything to do with a murder. In the case at hand, the salient facts disclose that, without a doubt, Margaret Sanger, President Woodrow Wilson, and, later, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes preceded Adolf Hitler in the operational creation, support, and promotion of a plan to annihilate a certain unwanted and undesirable portion of a national population through birth control and eugenics. For Hitler, it was the Jews, and the Nazis succeeded, from 1935 until 1945 in killing over six million of them; and for Sanger, Wilson, and Holmes, it was children conceived through consensual sex and procreated by men and women who were considered of low social value. To Sanger it amounted to, either, abortion of the unwanted children, or sterilization of the low-class men and women producing those children. If Sanger had been around with her murderous ideas fifty years earlier, she would have endorsed the abortions of the babies, conceived in poverty to less-than-successful parents, who turned out to be Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Perhaps she might have endorsed the abortion of the baby born to indigent and poorly educated Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, who turned out to be Abraham Lincoln. The many millions of abortions that have been inexorably committed in the American republic since 1973, under the auspices the egregious Supreme Court Decision legalizing abortion in the States, Roe v. Wade, have, in all probability, deprived the nation and the States of some great people with great minds and talents. It should be remembered that the genius Leonardo De Vinci was a bastard son of an illiterate cobbler, and that the best can emerge from worst, and that the worst quality of human beings can emerge from the what is regarded as the best.

Unfortunately, beginning in the early 20th Century American citizen men and women began trivializing and carelessly regarding sexual relations as a plaything instead of a sacred and divine human function, whose ultimate natural purpose was procreation. It wasn’t until the late 1890s, when sexual promiscuity actually became fashionable and prostitution and whoring commonplace in an effort to demean Victorian standards, that illegal abortionists began having a great many customers. This was when unbridled premarital sex evolved from having fun with sex, regardless of the consequences of pregnancy, to a mindset of anything-goes. Even though young upwardly mobile men and women of that epoch were supposedly from devout Christian and Jewish families, the public high schools, colleges, and universities were being invaded by a philosophy called pragmatism, which was incrementally replacing idealism, or that there is always a right and wrong to every moral question.

Pragmatism in the USA, deposing idealism, rose from the insane German philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche’s, philosophy that good and evil had never really existed, but, rather, a system of blatant sophistry that declared that the end-result of any conflictual issue was justified by the operational modem that such an end-result, good or bad, always justifies the means used to obtain it. Bolstered by the philosophical support of American sophist Charles Sanders Peirce in the first decade of the 20th Century, the notion that good and evil were antiquated terms and that negotiation and compromise with evil was much more fitting for the prevailing age became a guiding tool of an system of thought called progressivism. In other words, such a system endorsed the sophistry that if a person is hungry, stealing food is perfectly alright, for it is (a) means of achieving the end-result, satiation. This more of less established the rule that the end-result of any endeavor, good or evil, justified the means used to obtain it. Hence, the end-result of sexual intercourse was not procreation, but to have orgasms and ejaculations in order to feel good, regardless of whether the female became pregnant; for abortion was a viable pragmatic means of dealing with the unwanted result of sex, a child conceived. Strangely, the poor faithful Christian and Jewish families within the greatly populated urban areas, such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles produced, during this early 20th Century period, faithful children with much greater respect for human life than the 25 percent of the younger population who were from wealthy families and cared nothing for morality. To their credit, the great majority of faithful Catholic teenagers during this time were famous for not getting abortions when sexual intercourse resulted in pregnancies, while children of wealthy mainstream Protestants were the ones paying out most of the money for the bloody backroom abortions.

Therefore, the disturbing issue addressed in this article is whether the deliberate killing of an eight-week old fetus, emitting a viable heartbeat, by a mother through the instrumentality of a physician-abortionist is a legal abortion or a cold-blooded murder. For this recently legislated New York “law” to work, there can be no exceptions to the legislative definition that “an unborn baby is not a human being.” Beginning with ancient Hebraic law, under the Ten Commandments, the killing, or murder, of a pregnant woman was regarded as the killing of two human beings, or as many babies that were within her womb. This Judeo-Christian principle was advanced through the centuries to Greek and Roman law, and, later to English common law. Take, for instance, the example of a wealthy young doctor in New York City, in 2019, who has a wife pregnant in her 10th week of gestation, with his first and only son. Let’s say that the pregnant wife goes into a deli in Manhattan for lunch and gets murdered by malicious robbers. Let’s also say that the baby was killed when the mother was killed with several gunshots to her body. Is the New York City District Attorney going to contend that the killing of the baby was “not” the unlawful killing of one human being by another, and that the perpetrator of the crime is only culpable for the murder of one human being, the wife? Let’s say that the father of the baby, a heart surgeon, was just listening to the heartbeat of his son and watching him by sonogram the day before the murder. Do you think that that father Is going to allow that New York abortion law to trump the multi-homicide law that had been passed ninety years before by a unanimous vote of the New York Legislature? Certainly, the people of New York can’t have it both ways. Either an unborn child, healthy or healthy, is a viable unborn human being at the time of conception, or the child is just a piece of abstruse human tissue tantamount to a turd, which can be terminated from the body without consequences. People are actually more concerned with the consequences of other people smoking pot than with the killing of millions of human lives through abortions. This is an unfathomable thought that most people don’t consider, because if they did it would certainly keep them up nights worrying. How many potential geniuses, Mozart’s, Einstein’s, and Frosts’ have been murdered through the capricious whims of young, uncaring women and lovers just for the sake of no bearing the responsibilities of parenthood? Is what is produced inside a woman’s body through irresponsible sexual relations only the concern of that women and her lover, or is it the concern of the State as to the care for the life of a human being. It is only a matter of time in the last couple of weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, when the fully-formed child becomes ready to exit the womb into the air-breathing world, and is born through a doctor or midwife. Is that child any less a human being minutes before he, or she, emerges from womb and is helped to breath by a physician, than he, or she is after birth? The answer to this question was answered many thousands of years ago through natural law that is no more, or less, than the law of God.

