Filicide & Familicide: What Drives Men and Women to Family Annihilation? 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. Though she presented herself as an aspiring actress, no evidence exists of any actions to back up that claim. They were married on May 26, 1946. Short seems to have been a drifter. Following the robbery, Holmes ended up back at Nash's home. She served as a deacon and a Stephen minister. of Cabot, AR. 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. After all, there are reasons the mythical Boulevard of Broken Dreams is said to slice through the heart of Hollywood. Perhaps the most horrifying sight was Launius's wife, Susan. Perhaps youd be discovered, like Brad Pitt; or perhaps youd be discovered buried in a pit. Sharon Holmes said she is convinced that her former husband was at least present when the murders took place. But why are mysteries so endlessly fascinating? The grotesque mass murder shocked and horrified the entire neighborhood. Susan Bell Launius, nee Haywood, 70, of Belleville, Ill., born Sept 14, 1943, in Belleville, Ill., died Sunday Aug. 10, 2014, at her residence, surrounded by her husband and children. He spent 110 days in jail for contempt of court. ? As Betty strolled past lots both finished and untouched, she saw what first looked like a mannequin splayed near the sidewalk. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. 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. Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. She worked in real estate for over 25 years and was a member of the Belleville Board of Realtors. , neither was she a prostitute. 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. Holmes told his wife that he rode with three armed men to the address on Wonderland Avenue. 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 residence, surrounded by her husband and 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. He was predeceased by : his wife Susan; his parents, Carl and Fern; his sister Nancy; and his brother-in-law Darwin Kraft. Later she worked with her husband at Launius Marketing. Susan Launius was born on 1951. The scene: A tract of land being developed into new homes to accommodate young working-class families in postwar L.A. 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). Hanson said Holmes never told his attorneys what happened the night of the killings. Perhaps youd be discovered, like Brad Pitt; or perhaps youd be discovered buried in a pit. Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a favorite photo or memory, and send flowers or gifts to the family. According to her testimony shed never seen the residence before the day of June 30, 1981. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Ronald Launius had a kind of second family there in Laurel Canyon, a cohort that included friends, accomplices, and hangers-on. He said that (Nash) told him if he ever talked to the police that (Nash) would kill someone in his family. The detective added that Holmes said he was there when the murders happened, but that he himself did not hurt anyone.. She was a wonderful mother, aunt, and dear friend. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Above all, she was a fun-loving "Gram and enjoyed spoiling and spending time with her grandchildren. Miss Miller's shiny white 1969 Mercedes 280 SL was used to deliver narcotics to her customers, detectives said. Diles died in 1997 from liver failure. 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. Susan B. Launius. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. September 29, 1943 - The LAPD estimates that over the years theyve received. Special thanks to Hospice of Southern IL for their care and compassion. 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. And following that, why was she transported there, posed like a cheesecake model, with a ghoulish smile cut into her cheeks, and left to be discovered, causing revulsion and terror? 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. 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. No visits to agents, no casting call appearances, no registration in acting classes have been discovered. Here are four who, Over 900 people died gruesomely at Jonestown, a symbol of doomsday cults. Mrs. Launius enjoyed working on the gardens at her home, which she treasured. On December 17, 1948 in Sikeston, MO. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. . John C. Holmes, the worlds premier pornographic film star, sobbed as he sat in a steaming bathtub early one morning in July, 1981. Add a Memory. Funeral arrangement under the care ofUtah Valley Mortuary. No charges have ever been filed in the Black Dahlia case, but that hasnt stopped people from confessing. He was never convicted of the Wonderland murders. Let others know about your loved one's death. 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. 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. after spending a drug-fueled evening there a year before. Roland Edward Launius - Obituary & Service Details. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. . Sellers agreed to talk to The Times on the condition that the paper not reveal her true name. . It was in prison that David Lind met Ron Launius. He is a member of famous with the age 71 years old group. Holmes was acquitted in June 1982, after a three-week trial. Susan Launiuss income source is mostly from being a successful . Holmes owed the most to Ronald Launius, as well as another substantial amount to mid-level dealer Eddie Nash, who also considered the porn star a buddy. A witness testified that Nash ordered Holmes to execute a plan for payback and then some. As of January 2017, Susan Launius is both the sole survivor of the Wonderland murders and the only living member of the Wonderland Gang. 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. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Bill was a member of First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. One was abruptly interrupted on the morning of July 1, 1981, when a shaken John Holmes crawled into their Glendale bedroom, bleeding, and told his wife that he had been in an accident. 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. , money, salary, income, and assets. Some heard a woman's screams coming from the house Tuesday morning, but ignored them in the belief someone was playing a joke, partying or having a nightmare. Joy Audrey Miller, 46, who rented the house, had a record of six arrests -- three for peddling dope -- and had been under surveillance since Jan. 7, 1980, by narcotics officers who saw her selling drugs in front of the house at least eight times, affidavits said. Then Holmes hit on a more direct way to make money. His associate, David Lind, once said of him: "You could put a gun to his head and his pulse would never break 70". The armed intruders robbed Nash and his 300-pound body guard, Gregory Diles, of $10,000, two plastic sacks of cocaine and other property. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. 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 was the only survivor of the Wonderland murders, although she suffered severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger following the attack. They forcefully followed his barbaric plan. . He said, They stuck a gun to my head and they made me go back in (to the Wonderland Avenue house) and open the door. Thats what he told me. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. They raised seven children: James Glenn and his wife, Vanneary, David Glenn, Christopher Glenn, Susan Carson, Frances Green, Albert and his wife, Cecile Glenn and Charles and . 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