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 . But Nash had a sneaking suspicion about his friend Johnny Wadd, who had visited the home only hours before the robbery. Victim three, Audrey Miller was beaten to death on her bed. 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. 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. 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. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. For example, we know that Short lied to her family back East about her career ambitions. Short seems to have been a drifter. Less-lucky losers might wind up at the bottom of a lake. Hanson said Holmes never told his attorneys what happened the night of the killings. The neighborhood: Los Feliz. Special thanks to Hospice of Southern IL for their care and compassion. . In the summer of 1981, Sharon Holmes said, she and John Holmes were living together as the managers of a small Glendale apartment complex. relaxed uneasily at the end of their Saturday. Atty. And what fiendish sadist could have inflicted such pain prior to her death, and then carefully exsanguinated the corpse, washed her thoroughly, and carved her in two? The Black Dahlia murder, the Manson Family spree, and the Wonderland killings are each crimes of their era with resonance that reaches to today. David Lind, ordinarily a resident of the Sacramento area, came to Los Angeles in the summer of 1981 at Launius' behest, to aid in their growing drug-distribution business. They were married on May 26, 1946. It was a beautiful morning in Los Angeles, another in a virtually unbroken string of glorious, sunny midwinter days. He is currently single. He is from . . Ronnie Lee Launius Birth 18 May 1944 Death 1 Jul 1981 (aged 37) Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Lodi Memorial Park and Cemetery Lodi, San Joaquin County, California, Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Police sources said Vlick, who is charged with plssessing drugs and stolen property, is a 'fringe guy' in organized crime circles. Neighbors knew the place had more than a bad rep it had bad juju. This time, flipping the script, Holmes would gain access to Launiuss Wonderland Avenue pad for Nashs ultraviolent retribution. 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. The multiple homicide shocked the city, which was still somewhat innocent and trusting at the end of the halcyon hippie days. By light, four people - Ron Launius, his accomplice Billy DeVerell, Billy's girlfriend Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson - lay dead in the house. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, Ill., born Sept 14, 1943, in Belleville, Ill., died Sunday Aug. 10, 2014, at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. He was predeceased by : his wife Susan; his parents, Carl and Fern; his sister Nancy; and his brother-in-law Darwin Kraft. He spent 110 days in jail for contempt of court. The LAPD estimates that over the years theyve received. After Holmes negotiations for an immunity deal with police and prosecutors fell apart, the actor made plans to leave town with Sellers. Sharon Holmes said she is convinced that her former husband was at least present when the murders took place. Create an obituary. But we have more depraved murders to investigate in this ghastly, time-traveling tour of Hollywood-Land. Grief Support. She was scheduled to appear in court this month on drug charges. Holmes would visit Nash at his home in Studio City and quietly leave a sliding backdoor ajar, through which the Launius crew would later (after Holmes departed) invade the house and relieve Nash of vast quantities of drugs and other valuables. She was the only survivor of the Wonderland murders, although she suffered severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger following the attack. Search by Name. In the still unpublished official version of his life, Holmes is quoted as saying that he was held at gunpoint at another house while the killers, whose names he did not know, went to the home on Wonderland Avenue. She worked in real estate for over 25 years and was a member of the Belleville Board of Realtors. 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. In 1990, Nash was charged in California state court with having planned the murders, and Diles was charged with participating in the murders, but both men were acquitted in 1991. She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, William Launius Sr.; her son William (Joan) Launius Jr. of Millstadt; her daughter Lori (Ken) Harris of Waterloo; her grandchildren William Trey Launius III, Kasey Launius, Hunter Harris, Carter Harris, Tanner Harris, and Cooper Harris; brother-in-law Darwin Kraft; beloved nieces Lisa (Craig) DeBeaumont, Rebecca (Art) Fudge, beloved nephews Todd Kraft, and Karl Eric (Sue) Kraft, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, lifelong friend Theresa Painter, and many other friends. . 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. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. The scene: A long-settled middle-class area on L.A.s Eastside, this neighborhood was largely developed with apartments and single-family homes in the 1920s and 30s. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 400,000 families a year. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. He told me that he had set up the robbery. