However, it wasnt until 1990 when Eddie Nash and his bodyguard were both arrested and were accused of their roles in the murder. The weapons used by the killers were believed to be a combination of hammers and metal pipes. While there probably had been tenants coming in and out, its unknown at this point whether they can confirm if the place was indeed haunted. I want to come to Matt Damons defense, he says, unbidden, referring to a recent uproar around the actors use of a particular f-word. I know Matt Damon. In addition, she runs an annual bowling fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.[3]. The ''Wonderland murders,'' named after the site, 4763 Wonderland Avenue, where the killings took place on July 1, 1981, proved a potent mix of seamy celebrity, drugs and violence. Launius wife, Susan, had also been badly bludgeoned but survived with severe head injuries. When Liberace insisted that Thorson as his son get cosmetic surgery to look like him, the doctor gave him a nose job, sculpted cheekbones, and a chin implant (which he later had removed); he also started Thorson on a weight-loss plan that included pharmaceutical cocaine, quaaludes, and Demerol. Release Dates Company Credits It has nonstop drug use, frequent violence and some sex, though not as much as its main character's profession might lead one to expect. 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. I'm Barbara Richardson, assistant general manager of customer service, communications and marketing at Metro. David Lind testified in the preliminary hearing for John Holmes in 1982 that Miller and Richardson attended the planning meetings of the Nash robbery. [14][15] 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. 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. One witness named Scott Thorson (who was best known as a partner of famous musician Liberace) stopped by the house to purchase drugs. 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. [5][11] Holmes claimed this did nothing to reduce her opiate usage. But I think they deserve closure. Confidential,'' but it is really more ''Boogie Nights.'' [Police] would have to investigate it, but I think theres a couple people still alive.. The high quality of most of the acting makes this otherwise pointless and indulgent movie at least watchable, and Lisa Kudrow's performance in particular provides a glimpse of the better movie you wish it were. 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. [10], Joy Audrey Gold Miller was Billy DeVerell's girlfriend and the leaseholder of the Wonderland townhouse. The gang hurls racial epithets at Nash and Diles and walks away with over one million dollars in cash, jewels, and drugs. Barbara Flavin was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, March 25, 1949, the daughter of Evelyn Mary (ne Kaplan) and John Francis Flavin. Lind claimed she was his girlfriend, though he was 20 years older than her, and she was married. . Thats what got me hooked, Thorson says. His associate, David Lind, once said of him: "You could put a gun to his head and his pulse would never break 70". Notice the blood on the walls. Attempting to get back in the gang's good graces, Holmes suggests robbing Nash's home. Drugs were regularly dealt from the residence at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. 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. 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 They were probably considered dirtbags and drug dealers and Who cares? he says. Neither Holmes nor any of the women are present when the robbery occurs. Here, oddly enough, his rival is also named Nash. The killings. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Eddie Nash had died in 2014. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes. Holmes was acquitted in June 1982, after a three-week trial. 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. [citation needed], Although the Wonderland Gang was mainly known for its drug sales, which concentrated on cocaine and the occasional heroin deal, the gang also gained revenues through burglaries and armed robberies of rival drug dealers. 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. 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. ''Wonderland,'' directed by James Cox, is part of a curious, somewhat unsavory subgenre of movies that involve washed-up, sort-of-famous people and death by bludgeoning. Afterwards they took John Holmes out by the scruff of the neck, and they made him take [Diles] up to the Wonderland address where they then did the beatings and the killings. "[4] On Metacritic it has a score of 43% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". John Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982, after his handprint was found in one of the bedrooms. Hed sent Thorson on June 30th to collect their cut of the clubs door money, and Thorson had combined errands and ordered a pound of cocaine from Nash for himself. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I knew that Nash was dangerous and that if he could get a chance to kill me, he would.. They should go after them if they can catch more people that were involved. Specifically at the time of the murder, Lind testified in court that he was at a motel in the San Fernando Valley, consuming drugs with a male prostitute. This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 15:57. Barbara was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Barbara Richardson (Barbara Ann Barnett Richardson) See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Connell Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Barbara Easton Richardson. , money, salary, income, and assets. 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. View Barbara Richardson results in Pennsylvania (PA) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. [2], The Wonderland Gang mainly trafficked in the burgeoning cocaine trade of the era, but despite its role as the most influential and feared cocaine distributorship of its time in Los Angeles, some of its members were heroin addicts. Ah, you must be Barbara. But there is no doubt that for those who may have known the story, they cannot help but get an eerie feeling each time they enter the house. Launius' wife, Susan, survived the attack, although she was left with permanent brain damage and lost part of one finger. 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. Susan Launius is beaten but survives, and is questioned by Nico and Cruz in her hospital bed. The wild details Thorson shares strain credulity. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. During one of the visits, Nashs bodyguard Gregory Diles spotted Holmes and noticed that the latter was wearing one of Nashs rings. But the few times I thought he lied, he had a good and valid explanation on how either I misconstrued something or he misconstrued a question.. Mr. Nash, 71, was arrested at noon on Friday at his condominium in Tarzana, a suburb northwest of Los Angeles. (Nash had befriended Holmes because of Holmes' notoriety as the porn film phenomenon Johnny Wadd.) The four men had broke in and eventually robbed Nash at his home. 