And I took a Lear jet into Burbank and I met with Eddie Nash., When Thorson arrived, however, Nash had neither drugs nor money. Gregory Diles died of liver failure on January 16, 1997, aged 48. While there, he noticed a man resembling Holmes being tied to a chair and being beaten by Diles. In the early hours of July 1st, 1981, for the umpteenth time in his life, Scott Thorson found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. When asked to elaborate, the policeman explained: "A trash can only has two handles". Barbara works at Animal Rescue. I flew in from I believe I was in Tahoe with Liberace, he says. Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Mr. Nash was believed to have figured out Mr. Holmes's role, forced him to reveal the robbers' identities and help in the killings. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/wonderland-avenue-house.jpg. Browse 278 barbara richardson stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Nash and Diles faced a mistrial in 1990, and were acquitted in 1991. It was this last line of "business", particularly the armed robbery of Eddie Nash, that ultimately led to the group's sudden and violent end. 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. in Hollywood, California, Scott Thorson, Last Living Wonderland Murders Witness, Is Finally Free, Family Remembers OnlyFans Model Coconut Kitty as Badass Artist, Rockstar Mom, Alex Murdaugh Admits He Lied to Police, Says Painkillers Made Him Paranoid, LA Man Charged With Hate Crimes Threatened Classmate: I Want You Dead, Jew, The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood, Alex MurdaughCalled 'Family Annihilator' by Prosecution in Murder Trial, Fresh Controversy for Ja Morant as NBA Star Is Accused of Assaulting Teen, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review: A Candy-Coated Balm for the Soul, NYPD's Violent Tactics During 2020 Protests Will Cost New York City, Tax Payers Millions, People Are Getting Pregnant on TikToks Trendy 'On-Demand' Birth Control, A Year After Brain Injury, Amy Grant Sets First Solo Musical Return in a Decade, Jena Malone Says She Was Sexually Assaulted by 'Hunger Games' Coworker. We were freebasing, and he was right. Mr. Lange and another investigator, Nils Grevilius, wrote a book about the case, ''Four on the Floor,'' but it has not been published. [citation needed], Susan A. Murphy Launius, then 30, while not an official member of the gang, was married to gang member Ron Launius and had a drug habit. Anyone can read what you share. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [1] The house was notorious for round-the-clock mayhem and debauchery. Just days after the attack, the Los Angeles Police Department investigated the murders and searched the house for evidence. 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. Miller had two adult daughters and was the ex-wife of a Beverly Hills attorney. Ron Launius I went back to the tape and he didnt say crack. Connelly says. Originally, McCourt was designated to take part in the home invasion itself, but a day or so before the event, conspirator David Lind (who derisively referred to McCourt as "Titmouse Tracy"[citation needed]) took away McCourt's handgun, and McCourt was relegated to driving duty. And in this, it was like a revenge thing against drug dealers. In 2001, he reportedly had been wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department for "assault with a deadly weapon and failure to comply on the original charge of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance". 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 . [9], David Clay Lind was a biker, heroin addict, and member of the Aryan Brotherhood who befriended Launius when the two men served time in prison together. The home was located on Wonderland Avenue, in Los Angeles's Laurel Canyon neighborhood. He was very distraught, Thorson says. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 69 years old? We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . Technical Specs. On July 1, 1981, a group of Nash's henchmen (including Holmes), led by Diles, gains access to the apartment at Wonderland Avenue. Numerous television shows have covered the Wonderland murders, such as: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Barbara Richardson Owner of Hungryscarecrow, creators of clean label, gluten-free bread mixes. The case sounds like something out of ''L.A. All five occupants were known for dealing drugs while using themselves. Holmes had entered the home while the doors were unlocked. But that may not mean that some of the spirits of the Wonderland house are not done telling the story of what really happened here. The house located on 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Laurel Canyon. (Holmes, who had starred in hundreds of films by that time, is the subject of a 1989 Rolling Stone feature by Mike Sager about his involvement in these events, The Devil and John Holmes.) Nash asked me to step out of his bedroom, Thorson says. He is also a newly free man, speaking to Rolling Stone from Las Vegas in his first interview since getting paroled from Nevada State prison. All I can say is what I've said for the last 20 years. Through Lind's story (told in flashbacks), we are introduced to some of the people who partied at Wonderland. Barbara Richardson was born on 1951. That is what they are paid to do of course; why anyone else should care is the real unsolved mystery. Wonderland is a 2003 American crime drama film, co-written and directed by James Cox and based on the real-life Wonderland Murders that occurred in 1981. Looking for Barbara Richardson in Georgia? Mr. Nash's lawyer, Fred Rucker, did not return telephone calls. Directed by James Cox; written by Mr. Cox, Captain Mauzner, Todd Samovitz and D. Loriston Scott; director of photography, Michael Grady; edited by Jeff McEvoy; production designer, Franco-Giacomo Carbone; produced by Holly Wiersma and Michael Paseornek; released by Lions Gate Films. Liberace and Scott Thorson at La Cage Aux Folles in Hollywood on April 21, 1981 One of Nashs bodyguards was seriously injured as a result of a gunshot. The home was a site of an infamous homicide involving one of the most recognized adult film stars of his time. I knew that Nash was dangerous and that if he could get a chance to kill me, he would.. [6] 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. View the profiles of people named Barbara Ann Richardson. 