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Charlie told the driver to head to Los Feliz, with which he was familiar after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision that killed at least 36, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut. But Sharon Holmes and Jeanna Sellers insist that it is true. Here is William E. Launius Sr.'s obituary. In the following decades, the Canyon has retained little of its innocent charm as professionals of all stripes have gentrified the neighborhood and tightened up its vibe. Unfortunately, thats not always the case. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Face of Ron Launius (May 18, 1944 - July 1, 1981) Ronald Lee "Ron" Launius was the leader of the Wonderland Gang, a squad of drug dealers that operated out of a dope house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California, moving large amounts of cocaine and small amounts of heroin. William "Bill" Edward Launius Sr., 77, of Belleville, born in East St. Louis on September 29, 1943, passed away Sunday, March 14, 2021 at Cedarhurst in Waterloo IL, with his children by his side. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Less-lucky losers might wind up at the bottom of a lake. . He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. Susan A. Murphy Launius, 30, while not an official member of the gang, was married to gang member Ron Launius and had a drug habit. He was born on April 10, 1930 in Bloomfield, MO. Holmes was acquitted in June 1982, after a three-week trial. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Later she worked with her husband at Launius Marketing. Edmund Brown Jr. owns a house about a mile from the scene of the murders. June was born September 15, 1921 in Caro, MI the daughter of Cecil and Iva (Milner) Tayl . The objective of the robbery was to steal a hoard of cash, heroin, and cocaine that Holmes claimed was in a safe embedded in Nash's bedroom floor, as well as to retrieve some antique guns the Wonderland Gang had stolen from another businessman and then subsequently, using Holmes as an intermediary, sold to Nash in exchange for drugs. . The scene: A tract of land being developed into new homes to accommodate young working-class families in postwar L.A. Roland Edward Launius was born on March 17, 1926 in Bauxite, AR (although the family home of John R. and Ora Ophelia Launius was in El Dorado). Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.valhallagardensandfuneralhome.com. No one but Holmes has ever been charged in the murder case. 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. He said, I had to stand there and watch what they did, Sharon Holmes recalled. There were three years during the past century when it seems L.A. was spotlighted by the bad moon of especially notorious crimes. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Star-struck seekers could end up on top of the heap. Or you could climb the literal heights of the Hollywood sign, as Peg Entwistle did in 1932, peering over the edge at the expanse of Los Angeles as you prepare to leap to your undying infamy. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. John Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982, after his handprint was found in one of the bedrooms. Manson, along with his henchman Tex Watson, easily walked into the home and surprised both Leno and Rosemary. Perhaps the most horrifying sight was Launius's wife, Susan. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. The 43-year-old actor died as a result of complications arising from his infection with the AIDS virus. 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. Susan was a lifelong member 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. In May 1974, he was arrested for and charged with the 1973 murder of a reputed police drug informant who had been killed over a botched drug deal. Send Flowers. And yet. 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. For some, Los Angeles is an endless highway to success. Roland Edward Launius. Ronald Launius had a kind of second family there in Laurel Canyon, a cohort that included friends, accomplices, and hangers-on. 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. She worked in real estate for over 25 years and was a member of the Belleville Board of Realtors. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern IL, PanCan.org, or First United Presbyterian Church Building Fund. Charlie and Watson tied the LaBiancas up, convincing the couple theyd be safe if they cooperated. Its been proven true again and again over the years: Los Angeles attracts dreamers, starry-eyed souls who come into the Canyon, as the Mamas and Papas sang, only to be disillusioned. judith goss parcells; Home Uncategorized susan murphy launius. Sign up for service and obituary updates. His associate, David Lind, once said of him: "You could put a gun to his head and his pulse would never break 70". It was in prison that David Lind met Ron Launius. He was one of 5 children born during the depression and times were hard. Reportedly, at the time of his death, police investigators throughout California, largely in the Sacramento area, had 27 open homicide cases they believed were perpetrated by Launius. And what fiendish sadist could have inflicted such pain prior to her death, and then carefully exsanguinated the corpse, washed her thoroughly, and carved her in two? Title Image Credit: Izayah Ramos for Unsplash, We like to believe that doctors, nurses, and caregivers are trustworthy and have our best interests at heart. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. 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susan launius obituary