Join us for an afternoon exploring cold case investigations and cutting edge advances in forensic science.

Presentation One – Building A Better Human Head

Professor David Raymond will discuss the development of a human head surrogate for blood spatter dynamics research, which is a joint project of his Applied Injury Biomechanics Lab and the CSULA Criminalistics Department.

Dr. Raymond will explain the engineering behind crafting a surrogate human head which responds to injury just like a real one, and how this helps in the forensic investigation of crime scenes. He will also host an interactive blood spatter lab demonstration, using a human head surrogate and a variety of destructive tools.

Presentation Two –Breaking a 44-Year Old Cold Case

Criminalist and historian Meiling Cabral presents on the 1972 murder of Helen Meyler, solved after four decades through the use of DNA technology.

BACKGROUND: On the morning of Sunday, August 27, 1972, the body of 78-year-old woman was discovered. A recent widow, Helen Meyler lived alone in her second-floor mid-Wilshire apartment. The victim was found by her daughter and son-in-law, when they arrived to pick her up for church. She was lying on her back in bed with her nightgown pulled up around her waist. Blankets covered her body and a pillow covered her face. The victim had several visible wounds to the right side of her head. A metal and glass candelabra lay on the unoccupied, adjacent bed. Pieces of broken metal and glass were scattered on her bed, the floor and underneath both beds. There was blood spatter on the wall behind the beds. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. The bedroom sliding glass window was open, and the screen had been removed and was lying on the floor below. The apartment had been ransacked. On August 28, the Deputy Medical Examiner of the Los Angeles County Coronerâ€s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head. The murder remained unsolved.

In 2014, LAPD detectives assigned to the Cold Case Homicide Unit began reviewing a large backlog of unsolved cases, hoping to utilize DNA to solve them. In July 2014, LAPD Detectives re-opened the case of victim Meyler. A DNA case consultation was arranged with the Serology DNA Unit of the LAPD Forensic Science Division. Of the remaining evidence still in Property Division was a blanket taken from the victimâ€s bed, semen was detected and a cutting was taken for DNA analysis.

An unknown male DNA profile was obtained from the sperm fraction and was uploaded to The Combined DNA Index System, (CODIS). On September 21, 2014, a CODIS hit was obtained. In January 2015, LAPD Detectives obtained a reference sample from the putative perpetrator for the CODIS confirmation. The DNA profile obtained from the sperm fraction of the cutting from the blue and white blanket matched the reference sample. After 44 years, the identity of the murderer was revealed.

Harold Holman, now 70, was found guilty in July of the first degree murder of Helen Meyler. The jury of nine women and three men returned the verdict shortly after closing arguments concluded. He was sentenced to life in prison.

At the time his DNA was linked to the murder of Helen Meyler, Holman was 34 years into serving a 45-year sentence for a double murder and a string of high-rise residential burglaries in the 1970s. He scaled the outside of tall buildings using suction cups and night vision goggles, these weird access methods earning him the nickname “Spider-Man.”

Presenter Meiling Cabral is Editorial Secretary of the California Association of Criminalists, and a criminalist for the LAPD. Meiling combines a practicing forensic scientistâ€s experience and an historianâ€s passion for reconstructing the past.

Join us for an afternoon exploring the outer reaches of spirituality and crime, through case histories of unusual religious rituals that might be crimes, or just look that way.
Presentation #1 – Notes from Dr. Bea Yorkerâ€s Casebook.

