John Dark

Late night with John Gilmore

Comments (0) By Anthony Mostrom Wednesday, Feb 15 2006

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So you never claim to flatly solve the case inSevered. You don’t say “This man, Jack Wilson, definitely killed her.”

No, I never said that, though I know the publisher indicated that on the back cover of the book. I went as far as I could, with some very viable information on this person. I tracked him down, and it appeared that certain things he was saying seemed remarkably, ah, relevant to the case. I told him that I was going to have to show this information to the LAPD. And he said, “All right, but I want you to understand that this is hearsay,” these details about the murder that were told to him by this so-called Al Morrison, whom I never could find any trace of. So that’s how Morrison thought he had himself covered. But then, what can we do? The guy burns up in a hotel fire.

Photo by Justice Howard

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What are you going to say in the new prologue to Severed?

I want to make it clear, once and for all, that the Black Dahlia murder case is an unsolvable case. It was a cold, cold case from the beginning. Stone cold. And I was very pleased, in a way, when this New York Times writer told me that they talked to James Ellroy, and Ellroy believes that the case is “unsolvable.” I was kind of impressed. I thought, “That’s fine! That’s cool, at least the guy is being honest about that.”

Can you still see Elizabeth Short in your mind’s eye?

Oh, God, like it was yesterday. I can see the red toenails through the black mesh stockings, sticking out from her pumps, with the strap going over. She was talking to my grandmother, in the kitchen, and her eyes kept glancing over at me. Here I was, an 11-year-old boy, obviously thinking she was beautiful. And she, of course, knew that.

John Gilmore and photographer Justice Howard’s photo exhibition, “Sharp Edges,” a benefit for Children of the Night, opens for one night only on May 20 at 910 Broadway. For info, call (213) 550-7335.