In the years following the Wonderland murders, McCourt was reported to have moved to Colorado. Coroner Thomas Noguchi said early autopsy results on the bodies found Wednesday -- 12 hours after the neighbors ignored the screams for mercy -- indicated the victims had been beaten to death. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Launius estranged wife, Susan, who was visiting, survived the assault but suffered severe head injuries. 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. But before they headed east, Holmes paid a final, early morning visit to his wife. During Holmes murder trial in 1982, then Deputy Dist. He was never convicted of the Wonderland murders. 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. Launius' estranged wife, Susan, who was visiting, survived the assault but suffered severe head injuries. (But) we have a certain set of rules to follow that the people who go out and perpetrate crimes dont.. Only Susan Launius survived, but her severe head injuries caused her to be unable to recall anything of the attacks. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern IL, PanCan.org, or First United Presbyterian Church Building Fund. Visitation: Friends may call Monday June 6, 2011 from 5-8 pm, at First United Presbyterian Church, 1303 Royal Heights Road, Belleville, IL 62223. The Wonderland Gang was a group of drug dealers involved in the Los Angeles cocaine trade during the late 1970s and early 1980s; their home base was located on Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Add a Memory. The case against Holmes was built largely on two pieces of evidence: An admission that Holmes allegedly made to Los Angeles Police Detective Frank Tomlinson after his arrest in Miami in December, 1981, and a bloody palm print left by Holmes on the rail of a bed on which one of the victims, drug dealer Ronald Launius, died. He would have to take them to the house.. He could not be reached for comment on the killings. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. 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. That version of the story, Sharon Holmes said, is fiction. Prosecutors charge that Nash, then a wealthy nightclub owner, ordered the murders . after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. 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. 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. 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. We have never heard the whole truth (about the killings) and we never will hear the whole truth, said attorney Earl L. Hanson, who, along with partner Mitchell W. Egers, successfully defended Holmes against the murder charges. Victim three, Audrey Miller was beaten to death on her bed. The address: Waverly Drive. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. 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. Bill was a member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. ? Rosemary and Leno LaBianca were brutally murdered in their Los Feliz home by members of the Manson Family in 1969. . Short seems to have been a drifter. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Sign the Guest Book. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Another victim, William DeVerell, 44, who lived at the house, had an arrest record in the 1950s, mostly for narcotics but had not been arrested in the recent case. Dr. Blythe Denham-Kieffer officiating. So, how much is Susan Launius worth at the age of 71 years old? Though she presented herself as an aspiring actress, no evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim. . He said, I had to stand there and watch what they did, Sharon Holmes recalled. . There was a lot of screaming going on, Holmes told his wife. According to our Database, He has no children. 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. As the wife of a drug dealer on the rise, she was protected from the gritty details of the life while enjoying its benefits for one, the money was great. Detectives said they had talked to Susan Murphy Launius, 29, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where she is in critical condition with gashes in her head and neck. Ronald S. Coen, now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, argued that the fatal beatings were intended to avenge the humiliating armed robbery of Los Angeles nightclub owner Adel Nasrallah, also known as Eddie Nash. Click or call (800) 729-8809, Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Tragically, this merry band of druggies stumbled their way through life and into a bloodbath. Loud music and constant commotion marked it as a benighted residence, and the impact on the area was undeniable. to tell them who it was, Sharon Holmes said. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. From Crime Stories to Our Place in the Universe: Mysteries Exist for Us to Solve. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He was a lifelong member of Zion Evangelical Church in Millstadt, Ill., American Legion Post 502 in Millstadt, Ill., Progressive Mine Workers Local 76, and the Operating Engineers Local 520. . Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. She was an associate of the Wonderland Gang, hanging around the Wonderland apartment, where she was savagely beaten by criminals with lead pipes on the night of 1 July 1981. Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home 3412 Frank Scott Pkwy W, Belleville, IL 62223. shed never seen the residence before the day of June 30, 1981. The armed intruders robbed Nash and his 300-pound body guard, Gregory Diles, of $10,000, two plastic sacks of cocaine and other property. This time, flipping the script, Holmes would gain access to Launiuss Wonderland Avenue pad for Nashs ultraviolent retribution. Later she worked with her husband at Launius Marketing. is robert peston married to charlotte edwardes. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. By light, four people Ron Launius, his accomplice Billy DeVerell, Billys girlfriend Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson lay dead in the house. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. Susan was a lifelong member 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Holmes slept fitfully for a few hours, Sharon Holmes said, and moaned about blood and pain. 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. She worked in real estate for over 25 years and was a member of the Belleville Board of Realtors. . And yet, according to the evidence, neither was she a prostitute. The neighborhood: Laurel Canyon. Charlie and Watson tied the LaBiancas up, convincing the couple theyd be safe if they cooperated. Two days later, Coen alleged that Holmes, acting on Nashs orders, led the killers to the Wonderland Avenue address and then helped murder the occupants. I was involved. Prior to her disappearance, shed packed up all her earthly possessions and locked then up in the downtown Greyhound bus station. . there just isnt enough clear evidence to point to any one suspect in particular. 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. But Nash had a sneaking suspicion about his friend Johnny Wadd, who had visited the home only hours before the robbery. 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. He enjoyed fishing in his quiet time. The final victim was Barbara Richardson, 22, Sacramento, Calif. Court records revealed that a codefendant in Miss Miller's narcotics case was John 'Ricco' Vlick, 53, who lives in a wood-shingled house only two blocks from the scene of the killings. Filicide & Familicide: What Drives Men and Women to Family Annihilation? For others, its just a dead end. . 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. Find an Obituary. 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. No visits to agents, no casting call appearances, no registration in acting classes have been discovered. So, Nash became the target of a harebrained idea. (Image Credit: The Village Voice). of Cabot, AR. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. 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. 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. 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). Share Obituary. 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 closest snow gets to the streets of L.A. is the glimpse of faraway, snow-capped mountains in the San Bernardino range thats visible from certain parts of town. 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