. Here is William E. Launius Sr.'s obituary. shed never seen the residence before the day of June 30, 1981. They were married on May 26, 1946. The Black Dahlia murder, the Manson Family spree, and the Wonderland killings are each crimes of their era with resonance that reaches to today. 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 . Launius was married in November 1954 to the love of his life, Cecelia Irene Rutkoski from Marlin, TX. Early in the morning of the robbery, Holmes visited Nash's mansion ostensibly to party and to buy drugs, but on his way out, left the patio door to the kitchen unlatched. Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home 3412 Frank Scott Pkwy W, Belleville, IL 62223. A visitor to the house, Susan Launius, couldnt have known what the neighbors thought, though it was where her husband Ronald spent most of his time. LAUNIUS, JUNE E. Flushing Age 90 of Flushing, died Thursday, June 21, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, was one of the victims. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. ? . 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. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. Susan was a lifelong member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, Ill Read More, SUSAN LAUNIUS Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. to the late Clyde and Jottie Williams Launius. Neighbors knew the place had more than a bad rep it had bad juju. We are sad to announce that on December 23, 2018, at the age of 73, Susan Miller-Preciado (Provo, Utah), born in Rupert, Idaho passed away. . And yet, virtually since its founding as an entertainment capital of the world, misfortune and misadventure have stalked far more of its denizens than Dame Fortune has smiled upon. Thorson claimed to have witnessed Nash order Diles to beat Holmes, and said Nash threatened to kill Holmes and his family, until Holmes identified the people behind the robbery. Holmes was quickly spirited away to Nashs house and beaten until he revealed all his secrets. Then Holmes hit on a more direct way to make money. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. June 21, 1945 - Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. Her husband, Ron, 37, of the. But the coke wasnt free, and he owed money all over town. Susan A. Murphy married Ron Launius in Carson City, Nevada on 16 April 1971, and the two of them were heavy drug users. The neighborhood: Leimert Park. Holmes slept fitfully for a few hours, Sharon Holmes said, and moaned about blood and pain. After Holmes negotiations for an immunity deal with police and prosecutors fell apart, the actor made plans to leave town with Sellers. This time, flipping the script, Holmes would gain access to Launiuss Wonderland Avenue pad for Nashs ultraviolent retribution. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. 1969: The Manson Family Killing Spree; Night 2 Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. 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. 'When you're talking about the star witness in a case like this I think you can safely assume that we've got her pretty well guarded,' a pllice spokesman said. He is survived by : his children, William Launius Jr. (Joan) of Millstadt and Lori Harris (Ken) of Waterloo; and his grandchildren, William "Trey" Launius III, Kasey Launius, Hunter Harris, Carter Harris, Tanner Harris and Cooper Harris. 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. Holmes was quickly spirited away to Nashs house and beaten until he revealed all his secrets. 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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Accounts vary as to how and why Holmes arrived there; according to some sources, Holmes went there himself to try to make himself appear innocent, whereas others claim Holmes was kidnapped by Nash's henchmen when they recognized him walking around wearing some of Nash's jewelry. Funeral, time pending, Friday at First Presbyterian Church, Belleville. He is not dating anyone. A visitor to the house, Susan Launius, couldnt have known what the neighbors thought, though it was where her husband Ronald spent most of his time. Whatever the mood was prior to the night of August 8, the night of August 9 was filled with trepidation. Burial in Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville. The moans that the moving company had heard had been from her. Or you could climb the literal heights of the Hollywood sign, as. He told me that he had set up the robbery. Los Angeles and Hollywood, L.A.s evanescent city within the city casts a long shadow for strivers and dreamers. 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. 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. . Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. The house, tucked deep in Laurel Canyon, was a suspected drug den where parties raged around the clock. Tracy Raymond McCourt was the driver of the stolen 1975 Ford Granada that carried the Wonderland Gang to Eddie Nash's home on the night of the robbery. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. is robert peston married to charlotte edwardes. They all took part in the constant cocaine transactions and, violating the first rule of drug dealers not to get high on their own supply, they were all users too. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca were brutally murdered in their Los Feliz home by members of the Manson Family in 1969. No charges have ever been filed in the Black Dahlia case, but that hasnt stopped people from confessing. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. . . 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. . Charismatic, autocratic Jim Jones ruled with brute force, leading his followers to madness and beyond., Familicide is the act of killing family members, including children. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Susan Launius (1951-) was the girlfriend of Ron Launius and an associate of the Wonderland Gang. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. John Holmes, who was tried for and acquitted of the crimes, never told his wife the names of the assailants, she said. (But) we have a certain set of rules to follow that the people who go out and perpetrate crimes dont.. LOS ANGELES -- The lone survivor of the massacre of four people in the swank Laurel Canyon home of an attractive blonde woman suspected of dealing in drugs was under a 24-hour hospital guard Friday as the star witness in the case. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. September 29, 1943 - March 17, 1926 - October 31, 2020. . Holmes spent a good portion of his days (and nights) partying with the Wonderland crew. Scott Thorson, who was buying drugs at Nash's home, wrote in his memoir My Life with Liberace (1988) that Nash had ordered Diles to bring Holmes to Nash's house, which Diles did after finding Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings. John Holmes himself never offered a public account of what happened on that July night. As the 1980s began, and Holmes became more heavily involved in cocaine, his absences grew longer. Laurel Canyon had its share of free-spirited, drug-friendly residents, but had never seen this level of violence and brutality. For some, Los Angeles is an endless highway to success. There was a lot of screaming going on, Holmes told his wife. This time, flipping the script, Holmes would gain access to Launiuss Wonderland Avenue pad for Nashs ultraviolent retribution. At the house, Holmes told his wife, Nash pored over Holmes address book, and stopped when he came to the pages that listed addresses in Ohio, where Holmes was born and where his mother and other relatives still lived. Its not like there is a shortage of theories on her murderer there just isnt enough clear evidence to point to any one suspect in particular. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. She liked to go to concerts and enjoyed many types of music. He is a member of famous with the age 71 years old group. 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. Kevin Martin is Senior Writer for MagellanTV. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. . 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