We want to hear it. The gang hurls racial epithets at Nash and Diles and walks away with over one million dollars in cash, jewels, and drugs. Ron Launius Launius wife, Susan, had also been badly bludgeoned but survived with severe head injuries. Movies. Police believed the brutality of the killings suggested a crime of rage and revenge. 2023 JustWatch - All external content remains the property of the rightful owner. Jurors in Mr. Nash's first trial, in 1990, deadlocked 11-1 in favor of conviction; and the federal authorities now say the hold-out juror, a woman who at the time was 18 years old, was paid a bribe on May 15, 1990, by an associate of Mr. Nash. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 69 years old? 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. Lind claimed she was his girlfriend, though he was 20 years older than her, and she was married. The site's consensus states: "A sordid and pointless movie with some good performances. Well it's only the beginning baby L.A. in the summer anything could happen right. The retaliation for the robbery is swift and fatal. He is perhaps best-known as Liberaces former lover. They proceeded to beat John Holmes. 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. Holmes volunteers to draw them a map to plan the robbery, since he has visited Nash's house frequently. Eddie Nash died of unspecified causes on August 9, 2014, aged 85. He is buried at Congregation Emanuel Cemetery in. I'm Barbara Richardson, assistant general manager of customer service, communications and marketing at Metro. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. WONDERLAND 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,. All five occupants were known for dealing drugs while using themselves. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He is a member of famous with the age 71 years old group. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. They bring their loot back to the Wonderland apartment to divide everything up. The next morning, Ron Launius, Lind, and Deverell carry out the robbery, while wheel-man Tracy McCourt waits outside in a car, serving as lookout. View the profiles of people named Brbara Richardson. Launius is buried at Lodi Memorial Park and Cemetery in, DeVerell is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Covina Hills) in, Miller is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in, Richardson is buried at Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in, David Lind died of a heroin overdose on November 16, 1995, aged 55. I knew that Nash was dangerous and that if he could get a chance to kill me, he would.. One witness named Scott Thorson (who was best known as a partner of famous musician Liberace) stopped by the house to purchase drugs. 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". The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is a popular holiday destination known for Old Hollywood's rich and famous intrigues. Schiller eventually calls Holmes to come and get her. Barbara Richardson Bedford, Texas Also known as: barbara.richardson.39 Animal Rescue Clarkstown High School South Barbara currently lives in Bedford, TX. That is what they are paid to do of course; why anyone else should care is the real unsolved mystery. After the trial ended in a hung jury, they were retried the following year and were later acquitted. Find 55 people named Barbara Richardson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok search on PeekYou - true people search. Holmes was acquitted in June 1982, after a three-week trial. 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. Nash was eventually sentenced to 37 months in prison after a RICO conviction that included conspiracy to commit the Wonderland murders, but no one who swung the blunt metal objects the pipes or the hammers was convicted. While it is unclear of any paranormal activity happening at the site of one of the most gruesome homicides in Los Angeles history, some have told stories of the possibility of John Holmess ghost still hanging around the house. In May 1974, he was arrested for and charged with the 1973 murder of a reputed police drug informant who had been killed over a botched drug deal. And I took a Lear jet into Burbank and I met with Eddie Nash., When Thorson arrived, however, Nash had neither drugs nor money. The coalition of doctors and state officials created a registry that medical providers can check and see which immunizations children need, as well as a color-coded schedule with baby pictures indicating the appropriate ages for vaccines to help parents track their children's care. 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". Ron Launius, Deverell, Richardson, and Miller are all brutally beaten to death with striated lead pipes. They should go after them if they can catch more people that were involved. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes. https://allthatsinteresting.com/wonderland-murders, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-14-me-1912-story.html. He spent 110 days in jail for contempt of court. The killings. Here, oddly enough, his rival is also named Nash. Aside from their drug dealings, some of the occupants were known for committing robberies and burglaries throughout Los Angeles. Launius, DeVerell, McCourt, and Lind had invaded the home of Eddie Nash, a known organized crime boss, and nightclub owner. [8], William Raymond DeVerell[5] was Launius' right-hand man and a voice of reason. Thorson testified against Nash in 1990, telling the jury Nash had ordered Holmes to take Diles to recover his drugs and money. 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. In ''Wonderland,'' which opens today in New York and Los Angeles, the celebrity (and apparent accomplice) is John Holmes, the star of many X-rated movies who died in 1988 and who was acquitted of charges in a multiple homicide in Los Angeles in 1981. While prosecutors were attempting to paint Holmes as one of the willing participants of the murders, Holmes attorneys were able to prove that Holmes was not involved with the murders, but rather a victim who was forced to allow the assailants entry into the home to carry out the attack. The Wonderland murders have been the subject of movies, books, and, of course, podcasts. We will discuss the Wonderland House and the infamous murder that took place nearly 40 years ago and how it might be haunted even to this day. Launius was known for remaining composed under pressure. On June 29, 1981, the Wonderland Gang, comprising Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, David Lind, Tracy McCourt, 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". 