My Grandfather Was A Los Angeles Homicide Detective

By Dead Posey

Now that I got your attention - It’s not every day you come in close proximity to a real-life homicide detective and I certainly would rather never come in close contact with a serial killer. Way before true crime podcasts and docuseries were the norm I grew up hearing stories from the homicide cases my detective grandfather Robert Souza worked firsthand. I could sit for hours listening to Hollywood stories and murder cases all the time picking his brain… And yes I still do from time to time. 

My grandfather worked on some of the most notorious murder cases in Los Angeles and Hollywood at a time when it seemed like serial killers were running rampant in the 70s & 80s. His first partner was “Jigsaw John” the number one detective who had worked The Black Dahlia case three years before my grandfather was born. My Papa’s second partner, Tom Lange was lead detective on the OJ Simpson case. That should paint the picture a little bit for you. My grandfather & his second partner were the lead detectives on the famous quadruple Wonderland Murders in Laurel Canyon in 1981… I'm assuming most of you have seen the film Wonderland? If not they Hollywoodized it to a fault according to my grandfather and hearing the nitty gritty of the real-life case firsthand should have been the movie that was made, but that’s show biz for you. The beginning of this case was a turning point for how homicide crime scenes were conducted. It was the first time homicide detectives had the crime scene video taped and the footage was presented in court as direct evidence. My grandfather & his partner were the first to do this. Very fitting I'd say for this practice to originate in Hollywood - the capital of Film & Television. There are too many other stories to write about here but I’ll leave you with this; order my grandfather's books below - "The Dirty Business of Murder: The Inside Story of Homicide Investigation in the City of Angels" & “Malice In Wonderland” on Amazon now if you would like to do a deep dive into my grandfather's life of working these cases alongside his various partners. Nothing beats listening to these true accounts first hand but these books are the next best thing if you’re interested in true crime. 

I find it intriguing that my grandfather has shared these stories and as Michael Connelly, famous novelist stated in his review of “Malice in Wonderland”, “…If you want to know the truth about a case you go to the detectives who worked it…” I assume these heinous murders have kept my grandfather awake plenty of nights and I’m sure he’d rather forget they ever happened. Alongside his book, he was the screenwriter/producer on the Harrison Ford & Josh Hartnett film, “Hollywood Homicide” and has worked on docuseries such as Hulus “City Of Angels –City of Death” & Amazon Primes "The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood" now streaming. He has also worked closely with director Ron Shelton on the film “Dark Blue”, and provided tech and script consultation on the hit TV show “Cold Case” for seven seasons. He has appeared on podcasts such as Wonderys, “The Wonderland Murders”,The Boo Crew Podcast” and Michael Connelly’s podcast “The Wonderland Murders & The Secret History of Hollywood" just to name a few.

Keep an eye out for my grandfather because he has many more stories to share from the days of him working in the underbelly of Hollywood. Till next time darlings, please don’t forget to lock your doors in the dead of night. 

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