Wonderland Murders
| Wonderland murders | |
|---|---|
| Location | 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | July 1, 1981 Early morning (UTC−08:00 Pacific) |
| Target | Billy DeVerell Ron Launius Susan Launius David Lind Joy Miller Barbara Richardson |
|
Attack type
|
multiple homicide |
| Weapon | Striated steel pipe |
| Deaths | Joy Miller Billy DeVerell Ron Launius Barbara Richardson |
|
Non-fatal injuries
|
Susan Launius |
| Perpetrators | total unknown |
|
Suspected perpetrator
|
John Holmes (acquitted) Gregory Diles (acquitted) Eddie Nash (acquitted) |
| Motive | Revenge |
Coordinates: 34°06′42″N 118°23′10″W / 34.1117°N 118.3861°W
The Wonderland murders, also known as the Four on the Floor Murders or the Laurel Canyon Murders, are four unsolved murders that occurred in Los Angeles on July 1, 1981. It is assumed that six people were targeted to be killed in the known drug house of the Wonderland Gang, five of whom were present. Four of those five, Billy DeVerell, Ron Launius, Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson, died from extensive blunt-force trauma injuries. Only Ron Launius' wife, Susan Launius, survived the attack, allegedly masterminded by organized crime figure and nightclub owner Eddie Nash. He, his henchman Gregory DeWitt Diles, and porn star John Holmes were at various times arrested, tried, and acquitted for their involvement in the murders.
The Wonderland Gang was centered on the occupants of a rented townhouse at 8763 Wonderland Avenue, in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California: Ronnie Lee "Ron" Launius (the leader), Joy Audrey Gold Miller (the lease-holder), William Raymond "Billy" DeVerell (Launius' right-hand man and Miller's live-in boyfriend), and David Lind. All four were involved in drug use and drug dealing. Tracy Ray McCourt was also involved with the gang.
Members of the gang had committed a brutal home invasion and armed robbery at Eddie Nash's home two days earlier, on June 29, 1981. Nash suspected Holmes had been involved.
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