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. As they were handcuffing both men, Lind accidentally shot Diles in the back after Launius bumped into him, injuring the bodyguard. Around 3:00 a.m. on July 1, 1981, two days after the robbery, an unknown number of unidentified men entered the Wonderland Avenue townhouse and bludgeoned to death Launius, DeVerell, Miller, and Barbara Richardson (Lind's girlfriend who had been visiting). The house was notorious for round-the-clock mayhem and debauchery. I know when crack started, so I looked up the timing of all this and I said, Theres no way you could have been smoking crack with Richard Pryor in 1979, and he goes, It wasnt crack. Launiuss wife Susan was gravely injured and is the only known survivor of the attack. Movers who were working next door had heard audible moans coming from the Wonderland house and soon discovered a seriously injured Susan Launius laying on the bed next to her deceased husband. Release Dates This discovery would lead to Holmess arrest in March of 1982. 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. The next morning, while in a motel room, Dawn sees a newscast that states four people were murdered at a rowhouse on Wonderland Avenue, the same one she had earlier been at with Holmes. One of Nashs bodyguards was seriously injured as a result of a gunshot. Mr. Lange and another investigator, Nils Grevilius, wrote a book about the case, ''Four on the Floor,'' but it has not been published. [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. Barbara D Richardson, 87 Resides in Burlington, NC Lived In Greensboro NC, Roxboro NC, Yanceyville NC, Danville VA Related To Brittainy Richardson, Bridgett Richardson, Darlean Richardson, Thedore Richardson Also known as Borbara J Richardson, B J Richardson, B Barbara Includes Address (17) Phone (6) Email (1) See Results Barbara A Richardson, 85 Holmes takes the guns to Nash, but Nash says the guns are too rare to be sold, as they would be recognized right away and everyone involved would be apprehended. In addition, she runs an annual bowling fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.[3]. 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. : The Wonderland House might seem like an ordinary home in the Los Angeles suburbs. All five occupants were known for dealing drugs while using themselves. ''Wonderland'' is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). He spent 110 days in jail for contempt of court. Stamford Hungry Scarecrow Ltd Scarborough catering college.. Holmes had entered the home while the doors were unlocked. 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. He has some bad press. 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. [7], A California police officer described the blond, bearded Launius as "one of the coldest people I ever met". The body of Barbara "Butterfly" Richardson, David Lind's girlfriend, was lying on the ground near the couch she had been sleeping on, covered in blood. He spent considerable time in the Colorado prison system, but when he was free he operated a successful mobile phone franchise. While there, he noticed a man resembling Holmes being tied to a chair and being beaten by Diles. But he would eventually tell a court the same story of what hed seen at Nashs house although not until several years after the murders. ''Perhaps things are now provable that weren't provable years ago.''. Miller had two adult daughters and was the ex-wife of a Beverly Hills attorney. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Prior to the robbery, Nash was visited on three separate occasions throughout the day by John Holmes, known at the time as one of the most popular adult film stars. It was said that they were carrying hammers and pipes as weapons. Her latest book is Wish, a middle grade novel published by FSG. On July 1, 1981, a group of Nash's henchmen (including Holmes), led by Diles, gains access to the apartment at Wonderland Avenue. 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. As a result, she suffered permanent amnesia and had a part of her skull and portions of a finger surgically removed. 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. 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 story eventually moves on to two city detectives investigating the crime, Sam Nico and Louis Cruz, and their contact with Holmes. The robbery was seemingly successful, having yielded a lucrative haul for the gang; they absconded with more than $1.2 million ($3.6 million today) worth of cocaine, heroin, quaaludes, cash, the antique guns, and jewelry. According to our Database, He has no children. Ratings Friends & Following [citation needed], Adult-entertainment legend John Holmes, famous at the time for his portrayal of the detective character Johnny Wadd in a series of pornographic films, was a frequent visitor who would purchase or scrounge cocaine from the gang. | Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Hes seen some things. View the profiles of people named Barbara Ann Richardson. However, the spirits of the occupants who had been savagely murdered on that July night may also still be out and about. 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. In his last days, it was reported that Holmes no longer wanted to cooperate with authorities regarding the murders. 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. We have estimated Menu. Holmes arrives at the apartment, and they have sex and snort cocaine in the bathroom. While he was acquitted with the murders, he served 110 days in jail for refusing to cooperate with authorities and was charged with contempt. 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. [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. You can buy "Wonderland" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox as download or rent it on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox online. Since the event occurred in the early morning hours, no phone calls were made to the police until at least 12 hours after the fact. 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. [If he were,] he would not have played me in the movie. Barbara Lee Easton (married Walter Richardson in 1977 after graduating from Sacramento Cordova high school in 1976) Richardson, who was 22 at the time of her death, was associated with David Lind. I was just very young, I was very frightened. After the trial, Holmes would serve out his jail time. Diles compels Holmes to deliver blows to Launius. 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 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". There's Something About Bill: Stand By Your Man, http://colby-sawyer.edu/assets/pdf/Barbara-Richardson.pdf, "Along for the ride, but choosing her role | Concord Monitor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barbara_Richardson&oldid=1103637668, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 August 2022, at 10:59. As weapons after Launius bumped into him, injuring the bodyguard to death with striated lead pipes Miller had adult... 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