Death of a Hollywood Socialite
The unsolved murder of Georgette Bauerdorf.
Living on your own in the glamour of Hollywood as a wealthy young socialite has its advantages. You are free to do as you please, but also have the means necessary to maintain a comfortable lifestyle and security. However, that doesn’t always mean life is safe.
Georgette Bauerdorf
Georgette Bauerdorf was a 20-year-old oil heiress who settled down in the El Palacio Apartment Complex in West Hollywood, California after spending some time traveling. She lived among the wealthy and elite with celebrities being her neighbors.
At first, she shared the spacious apartment with her family before they moved back to New York during the summer of 1944. She stayed behind and lived alone.
Georgette occupied her time with a job at the Los Angeles Times. She also volunteered her time on Wednesday nights at the Hollywood Canteen. The canteen was a nightspot for enlisted servicemen serving in World War II to enjoy a night of dinner and dancing free of charge. Georgette had an eye for men in uniform and admired what the men did to serve their country so her volunteer work served her well.
Life Takes a Twist
On Wednesday, October 11, 1944, Georgette spent the day with her friend Rose Gilbert. The two young women shopped and had lunch together. At one point Georgette cashed a check and purchased a plane ticket to El Paso Texas. She was planning on sneaking away to see her boyfriend, Jerry Brown, who was stationed at Fort Bliss.
Georgette and Rose parted ways at about 2:00 p.m. Rose later reported Georgette appeared to be happy and in good spirits.
Later in the evening, Georgette met up with her friend June Ziegler whom she volunteered with at the Hollywood Canteen at 7:00 p.m. June later reported before the two women went inside the canteen to do their volunteer work that Georgette appeared to be nervous and agitated. She requested June stay with her at the apartment that evening, but did not give an explanation.
By all accounts, Georgette did not appear to be her usual self at the canteen during the evening. She did not want to dance as much as usual, especially with one enlisted man in particular as he liked the jitterbug and Georgette preferred the waltz.
Georgette signed out of the canteen at 11:30 p.m. It appears she went home alone.
It is believed Georgette arrived home around midnight. The building janitor heard someone walking around her apartment in high heels and assumed she was home.
A few hours later in the early morning hours of October 12, 1944, a neighbor reported she heard a woman screaming at 2:30 a.m. The woman said she was being hurt, however, the neighbor ignored it thinking it was just an argument.
The Crime Scene
Just after 11:00 a.m. on October 12, 1944, the building’s janitor Frederick Atwood, his wife Lulu, and their daughter were making their rounds cleaning each apartment. Lulu discovered Georgette’s front door standing ajar and heard running water coming from the apartment. She alerted her husband.
Frederick found Georgette face down in her bathtub with the hot water still running. The bathtub was almost two-thirds of the way filled with water. It did not occur to him she may have been murdered as he didn’t see any signs of blood or a struggle. He thought she may have been hurt or fainted and fell into the water. He attempted to drain the water and tried to help just in case she was still alive, but was unable to do so.
The Investigation
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was called in to handle the investigation. Based on the scene itself it appeared Georgette had made a snack when she arrived home. The bedroom was intact and there did not appear to be a struggle. Two ashtrays were found with cigarettes, although it’s unknown who the second smoker may have been.
Georgette was found with only her pajama top on her. The pajama bottoms were found on the floor of her bedroom. She also had a washcloth pushed deep into her throat in what was believed to be an attempt to silence her.
Based on the bruising on Georgette’s body it appeared she put up a fight and tried to get away from her attacker. Authorities determined she had been raped and strangled to death.
Investigators believed Georgette’s attacker was most likely lying in wait for her. There was evidence a lightbulb outside had been unscrewed in an attempt to keep it dark outside.
Police believe rape was the motive. Robbery was ruled out. Both money and expensive jewelry still remained in the apartment.
It’s believed Georgette’s killer did take her car as a means of escape after the murder. Her car was found abandoned and out of gas some distance away. The same fingerprints were found in both the car and the apartment.
What remained unknown is if Georgette personally knew her attacker or if it was someone who had been watching her from afar.
Suspects
Since Georgette had a soft spot for enlisted men they were first on the list as suspects. Georgette was known to give servicemen rides home, she entertained them on her own time, and had even allowed a few of them to stay at her apartment if they didn’t have a place to stay for the night.
Investigators surmised Georgette may have allowed the wrong soldier into her life. However, all of the men were ultimately ruled out as suspects.
At one point a man by the name of John Lehman Sumter confessed to murdering Georgette, but police were able to rule him out as a suspect as well. He admitted his life wasn’t worth living anymore and he wanted to die. He was too afraid to commit suicide so he was hoping to die by the electric chair. His family told police he had already spent time in an insane asylum.
A year after Georgette’s murder a teenager claimed to have found a letter regarding her death. The letter stated the killer could be found at the Hollywood Canteen and the soldier in question had served duty time in Okinawa, Japan. However, police came up empty-handed.
Robert George Pollock White was another suspect which was investigated. He had attacked a 65-year-old woman in San Diego, California. During the attack, he had shoved a cloth down the woman’s throat in a similar matter as Georgette’s attacker. Although, police were unable to connect Pollock White to Georgette’s murder.
Final Thoughts
It has been almost 80 years since Georgette Bauerdorf has been murdered and the mystery of her death remains. Someone got away with her murder. It is unlikely she was the killer’s only victim. Was the killer ever caught in another crime? It’s a question we’ll likely never get answered.
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Resources:
Georgette Bauerdorf. Georgette Bauerdorf: Murder at El Palacio. 2021.