Barbara Richardson (ne Flavin; born March 25, 1949) is the former First Lady of New Mexico and the wife of Bill Richardson, the 9th United States Secretary of Energy. [citation needed]. Holmes, Nash, and Diles were each tried for the murders. Through Lind's story (told in flashbacks), we are introduced to some of the people who partied at Wonderland. Schiller eventually calls Holmes to come and get her. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. Mr. Holmes, who was staying at the Wonderland residence, was accused of opening the door to let the killers in and participating in the murders. While there, he noticed a man resembling Holmes being tied to a chair and being beaten by Diles. The killings. Official Sites The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes. John Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982, after his handprint was found in one of the bedrooms. The wide-ranging racketeering indictment unsealed on Friday accuses Eddie Nash, a former owner of Hollywood nightclubs like the Starwood and the Kit Kat Club whose real name is Adel Gharib Nasrallah, of running a cocaine and heroin distribution syndicate since the 1970's, as well as laundering money, tampering with a juror, and witnesses and tax fraud. John Holmes and the Wonderland Murders also did a segment that was released in 2000 around the time of Nash's trial. I flew in from I believe I was in Tahoe with Liberace, he says. Movies. Eddie Nash had died in 2014. It's a pleasure to be here this morning to take your questions and comments about. 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. Ron Launius, Deverell, Richardson, and Miller are all brutally beaten to death with striated lead pipes. The three were tried on slaying charges and ultimately acquitted in state court trials, the last of which was in 1991. The Wonderland Case, Explained O n July 1, 1981, four people were found murdered inside a Los Angeles home in a sensational case combining "dope, porn, sex and drugs and organized crime," as a retired LAPD detective once told The New York Times. Richarson's body was found on the living room floor in front of the sofa. https://allthatsinteresting.com/wonderland-murders, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-14-me-1912-story.html. [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. Her latest book is Wish, a middle grade novel published by FSG. 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". However, the spirits of the occupants who had been savagely murdered on that July night may also still be out and about. She draws on her Southern roots to write award-winning books for children in grades 3 to 6. Susan Launius is beaten but survives, and is questioned by Nico and Cruz in her hospital bed. All five occupants were known for dealing drugs while using themselves. On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. 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. 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. Filming & Production [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. Another officer, Billy Ward, intervenes in the investigation. On June 29, 1981, the Wonderland Gang, comprising Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, David Lind, Tracy McCourt,[13] and their associate, John Holmes, conspired to launch a home invasion and robbery upon Eddie Nash, a reputedly powerful organized crime figure who usually referred to himself in the third person as "The Nash". As a result, Launius, Miller, DeVerrel, and Barbara Richardson (the girlfriend of David Lind) were killed. The Hollywood Pantages Theatre is no doubt one of the most extravagant theatres in the world. [If he were,] he would not have played me in the movie. But when Mr. Nash, appearing on a television news program two weeks ago, was asked if he had ordered the killings, he said: ''No, I did not. Public Records & Background Search Barbara A Richardson, age 73, Brooklyn, NY Background Check After the trial ended in a hung jury, they were retried the following year and were later acquitted. 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. Ms. Kudrow plays Sharon Holmes, John's estranged wife, to whom he turns when things become really desperate. The robbery was an inside job set up by Holmes, who was a close associate of Nash's, and whom Nash regularly referred to as "my brother". 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. 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. 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. Browse 278 barbara richardson stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [citation needed], 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. The film stars Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Carrie Fisher, Lisa Kudrow, Josh Lucas, Christina Applegate, Tim Blake Nelson, and Janeane Garofalo. Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. 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. He spent much of the last seven years there since a 2014 sentencing for credit card fraud and identity theft, actions driven by his longtime drug addiction. 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. [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. He is perhaps best-known as Liberaces former lover. 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. 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. Well it's only the beginning baby L.A. in the summer anything could happen right. Launius wife, Susan, had also been badly bludgeoned but survived with severe head injuries. This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 15:57. Barbara Richardson Mr. Nash's lawyer, Fred Rucker, did not return telephone calls. They should go after them if they can catch more people that were involved. 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. 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. She currently lives in Asheville, NC. 1976 J John Weg 95 followers More information Wonderland victim. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Gregory Diles would die in 1997. The home was a site of an infamous homicide involving one of the most recognized adult film stars of his time. After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Recalling his experiences with Liberace and Nash, he talks as if hes recounting the plot of a movie youre already familiar with, dropping names and referring to tangential events without context. Neither Lind nor Holmes seems to be a very reliable informer or an especially admirable character, and the movie, though fascinated by the druggy, amoral milieu, holds each man at arm's length. Joy Miller was found dead in her bed, while DeVerell's body was slumped at the foot, leaning against the TV stand. He spent considerable time in the Colorado prison system, but when he was free he operated a successful mobile phone franchise. Launius, DeVerell, McCourt, and Lind had invaded the home of Eddie Nash, a known organized crime boss, and nightclub owner. He is not dating anyone. 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. Miller had two adult daughters and was the ex-wife of a Beverly Hills attorney. New Charges in 19-Year-Old Drug Killings in Hollywood, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/21/us/new-charges-in-19-year-old-drug-killings-in-hollywood.html. The Wonderland murders happened on July 1, 1981, when the killer (s) stepped in the Wonderland Gang's den without any sign of breaking and entering, as the Los Angeles Times tells us. He did not disclose the names of those responsible. According to our Database, He has no children. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Anyone can read what you share. [11] Nash asked to pray for his children but was instead forced to open his safe. 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. : Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 69 years old? He is buried at Santa Rosa Memorial Park in, Tracy McCourt died of unspecified causes on October 18, 2006, aged 57. ''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. I dont know why they couldnt give him a longer prison term but they should have. Nash died in 2014. Lind claimed she was his girlfriend, though he was 20 years older than her, and she was married. Their relationship is an enigma much deeper than all the grisly cop-show business: she clearly despises everything her husband has become but has never entirely abandoned him, perhaps clinging in vain to the hope that he may one day snap out of it. Drugs were regularly dealt from the residence at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. He is buried at Congregation Emanuel Cemetery in. 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. ''Perhaps things are now provable that weren't provable years ago.''. 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