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. After the trial ended in a hung jury, they were retried the following year and were later acquitted. ''There was dope, porn, sex and drugs and organized crime, and John Holmes and all of these types of things that made it kind of a draw back then,'' said Tom Lange, a retired Los Angeles police detective who investigated the case, and who was later assigned to the O. J. Simpson case. Join Facebook to connect with Barbara Richardson and others you may know. [17], Around 3:00 AM, on July 1, two days after the Nash robbery, it is believed Holmes, Diles, and a number of unidentified men entered the Wonderland house and bludgeoned to death Launius, DeVerell, Miller, and Richardson; the weapons were believed to be either hammers or striated metal pipes. Instead he treats the episode as a chance to show off his mastery of fast-cutting, atmospheric style, which is impressive, but also a little annoying. By the time of the Wonderland murders, Lind had been incarcerated several times for armed burglary, forgery, assault, and assault with the intent to commit rape. One time, he thought hed caught Thorson lying about smoking crack with Richard Pryor. [citation needed], The two bedroom split-level house was leased in Joy Miller's name. The girlfriend of John Holmes, Dawn Schiller, is on the streets and picked up by a holy roller after Holmes leaves Schiller in a hotel room. [1] However, it was a house that gained infamy in the 1980s for such reasons that could even shock a longtime local. They had discovered that an untold amount of cocaine and other valuables were stolen, totaling about $1 million. By the time of the Wonderland murders, Lind had been incarcerated several times for armed burglary, forgery, assault, and assault with the intent to commit rape. After the members recovered, Holmes was worried that the patio door may have been locked again, so he returned to Nash's a third time, purchased some crack cocaine, ensured the door was unlatched, and notified the gang that the home was ready for invasion. [3][4], Ronald Lee Launius [5] was a United States Air Force veteran of the Vietnam era, who had been dishonorably discharged and convicted of smuggling heroin from Vietnam back to the United States in the coffins of American service members. While you may not be able to get inside the home itself, dont be surprised if things start to feel a little eerie if you happen to be walking around Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles. He has some bad press. [6], Reportedly, at the time of his death,[5] police investigators in California, largely in the Sacramento area, had 27 open homicide cases they believed were perpetrated by Launius. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. As of January 2017, Susan Launius is both the sole survivor of the Wonderland murders and the only living member of the Wonderland Gang. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. At heart it is a standard cop show whodunit, with Mr. Levine and Franky G. as the dogged detectives trying to sort through the distortions and ambiguities. Well it's only the beginning baby L.A. in the summer anything could happen right. Even if youve just moved in or lived there awhile, you cannot imagine what happened in the past with someone who lived there. Police believed the brutality of the killings suggested a crime of rage and revenge. 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. The events that took place inside happened just 40 hours after Nash was robbed, and they were hardly muted. Liberace and Scott Thorson at La Cage Aux Folles in Hollywood on April 21, 1981 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. The killings occurred in an era of notorious Los Angeles criminals, including the Skid Row Slasher, the Hillside Strangler and the Night Stalker. Recent examples include Paul Schrader's ''Auto Focus,'' in which the celebrity (and victim) was the ''Hogan's Heroes'' star Bob Crane, and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's ''Party Monster,'' in which the celebrity (who in real life pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter) was the New York club kid Michael Alig. Synopsis. [19] Holmes died on March 13, 1988, from AIDS complications in Los Angeles. [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. [citation needed], DeVerell was an overhead crane operator and heroin user who had been arrested 13 times in relation to his addiction, which is part of the reason why he stayed in the gang. Holmes actually went to Nash's three times that morning. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. Lind and McCourt were not present at the home due to the murders since Lind was at a nearby hotel consuming drugs with a friend while McCourt was at an apartment that he apparently rented for himself. It's a pleasure to be here this morning to take your questions and comments about. The home was a site of an infamous homicide involving one of the most recognized adult film stars of his time. 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. Barbara Lee "Butterfly" Easton Richardson (17 October 1958-1 July 1981) was an associate of the Wonderland Gang, the girlfriend of David Lind, and a victim of the Wonderland murders. Nash discovers Holmes was involved in the robbery, he has Holmes beaten and finds Holmes' little black book. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Source: [https://i.imgur.com/KesSu82.jpg]. [11] Nash asked to pray for his children but was instead forced to open his safe. Prior to the murders, five people resided in the home: Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, DeVerrel's girlfriend Joy Audrey Gold Miller, Tracy McCourt and David Lind. Drug gang in Los Angeles (1970's & 1980's), Not to be confused with the Wonderland Club, an online child pornography ring busted by, Cass Paley, quotation in the director's cut of. I was scared, he says. Crime, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Made in Europe. Facebook gives. 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. 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. He did not disclose the names of those responsible. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 34% based on 101 reviews. 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. 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. Mr. Lucas, playing the crown prince of the Laurel Canyon drug scene, is all nerves and teeth, showing some of the same sharp-faced ferocity he brought to ''A Beautiful Mind,'' in which he played John Nash's graduate-school rival. They proceeded to beat John Holmes. 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. 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. The fates of others allegedly involved in the Nash robbery or Wonderland attacks are: Any other assailants who might have participated in the bludgeoning attack on the Wonderland Gang have neither been identified nor prosecuted; their fate and whereabouts are unknown. 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. Barbara Richardsons income source is mostly from being a successful . I was shocked, he says. One such occurrence happened on June 29, 1981. The case sounds like something out of ''L.A. and studied at Clarkstown High School South. [20], 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. And in this, it was like a revenge thing against drug dealers. 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