Sisters in Death

The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress, and Their Hunter

By: Eli Frankel

Narrated by: Eli Frankel

In January 1947, the body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD—all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.

Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman's life ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family's status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila's butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma. One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.

Eli Frankel reveals a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish, skilled and lucky, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on documents, law enforcement files, interviews, the victims' own letters, trial transcripts, military records, and more, this true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle.

©2025 Eli Frankel (P)2025 Tantor Media

I thought I had heard it all

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time; so good that I am writing my first review. It is very well written and researched. There was one very important yet never before heard fact that made my jaw drop. The author should narrate more, as he did such a great job.

It’s not for the faint of heart, but I can’t stop listening.

I came across this book through a podcast called “Surviving the Survivor.” I’m quite selective about the books I read, and while I enjoy true crime, there have been numerous retellings of the Black Dahlia case. However, this one offers a unique perspective. It’s captivating, and you can sense that it solves the case. I couldn’t put it down.

Well Done!

The research and presentation of this book is outstanding. I also enjoyed Eli Frankel’s narration.

Likely Theory

I read a review of this book that claimed it’s impossible because Carl was in the military at the time of one of these murders. I didn’t notice that the military record provided didn’t include a name.

Something else intrigued me so much that I got the book anyway. I listened straight to the end in one day and didn’t want to stop. The author is a talented storyteller and one of the few authors who is capable of narrating his own work without muffing it. His narration is tops. The way he describes the victims and the alleged killer is riveting.

Carl seems to be, by far, the most likely culprit in these two deaths. I’m convinced by the way he shares the information, all by itself. I haven’t even checked his proofs yet. For entertainment alone, this is a good book.

I’ve docked a point because he waxed too long and explicitly on the grisly details. He even repeats himself a few times describing them. That is the one negative about this book. The rest is fascinating.

Fascinating theory

Sisters in Death is impeccably researched, and the connection of two murders is fascinating. I truly believe the author has solved these decades-long cold cases. May Leila Walsh and Elizabeth Short now rest in peace.