Dr. Yorker will share some intriguing cases of uncommon religious rituals that have been investigated as crimes by Southland police departments. These include Folk Healing practices that have been mistaken for ritualistic or standard child abuse: Caida de Mollera (a series of maneuvers on an infant who may have a bulging Fontanelle that can be mistaken for shaken baby syndrome) and other Curanderismo (cultural healing practices) that have been reported as abuse by outsiders unfamiliar with their context. Another practice is Gua Sha, a Vietnamese treatment in which an oiled coin is vigorously rubbed over the torso to reduce fever; this leaves a pattern of skin discoloration that is distressing to ER and clinic personnel. Other healing techniques which can result in abuse reports include moxibustion (smoldering herbs on the abdomen) and cupping (creating blood spots with suction cups). While these treatments may leave marks, most cause no trauma or lasting harm. This is contrasted with a more extreme cultural practice, female circumcision, which has been declared to be child abuse by the World Health Organization and which sometimes results in prosecutions. Dr. Yorkerâ€s presentation, illustrated with numerous examples from her own research, will include a lively discussion about cultural practices and our own comfort level with Western medical treatments that could be interpreted as barbaric in a different context.

Dr. Beatrice Yorker is the Former Dean of the College of Health and Human Services Cal State LA (CSULA).

Presentation #2: Dr. Elizabeth Miller on Ritual Use of Human Remains

Dr. Miller will discuss examples of the ritual use of human remains in Palo Mayombe and Santa Muerte) rituals that have been investigated in Los Angeles County. (There will be no examples of Santeria cases, because Santeria practitioners donâ€t use human bones.). Then sheâ€ll branch out to Mexico, to explore one of the most notorious examples of the ritual use of human remains, the 1989 torture-murder of Texas pre-med student Mark Kilroy, kidnapped in Matamoros while celebrating Spring Break. The investigation into Kilroyâ€s disappearance uncovered the existence of a Palo Mayombe cult that had committed numerous murders for protection of their drug dealing activities.

Dr. Elizabeth Miller has been a faculty member in the Anthropology Dept. at CSULA since 1997. Her research interests include: forensic anthropology, particularly determination of postmortem interval; paleopathology; Contact studies; and repatriation issues.

The Los Angeles Visionaries Association, Esotouric and Professor Donald Johnson invite you to the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoonâ€s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Southern California, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department.

Join us as the people who worked the cases share a fascinating journey through the investigations and prosecutions.

Taking its name from Perry Mason, the popular mid-20th century television series where such dramatic reversals occurred, in court proceedings, a “Perry Mason moment” is said to have occurred whenever information is unexpectedly introduced into the record. It changes the perception of the proceedings greatly and can influence the outcome. Often it takes the form of a witnessâ€s answer to a question, but it can sometimes come in the form of new evidence.
Because of modern discovery requirements, Perry Mason moments are rare in actual American court proceedings. Both sides are largely aware of what the other plans to introduce as evidence, and lawyers largely prefer not to ask witnesses questions when they do not have a good idea what the response will be.

Two cases will be presented, both with Perry Mason Moments, both with bloodstain pattern interpretations, both from the multiple perspectives of the lab scientist-investigating detectives-prosecutors, both illustrating the upmost in prosecutorial ethics when those Perry Mason moments occurred.

Presentation #1: “How The DNA Database Brought Christina Burmeisterâ€s Killers To Justice” with retired LASD Detective Sgt. Joe Purcell, LASD Homicide Bureau Detective Deputy Phil Guzman, the prosecuting Deputy District Attorney John Monaghan (Assistant Head Deputy of the Pomona Branch), and retired LASD Senior Criminalist Lynne Herold.

This presentation brings together a detective, forensic scientist and prosecuting attorney for a multi-dimensional journey into the investigation and prosecution of Christina Burmeisterâ€s murderer, a case that hinged upon the 2004 passage of Proposition 69, the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act. This law requires felons to submit DNA to a statewide database.

On August 17, 2001, Christina Burmeister, 20, left her Cerritos home to attend a Cal Poly Pomona frat party. Before arriving, she was kidnapped, and her ATM card used at a bank. Burmeister was then driven up Highway 39 in Azusa Canyon, where her throat was slashed. Her body was found in her abandoned pickup truck, along with an abandoned plastic cigar tip, from which DNA evidence was extracted.

In 2005, James Winslow Dixon, a felon who had been released from prison in 1993, was tied to the crime through DNA evidence. He and several compatriots were then charged with the murder of Christina Burmeister.

