Deconstructing Dahlia is a new docuseries built around five years of independent investigation into the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short — the unsolved case that has haunted Los Angeles for nearly eight decades. Talestorm Productions has announced the series alongside a public petition, backed by the Short family and the Justice Cannot Be Silenced Foundation, demanding the LAPD release critical case files — including Short’s complete, unredacted autopsy report, withheld for 79 years.
The petition carries the weight of the Short family’s personal stake. “As family members of Elizabeth Short, we have lived for years without knowing what happened to our daughter, sister, and aunt,” the family said in a statement. “We respect the work Talestorm has done.”
The Deconstructing Dahlia team claims to have uncovered substantial new evidence — including identification of the actual murder location, evidence that the original crime scene was deliberately altered, a concealed walled-up room at a site tied to the investigation, and witnesses who never previously came forward. Most significantly, the team says it has identified a primary suspect.
The series is directed by Jeff Thomas VII with Kimberly Lupini producing. The investigative team includes former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, retired US Marshal Commander Lenny DePaul, former White House Chief Information Officer Theresa Payton, and author and retired LAPD detective Mike Rothmiller.
Deconstructing Dahlia is currently in development with no release date announced. To sign the petition demanding the LAPD release the Black Dahlia case files, visit change.org.
