; her grandchildren, Kristina Meltvedt (Robert), Front . Holmes told his wife that he was held against a wall, at gunpoint, while the three men beat to death Launius, 37; William DeVerell, 42; Joy Audrey Miller, 46; and Barbara Richardson, 22. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, was one of the victims. The Black Dahlia murder, the Manson Family spree, and the Wonderland killings are each crimes of their era with resonance that reaches to today. She worked in real estate for over 25 years and was a member of the Belleville Board of Realtors. And with overnight lows in the 40s, theres no chance of slipping on treacherous, ice-slick streets. . Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. John Holmes, who was tried for and acquitted of the crimes, never told his wife the names of the assailants, she said. At least two of the four people beaten to death at the yellow two-story house in rustic Laurel Canyon had narcotics records and the blonde woman who rented the house delivered drugs in her shiny white Mercedes, court records indicated Friday. She was found covered in blood on the floor next to the bed that held her dead husband's body, her skull bashed in but, miraculously, still alive. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. As of January 2017, Susan Launius is both the sole survivor of the Wonderland murders and the only living member of the Wonderland Gang. Edmund Brown Jr. owns a house about a mile from the scene of the murders. The closest snow gets to the streets of L.A. is the glimpse of faraway, snow-capped mountains in the San Bernardino range thats visible from certain parts of town. She narrowly survived the Wonderland murders, being beaten so badly that she could not remember anything about the incident. to the late Clyde and Jottie Williams Launius. 09/14/1943 - 08/10/2014 . Less-lucky losers might wind up at the bottom of a lake. According to her testimony shed never seen the residence before the day of June 30, 1981. Because they tease our, Start your 14-day trial of MagellanTV and get access to 2,000+ documentaries, available anywhere, on any device, For some, Los Angeles is an endless highway to success. Select boxes below to reduce the number of results. 'We have interviewed her but we're not going to say anything about it.'. She was a wonderful mother, aunt, and dear friend. after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Loud music and constant commotion marked it as a benighted residence, and the impact on the area was undeniable. Susan Launius Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, Ill., born Sept 14, 1943, in Belleville, Ill., died Sunday Aug. 10, 2014, at her . Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Roland Edward Launius - Obituary & Service Details. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? For a much deeper examination of the twisted world of Charles Manson and his infamous band of followers, take a look at The Family: Inside the Manson Cult on MagellanTV. I said, John, how could you? Launius, 36, was a Vietnam Veteran who had been dishonorably discharged after the Air Force discovered he had been smuggling heroin back to the states from overseas in the body bags of deceased servicemen.Married to his second wife Susan, Launius was basically on a crime spree throughout most of the 1970s including one incident in Mexico where . Sympathy Ideas. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. June 21, 1945 - 'We'll probably find a real motive,' he said. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. She is the sole survivor of the brutal Wonderland attack the night of July 1, 1981; she suffered severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger following the attack. The house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue was well-known in the neighborhood, and for all the wrong reasons. And the character that caused all this trauma? Though she presented herself as an aspiring actress, no evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim. Abcarian: Mask mandates? . Then Holmes hit on a more direct way to make money. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. Valhalla Read More, Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . Susan wasnt exactly innocent, but you could say she was a bystander caught up in the horror that would unfold hours after she arrived at Wonderland. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. to tell them who it was, Sharon Holmes said. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Funeral homes; Help and advice. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William E. Launius Sr. (Belleville, Illinois), who passed away on March 14, 2021, at the age of 77, leaving to mourn family and friends. . And yet, according to the evidence, neither was she a prostitute. Although he was often away from home, I was his safe place, Sharon Holmes said. Manson had collected his death cult from the masses of young, aimless drifters who had descended upon the West Coast in the late 1960s, entranced by the supposedly good vibes of a scene populated with other young people, hippies, and freaks not to mention, crooks and hustlers peddling free love and other illusions. She was an associate of the Wonderland Gang, hanging around the Wonderland apartment, where she was savagely beaten by criminals with lead pipes on the night of 1 July 1981. The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. Let others know about your loved one's death. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. He was born on April 10, 1930 in Bloomfield, MO. Interment will follow in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville IL. . The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Mary, nee Bell, Haywood; a sister Mary Jane Haywood; and a sister-in-law Nancy Kraft. The overnight discovery of the bodies of Sharon Tate and her friends at the Benedict Canyon home she shared with husband Roman Polanski was all over the next days news. James M. Eisenman, a Century City attorney who represents Holmes estate and his second wife, said he doubts Sharon Holmes story. Lind's position in the drug underworld was and remains murky due to allegations by rival drug dealers that he worked as a police informant. Because this was a neighborhood under construction, there were numerous undeveloped lots set amid modest new homes built to alleviate the housing crunch of that era. . Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Susan. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. A unique and . Then, reeling from the shock of seeing a nude and clearly tortured, bisected body, Betty covered her daughters eyes and ran to the nearest neighbors home to phone the police. For example, we know that Short lied to her family back East about her career ambitions. Send Flowers. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children.Susan was a lifelong member. . Susan B. Launius. Burial in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, born in Belleville on 9-14-1943, died Sunday August 10, 2014 at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Funeral: Mermorial service will be held Tuesday June 7, 2011 at 11 am, at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville, IL with Rev. Confoundingly, after all these years we still havent been able to close the book on this investigation. June was born September 15, 1921 in Caro, MI the daughter of Cecil and Iva (Milner) Tayl . Mrs. Launius enjoyed working on the gardens at her home, which she treasured. You could hit the lofty heights of stardom, like Tom Cruise. Perhaps the most horrifying sight was Launius's wife, Susan. Search by Name. That year, however, Launius was convicted of smuggling heroin and cocaine across the US/Mexico border and eventually served three years of an eight-year sentence in a federal prison. We will update Susan Launius's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. . Here is William E. Launius Sr.'s obituary. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Prior to her disappearance, shed packed up all her earthly possessions and locked then up in the downtown Greyhound bus station. The neighborhood: Laurel Canyon. Write your message of sympathy today. None other than larger-than-life porn star (and fulltime coke fiend) John Holmes, known professionally as Johnny Wadd. In essence, what they wanted him to do was . He would have to take them to the house.. It was a beautiful morning in Los Angeles, another in a virtually unbroken string of glorious, sunny midwinter days. Holmes slept fitfully for a few hours, Sharon Holmes said, and moaned about blood and pain. Laurel Canyon had its share of free-spirited, drug-friendly residents, but had never seen this level of violence and brutality. and his gang were cruising the city in their, looking for another likely target in their LSD-drenched plan for world domination, nicknamed Healter (sic) Skelter. He had been critical of the amateurishness of the night before, and he wanted to offer his death squad an opportunity to regain his approval. When Holmes returned to his car hours later, two armed men ordered him to drive to Nashs home, he said. Ill never forget that as long as I live, she said. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern IL, PanCan.org, or First United Presbyterian Church Building Fund. But Nash had a sneaking suspicion about his friend Johnny Wadd, who had visited the home only hours before the robbery. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. No one but Holmes has ever been charged in the murder case. fishing with canned anchovies; pros and . Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Back up that claim evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim unique. Launius - obituary & amp ; service Details to drive to Nashs home he! Home, which she treasured most horrifying sight was Launius & # x27 ; wife. 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