Overturning Roe v. Wade very soon, before the end of 2020, won’t bring back to life the millions of babies, human beings, murdered by abortion with impunity by their natural mothers, fathers, and abortionists, many of whom are sadly haunted throughout their lives by their egregious decisions to commit these crimes. But they will insist that the “law” gave them the right to murder, or end the lives of their viable sons and daughters. Nonetheless, was, and is, this killing abortion or murder? Can murder ever be excused, especially when the victims have no voice in the matter?

When someone is charged with murder, it is often heard that they had “the motive and the opportunity” to commit the crime. The prosecuting attorney may use this argument in court. If the case is reported, the media will undoubtedly echo those words. The defense may argue an absence of motive or opportunity as part of its defense. But are motive and opportunity required to convict?

Every crime has what are called elements. The elements of the crime are what must be proven to find the defendant guilty. For example, to convict a defendant of murder, the prosecution must prove the defendant killed the victim, and that he did it with malice aforethought. Malice basically means having an intent to kill.

Neither motive nor opportunity to commit the crime is required to prove the defendant guilty. So why are these words so commonly uttered at trial?

Motive is why the defendant killed. Money and sex are common motives. A recently-purchased life insurance policy, or jealousy over an affair are potentially strong motives, for example.

If the defendant had a motive to kill the victim, such evidence is relevant to prove that he did in fact kill the victim. The defense may point to others who also had possible motives. Or they may argue the defendant’s motive was not sufficient to drive him to kill.

Even though it is not required to prove the defendant guilty, motive is often heavily debated at trial. That’s because people have a strong need to know why. And in our jury system, people are the ones deciding guilt.

Killing is an extreme act, generally seen as outside the norm of human behavior. It is natural for a jury to want to know why someone would commit such an act. It is also natural for jurors to want to hear a good reason before they feel comfortable convicting someone of murder, potentially sentencing him to life in prison, or even death.

Opportunity to commit the crime is a little more obvious. Opportunity is also a basic thing that people want to see prove, even though it is not required.

Was the defendant in the area where the crime occurred? Was he familiar with the area? Did he have transportation, if necessary? Was there no alibi to verify the defendant was elsewhere? Or if the defendant did have an alibi, was it an alibi that could be challenged?

Although these questions are not technically required to be answered to prove a defendant guilty, they are things that any jury would want to know. The prosecution should therefore answer those questions if it wants to secure a conviction. And the defense would benefit from keeping such questions active in the jury’s mind, if possible, raising doubt about whether the defendant could have committed the crime.

The questions of motive and opportunity show that criminal trials are often about something more than strictly determining whether the prosecution has proven the elements of the crime. They are also about answering the very human questions of why people commit crimes.

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Perhaps you have played or even hosted a number of boxed murder mystery games and having enjoyed the experience are looking for something a bit more challenging. The next step is to buy yourself a downloadable game, which will not only give you a far more satisfying gaming experience, but will also provide you with a great deal more choice in terms of both the number of players able to play the game and the theme of the game itself. However, now you need to decide what type of downloadable game you would like to buy.

There are quite a few different kinds of murder mystery dinner party games to choose from, including professionally organised events and suspect interview based games, but by far the most popular types are the turn-based and interactive murder mystery games.

Turn-Based Games

Turn-based murder mystery games are great fun to host and are perhaps the best choice if it is your first time hosting. They are the next step up from the classic boxed games, which are available from stores in the high street, as they are a natural progression from the boxed game and are often scripted, usually consisting of turns. In each of these turns, the guests find out a little bit more about the murder and the suspects and by the end of the game they will theoretically have enough information at their disposal to name the murderer.

The turn-based game is relatively straightforward to play and is also the perfect game to play around a table, so it is great for dinner parties, where each turn can coincide with each new course. The clues and backgrounds can be read out from where each guest is seated at the table.

Interactive Games

The interactive murder mystery games, also known as meet and mingle games or freeform games, are perhaps the pinnacle of the downloadable format. Although each of your guests are provided with a character background, the game is in no way scripted. Instead the players are encouraged to mingle with their fellow guests in order to try and learn important clues, scheme and plot and achieve their individual objectives.

