88. The Black Dahlia and a Haunted Toys R Us in California

Elizabeth (Betty) Short was born July 29, 1924 in Medford, Mass. Who was she? She came to California, perhaps for fame and fortune. Fortune was not in her future, but her name was and still is very well known, not the name Betty Short, but The Black Dahlia. https://www.fanpop.com/clubs/elizabeth-short-the-black-dahlia/images/41419491/title/images-7-photo

This is Elizabeth Short’s mug shot and fingerprints. She had been arrested in 1943 by the Santa Barbara police for underage drinking. On January 15, 1947, a woman walking with her 3 year old daughter in a Los Angeles neighborhood came upon a gruesome sight, the mutilated body of a young woman sliced in half at the waist. It was through the police fingerprints that the FBI identified the 22 year old dead woman as Elizabeth Short. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/the-black-dahlia

Steve Hodel, a retired LAPD detective, is convinced that his father, George Hodel (pictured) was the Black Dahlia killer. Her murder has never been solved. Authorities focused on about 25 suspects, including George Hodel, who actually became a prime suspect, which was not known to Steve until he started looking into the case. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hodel

Dr Walter Bayley had lived in a house one block from where Betty’s body was found. His daughter Barbara was a close friend of Betty’s sister Virginia, so it is very possible that the two had met. Later in life, Bayley suffered from a degenerative brain disorder,  which could have left him with a violent streak, if provoked. Had Betty said something to him that caused a violent reaction? https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28255523/walter-alonzo-bayley

How could a happy, cheerful place like Toys R Us be haunted? AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer https://www.businessinsider.com/the-tumultuous-history-of-toys-r-us-photos-2020-8

The Toys R Us in Sunnyvale, Ca. Had several reports of balls rolling down the aisles, toys randomly falling off shelves, and swings on swing set displays moving on their own. Medium Sylvia Brown was called by store management to find out what was going on. During a séance held in the store, Sylvia described a man leaning against a toy rack. She said his name was Johan Johnson and he did not realize he was dead. A photographer who accompanied Sylvia took this picture. Sylvia had described the man perfectly! https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-toys-r-us-ghost.html

REI, the outdoor recreation retailer, has taken over the building that, up until 2018, was Toys R Us. One has to wonder, if the building is haunted, how will Johan Johnson make himself known? The store opened Halloween week, hum, this could be interesting…….. Photo courtesy of REI https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/rei-rolls-out-tough-sustainability-standards-for-all-its-brands