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. His associate, David Lind, once said of him: "You could put a gun to his head and his pulse would never break 70". Diles died in 1995. In ''Wonderland,'' which opens today in New York and Los Angeles, the celebrity (and apparent accomplice) is John Holmes, the star of many X-rated movies who died in 1988 and who was acquitted of charges in a multiple homicide in Los Angeles in 1981. While prosecutors were attempting to paint Holmes as one of the willing participants of the murders, Holmes attorneys were able to prove that Holmes was not involved with the murders, but rather a victim who was forced to allow the assailants entry into the home to carry out the attack. Early life and education[ edit] Barbara Flavin was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, March 25, 1949, the daughter of Evelyn Mary ( ne Kaplan) and John Francis Flavin. While at the crime scene, he is picked up by Nico and Cruz. The prosecutors say the killings were committed in retaliation for a break-in and drug robbery at Mr. Nash's home two nights earlier, in which he was made to kneel and beg for his life, and Mr. Diles was grazed by a bullet. Release Dates The film itself didnt have a scene that was based on the Wonderland Murders, but there was once a scene that was loosely based on the robbery of Nash. When he learns that Holmes knows notorious gangster Eddie Nash, he gives Holmes a pair of stolen antique guns to take to Nash, so that Nash can fence them and the Wonderland Gang can split the loot. Launius is buried at Lodi Memorial Park and Cemetery in, DeVerell is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Covina Hills) in, Miller is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in, Richardson is buried at Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in, David Lind died of a heroin overdose on November 16, 1995, aged 55. He spent considerable time in the Colorado prison system, but when he was free he operated a successful mobile phone franchise. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes. Thats what got me hooked, Thorson says. The four men had broke in and eventually robbed Nash at his home. However, he died in 1988. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. LA Medical Examiner's autopsy report, 81-8538, conducted immediately after the Wonderland Murders. The home at one point was up for rent for the price of $3,000 a month. [If he were,] he would not have played me in the movie. A decade earlier, he was tried and later convicted on unrelated charges and had spent time in prison. This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 15:57. Barbara Lee Richardson was born in Sacramento, California in 1958, and she became the girlfriend of Aryan Brotherhood biker David Lind. These people, known as the Wonderland Gang, included Ron Launius and his wife Susan, Billy Deverell, Lind's 22-year-old girlfriend Barbara Richardson, and Joy Miller. Liberace's former lover shares what he saw the night of the murders and why he thinks law enforcement should keep working on the case. 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. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. Crime, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Made in Europe. Also active in efforts to combat domestic violence, she helped to open a shelter for abused spouses in a corner of the state where such services had been nonexistent. 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. The murder victims belong to a group of addicts and small-time dealers whose endless, hectic parties gain a certain sleazy cachet from Holmes's presence. One such occurrence happened on June 29, 1981. Her latest book is Wish, a middle grade novel published by FSG. She seems like a real person, and you wonder how she was dragged into a situation -- and a movie -- like this. She currently lives in Asheville, NC. During one of the visits, Nashs bodyguard Gregory Diles spotted Holmes and noticed that the latter was wearing one of Nashs rings. All rights reserved. By the time Holmes had become involved with the group, Miller had been arrested seven times, been treated for breast cancer, and six months before had had a double mastectomy. Ah, you must be Barbara. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. He took me into his bedroom and he said that he had just been robbed of close to a million dollars worth of cocaine, jewelry and drugs., A short time later, Nashs body guard, Gregory Diles, came into the room, dragging the famous porn star John Holmes, a friend of Nashs whom Nash had discovered was responsible for letting the robbers into his house. While there had been no arrests even to this day, the place still might be haunted with a spirit or two that may tell the story of what actually happened. [1] On July 1, 1981, three members and one associate of the gang died in the Wonderland murders (also known as the "Four on the Floor murders" or the "Laurel Canyon murders"). This film is rated R. WITH: Val Kilmer (John Holmes), Lisa Kudrow (Sharon Holmes), Kate Bosworth (Dawn Schiller), Dylan McDermott (David Lind), Josh Lucas (Ron Launius), Tim Blake Nelson (Billy Deverell), Eric Bogosian (Eddie Nash), Ted Levine (Sam Nico), Franky G. (Louis Cruz), Christina Applegate (Susan Launius), Natasha Gregson-Wagner (Barbara Richardson), Janeane Garofalo (Joy Miller), Carrie Fisher (Sally Hansen) and Faizon Love (Greg Diles). For something to become a really big media event, you need the idea that it could happen to anybody, he says. Prior to the murders, five people resided in the home: Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, DeVerrels girlfriend Joy Audrey Gold Miller, Tracy McCourt and David Lind. Launiuss wife Susan was gravely injured and is the only known survivor of the attack. Hes plotting his return to L.A., where he plans to finish his second book and then wait for a call from Matt Damon, who he hopes will reprise his role as him in some future Hollywood adaptation of his exploits. He did not disclose the names of those responsible. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! : 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. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 70s Barbara K Richardson Dalzell, SC View Full Report Addresses Brabham Dr, Dalzell, SC Bethel Church Rd, Sumter, SC [citation needed], John Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982, after his handprint was found in one of the bedrooms. Barbara Easton Richardson. After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. 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. All of this is told through competing versions of the story related to a pair of grim-faced homicide detectives (Ted Levine and Franky G.) by Holmes and by David Lind (Dylan McDermott), a glowering ex-convict who participated in the robbery and escaped Nash's revenge. The two of them became heavy drug users, later becoming police informants, and they travelled to Los Angeles in 1981 to join Ron Launius' Wonderland Gang. [citation needed] Launius' brazen and fearless nature led both to his dominance in the drug trade as well as his demise, stemming from the events leading up to his death in the Wonderland Murders. Imagine a house just sitting there like any other on the block. Pin on Wonderland Murders, True Crime Explore Save From i.pinimg.com John Holmes Wonderland victim. 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