As well as having the potential to be a far more gratifying experience in terms of game play, the interactive format is also a wonderful way to get to know other people at the party and break the ice. Interactive games are also a thrill to host, as when they are hosted well you know that you will be helping to give your guests a night to remember.

First, second, and third degree murders

What are the differences?

Just what are the differences between the three categories of murder known as first, second, and third degree?

I decided to do some research because there are cases in America where someone did not even kill anyone but was guilty of first degree murder by association; their companion killed someone but due to the circumstances of the incident which someone lost their life, they have been charged with the same crime as the one who did the actual killing.

First degree murder is premeditated murder and a killing which occurred during the process of a felony such as a robbery.

The Jennifer Mee case is a perfect example of a premeditated felony which resulted in death.

In her case, the murder was a result of the felony.

She arranged a date with a young man with the intention of robbing him. Her two male friends carried out the mugging with fatal consequences.

None of the trio had ever intended to kill the victim but it was a robbery gone wrong.

The murder was not premeditated but the robbery was.

Can someone explain to me how Jennifer planned to kill her victim.

I think a smart alec lawyer for the prosecution may be able to convince a jury that she is guilty but I do not know how.

Second degree murder is murder that is not premeditated or murder that is caused by the offenders lack of regard for human life.

Third degree murder, also called manslaughter is an unplanned, unintentional killing that is not part of another felony.

The killing in a third degree murder can be involuntary or voluntary.

An involuntary murder case is where you kill someone by accident.

A voluntary killing can be where you punch someone killing them.

Jennifer’s case did fall into the first degree category, but there are two questions which is difficult to find an answer to and they are:

1 Why did Jennifer’s lawyer advise her to defend the charge instead of taking a plea bargain when there is no doubt that she set this whole thing up?

2 What justification is there for her to receive a life without parole sentence?

Imagine this; a drunk driver kills someone so shouldn’t he or she be charged with first degree murder since they committed a felony which resulted in death. Their felony was driving under the influence or someone assaults another person and the victim dies. Assault was the felony, therefore is it not reasonable that according to the law which says people who commit a felony resulting in death are guilty of first degree murder.

That is something to think about.

This all shows you how little empathy the system has for people.

Some people will say, “Their actions caused another person’s death therefore he/she has to pay for this.”

The justice system should be based on justice and not retribution but this is by no means always the case and Jennifer’s case is a perfect example.

First off let me put this out there, I am a closet metalhead. Although I was raised in the trenches of punk rock and came of age to the freaky-deaky Dead meets punk sounds of groups like The Meat Puppets, I’ve always had a secret jones for the metal. Many a night I can be found sludging along to Motorhead, Slayer and even darker fare such as Mayhem and Xasthur. Metal, Punk and Hardcore have always shared an uneasy alliance. The haircuts may differ but they all tend to appeal for similar reasons. The riffs, speed, distortion, distrust of authority and image of all of these genres blare out at the listener’s psyche and body. The tone of the music demands the demented Tourette’s syndrome like gyrations associated with the mosh pit. Heavy music is also cathartic. We listeners hear ourselves up there or in there. We hear our pains, fears, hatreds and excitements magnified and given form. Heavy music gives size and potential to our strongly felt impulses. It reflects them back at us while also projecting them out at an often hostile and dangerous world. Of course the other side of this equation is our human fascination with explosions. Who doesn’t like to stuff an M-80 into G.I. Joe’s head and blow it to shreds? In light of these sentiments I come to consider the music of Speaker For The Dead’s new album, “Prey For Murder” (Magna Carta Records).

At first blush the requisite, and perhaps overused, elements of the metalcore genre are all present. The scorched out vocals, the motoric blasting drums, ominous tempo shifts and thematic tone of the album could come from and number (perhaps all?) of the bands currently in rotation on MTV2’s “Headbanger’s Ball”. The playing is excellent throughout and in particular the rhythm section of Gary Shipman (drums) and Rob Slocum (bass) score high marks for their solid bottom end and tone. Vocalist Curtis Shamlin is at his best when he strays from the screechy histrionics. He actually manages to convey more power when singing in his own quite strong and full voice. Towards the end of “I’ve Become” he drops any pretense of wailing and provides one of the albums best moments.

The overall highlight of the set is the song “Long Way”. While pays some obvious debts to more melodically heavy bands such as Jane’s Addiction and Tool, this is actually a good thing. This song coveys a sonic depth and maturity most of the rest of the album lacks. You actually find yourself pulled into the center of the heaviness rather than being bludgeoned by it. This is one of the more beautiful and dangerous elements of extreme music in all of its forms. There is a way it has of surrounding one in another person’s singular vision. We experience thoughts and emotions that may not bear any particular relation to our own. The sonic overload shuts off our reactionary mind for an instant and we’re swept up in some else’s dream or nightmare. “Prey For Murder” is an interesting if at times bland listen.

The band should follow their more creative impulses and pull away for the herd of other metalcore sound-alikes. When they do, they can create moments of dreamy, devastating beauty. When they don’t, they fall victim to the predictable and formulaic routines of so many of their contemporaries. While I know that this predictability and sameness can also be a part of the appeal for fans of the heavy genres, I think it’s safe to say that those who cast off further from shore tend to find new land first.