Bloodstain patterns found at the scene were able to provide information about what happened during the murder and determine who was telling the truth: the three compatriots of the defendant who gave statements in an effort to avoid the death penalty, or the defense expertâ€s bloodstain pattern interpretation.

Presentation #2 the People vs Kyle Christopher Jacobs (aka “Why you should never feel bad about your housekeeping skills”) presented by retired Senior Criminalist Lynne Herold and the prosecuting Deputy District Attorney T. D. Pham.

The victim (a friend of the defendant) died of a single shot gun wound to the head, a large metal mallet lay near his body in the driveway of the defendantâ€s house. Was this a murder or, as the defendant claimed, a case of self-defense? What happens when a witness spontaneously testifies that the large metal mallet was first seen in a position other than depicted in the crime scene photographs?

Join us in the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoonâ€s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Los Angeles, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department.

Presentation #1: L.A. Bombing with Mike Digby

Presenter Mike Digby recently retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriffâ€s Department after 34 years of law enforcement service and six years in the US Army. For the last 17 years, he was assigned as an FBI-certified bomb technician/detective on the LASD Arson-Explosives Detail. Mike has a wealth of international experience in the bomb disposal world; having conducted counter-IED training in Thailand, Israel, Germany, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Poland.

His first book, “L.A. Bombing,” is scheduled for publication in Spring 2016. He wrote it to answer that age-old question, “thereâ€s bombings in L.A?”

Todayâ€s talk focuses on a couple of interesting, yet less-publicized, bombings that have occurred in Los Angeles.

Presentation #2: The Making of a Serial Killer: The Corey King
Arson Murder Investigations with Ed Nordskog

In the spring of 2008, an unknown suspect entered the home of a 91-year-old grandmother in Altadena. The woman was later found beaten and stabbed to death, with her home set on fire. Six months later and eighty miles away, fire fighters responded to a structure fire in Lancaster. After the fire was extinguished, the bodies of a mother and three daughters were found strewn about the home. They had each been savagely attacked and beaten and stabbed to death before the fires.

LA Sheriffs Homicide and Arson detectives linked an 18-year-old male to both scenes using forensics, criminal profiling, and pure luck.

Join the investigation as we take this profile in front of a Death Penalty jury. It is truly an inside look at a developing maniac serial killer, and how he was caught before more innocents could be victimized.

ABOUT ED NORDSKOG: Ed Nordskog is an active arson/bomb detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriffâ€s Department. He has been a detective since 1990, working specifically in the arson and explosives world since 1997. He has conducted over sixteen hundred fire investigations and as of this writing has personally arrested and interviewed over 250 persons who were convicted of fire setting and related crimes. He has testified in court as a recognized expert in this field on over fifty-five occasions. He has been consulted by prosecuting attorneys on death penalty cases involving arson and murder on three occasions. He has been personally involved in over twenty serial arson investigations. The author has a masterâ€s degree in emergency services management and is certified as a fire investigator by the California State Fire Marshal and the California Conference of Arson Investigators. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Arson Investigation Course, the ATF Advanced Arson Investigation Course, the Forensic Fire Death Investigation Course, and numerous other arson investigation courses. He is involved in course development and teaches fire scene investigation, major arson case investigation, serial arson investigation, and arson murder/fire death investigation. He is a course developer and instructor for the state of Californiaâ€s Arson and Explosives Investigation Course. He is an instructor for the state of Californiaâ€s Homicide Investigatorâ€s Course. In 2004, the author was named Arson Investigator of the Year by the International Association of Arson Investigators and Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the International Association of Special Investigations Units; both of these awards are for his work as the lead investigator on a massive arson for hire scheme, involving fifty-five burned properties. He has received over eighty-five commendations, awards, and medals throughout his law enforcement career related to successful criminal investigations. He is author of the books ‘Torchered†Minds: Case Histories of Notorious Serial Arsonists and Fire Raisers, Freaks and Fiends—Obsessive Arsonists in the California Foothills.

