My Dark Places

My Dark Places by James Ellroy

Book: My Dark Places by James Ellroy Read Free Book Online
Authors: James Ellroy
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The two were never seen again. Miss Bridge-ford belonged to a lonely-hearts club. Williams contacted her through the club directory. Harvey Glatman matched George Williams’ description.
    7/20/58:
    A pinup model named Angela Rojas AKA Ruth Rita Mercado disappeared—and was never seen again.
    Harvey Glatman agreed to take a polygraph test. The operator asked him questions pertaining to the three missing women. His responses indicated guilty knowledge. The operator pointed this out to him. Glatman said he killed the three women.
    Bridgeford and Rojas were LAPD missings. Judy Ann Dull was an L.A. Sheriff’s case. The Orange County cops notified both agencies.
    Two LAPD detectives drove down to Orange County. Jack Lawton drove down to represent Sheriff’s Homicide. Captain Jim Bruton came with him.
    The interrogations ran long. Glatman had his details down pat.
    Lawton questioned him regarding victim Dull. Sergeant Pierce Brooks questioned him regarding victim Bridgeford. Sergeant E. V. Jackson questioned him regarding victim Rojas.
    Glatman said he saw a newspaper ad in late July ’57. It offered pinup models at hourly rates. He called the number included and talked to a woman named Betty Carver. Miss Carver invited him over to view her portfolio.
    The apartment was on North Sweetzer. Glatman arrived and asked Miss Carver if she was free for a session now. MissCarver said she was busy. Glatman saw a photograph of her roommate Judy Dull. He asked if
she’d
be interested.
    Miss Carver said she probably would be.
    Glatman left and called back the next day. He talked to Judy Ann Dull and gave his name as Johnny Glynn. Miss Dull agreed to a two-hour session. Glatman drove to her apartment and picked her up.
    They drove to his apartment in Hollywood. Glatman told her he wanted to sell some bound-and-gagged shots to
True Detective
. Miss Dull let him bind and gag her.
    Glatman photographed her. Glatman pulled a gun on her. Glatman fondled her and raped her and forced her to pose in the nude with her legs spread.
    They spent six hours at his apartment. Judy Ann did not resist his assaults. Glatman said she was actually eager. She told him she was a nympho and couldn’t control herself around men.
    Glatman tied her wrists and led her down to his car. It was 10:30 p.m.
    He drove her east on the San Berdoo Freeway—90 miles or so out of L.A. They hit that big desert pocket around Indio. He turned off on a desolate switchback. He stopped the car and walked her off the road. He tied her ankles and placed her facedown in the sand.
    He tied the slack end of the ankle cord around her neck. He stepped on her back. He yanked the middle of the cord and strangled her. He stripped her down to her panties and scooped sand over her body.
    He got the itch again in March ’58. He saw a lonely-hearts-club ad in the paper. He went out to the office, paid a fee and joined. He said his name was George Williams.
    The director gave him some phone numbers. He made a date with a girl and went over to her place to check her out. She wasn’t his type. He called Shirley Ann Bridgeford and arranged a date for Saturday night, March 8th.
    He picked her up in full view of her whole goddamn family. He suggested a drive instead of a movie. Shirley Ann agreed.
    Glatman drove her south, into San Diego County. They had dinner at a cafe and necked in the car. Shirley Ann said she had to be getting home.
    Glatman drove her east. They parked off the freeway and necked a little more. Glatman pulled his gun and forced her into the backseat.
    He raped her. He tied her hands and shoved her into the front seat. He drove her farther east and stopped the car on a pitch-black desert road. He marched her out a good two miles and hogtied her and gagged her.
    The sun came up. Glatman got out his camera and flash equipment.
    He laid a blanket down. He photographed Shirley Ann bound and gagged. He cinched her neck to her ankles. He pulled the middle of his rope and strangled

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