UPDATE – MAY 18, 2016: The Public Hearing was held on Monday, and the Hearing Officer (Elva.nuno-odonnell@lacity.org) is still accepting public comments through 5/23/16. As Paramount is intent on demolishing the RKO Globe building, please take a moment to email a short comment in support of the preservation of the “Melrose & Gower corner (Stage 21, 20, 19 & Studio Globe).” Take a stand and tell a friend. Let’s save this iconic piece of Hollywood history! 

ORIGINAL POST – OCTOBER 23, 2015: As you may be aware, Paramount Pictures has proposed a Master Plan Project for their studio on Melrose Avenue. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is currently available for review. (Click here for information about it.) The 45-day public period for public comment ends on Monday, October 26, 2015.

Paramountâ€s new Master Plan calls for demolition of eight stages and multiple other ancillary buildings. One of the stages intended for demolition is Stage 21 at the corner of Melrose and Gower. The historic RKO Radio Pictures Studio Globe that sits atop Stage 21 is currently slated for demolition.

We here at LAVA think folks should submit a short email stating that they care about the RKO Globe and want to see it retained in any new construction on that corner of the Paramount Pictures lot.

To submit comments for the Paramount Pictures Master Plan Project DEIR by Monday, October 26, 2015.

Below is our suggested template for comment:

Monday October 26th, 2015

[submitted electronically]
Adam Villani
Department of City Planning
City of Los Angeles
6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 351
Van Nuys, CA 91401
E-mail: adam.villani@lacity.org

Re: Paramount Pictures Master Plan Project ; CASE NO. ENV-2011-2460-EIR; State ClearingHouse NO. 2011101035

Dear Mr. Villani,

Thank you for submitting my comments into the official Case File.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Respectfully,
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The RKO Globe and LAVA thank you!

“[This tour is] a poetic journey full of rare insight into the life of a man whoâ€s come to represent the ghettoized contingency of the City of Angels.” – Tanja M. Laden, Flavorpill

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowskiâ€s LA” focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave and spans Bukowskiâ€s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowskiâ€s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

In honor of this tour and Bukowskiâ€s poem Bluebird, cartoonist Tony Millionaire has created The Bukbird, a pale blue version of his beloved alcoholic crow character. The Bukbird is available on T-shirts and fine art prints by plasticmuse.

Featured cases from co-host Kim Cooperâ€s crime notebook include the Capitol Records car pool slaying, the fake true crime magazine photographer / real serial killer Harvey Glatman and a fascinating and terrible tale of death by hypnotic suggestion.

No, you wonâ€t see the stars†homes or hear about their latest real estate deals, but weâ€ll show you where some colorful characters breathed their last, got into trouble that defined the rest of their lives and came up with ideas that the world is still talking about. So for unforgettable stories you wonâ€t hear on anyone elseâ€s Hollywood tour, climb aboard and discover the secret heart of the city we love. Tour stops include Cross Roads of the World (Robert V. Derrah, 1936), and the sites of the legendary Garden of Allah hotel and Schwabâ€s Drugstore.

Originally offered in Esotouricâ€s 2008-2009 seasons, this newly revived crime bus tour spotlights some of the weirdest, most horrific and downright unbelievable crimes of historic West Los Angeles, Venice and Santa Monica. Youâ€ll thrill and shudder to tales of teenaged terrors, tortured tots, wicked wives, evil spirits, cults, creeps and assorted maniacs.

Get on the bus to meet Weird Ward, the boy husband of the nefarious cult leader who compelled her followers to carry her departed victims all across 1920s L.A., and the peculiar Helen Love, who nearly escaped justice when she willed herself into a coma during her very odd murder trial. Along the Venice shore, youâ€ll see where a pair of real life witches tortured their own Hansels and Gretels as neighbors pretended not to hear the tots†cries, and marvel at the grand hotel that was formally a flop house for ex-junkies in the Synanon Cult. Come discover the real and terrible history of L.A.‘s westside, on a tour so wild, we had to say it twice.