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The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood premiered on September 8, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MGM+. The show portrays one of the most terrifying chapters in Los Angeles. On July 1, 1981, the city awoke to the news of a brutal quadruple homicide in the Hollywood Hills. The Wonderland Gang turned into one of Los Angeles's most dreaded criminal organizations,
The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood looks at the rise and fall of the Wonderland Gang, led by Ron Launius. The gang became one of Los Angeles' most dreaded criminal organzations.
It developed its empire on the growing cocaine trade, but all fell apart when the gang was linked to a daring crime heist involving Eddie Nash, a crime boss who many believe caused their violent death just two days later.
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The mystery still stands, and The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood covers the secrets around the crime extensively. The show looks at John Holmes, a well-known adult film star connected to the gang, and whether Nash ordered the murders as retribution for the robbery.
The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood: The rise of the Wonderland Gang
Michael Connelly, a best-selling crime novelist, looked deeply into the murders through the docuseries, The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood over forty years after they occurred.
The Wonderland Gang started to dominate Los Angeles's cocaine trade during the 1970s. Under Ron Launius, a man known for his violent inclinations and criminal past, the gang distributed drugs from their Wonderland Avenue base.
Many of the members, including Launius and his right-hand man Billy DeVerell, battled heroin addiction. The gang's risky way of life and run-ins with competing dealers help explain their ultimate collapse.
The robbery of Eddie Nash
The Wonderland Gang's fatal mistake on June 29, 1981, changed everything. They robbed the powerful nightclub owner and crime boss Eddie Nash.
The gang shot Nash's bodyguard, handcuffed him and stole over $1 million in drugs, cash and jewelry. Nash was known for his ruthlessness. This brazen defiance against one of the city's most dangerous men likely doomed them.
The massacre on Wonderland Avenue
Just 48 hours after the heist, three gang members - Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, and Joy Miller - were discovered dead after being severely assaulted in their residence on Wonderland Avenue. Barbara Richardson, a sympathizer of the gang, was also fatally assaulted.
The mass killings were brutal, with the victims enduring severe blunt-force injuries, speculated to have been caused by hammers and metal pipes. Susan, Launius's wife, survived the assault but suffered very serious injuries. After a surgery, a portion of her skull had to be removed.
John Holmes’s involvement
Police soon turned their search for the Wonderland murders toward well-known adult film actor John Holmes. Often acting as an intermediate for drug deals, Holmes had relationships with both Eddie Nash and the Wonderland Gang.
Found at the crime scene, his palmprint resulted in his 1982 arrest. Although he was cleared because of insufficient evidence, prosecutors thought Holmes participated in the killings — perhaps as an unwilling participant.
Eddie Nash’s retribution
In 1990, Eddie Nash was finally arrested for his role in the Wonderland murders. Nash had ordered the attack on the gang as retribution for the robbery, according to evidence unearthed during his trial.
The former lover of Liberace, Scott Thorson testified that he saw Nash torturing Holmes to divulge the gang members' names who had robbed him. Although Nash maintained he never meant for the gang members to be killed, he later confessed to planning the break-in even though he was finally cleared of murder charges.
Is the Wonderland Gang still active?
The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood concludes with the lingering question of whether the Wonderland Gang is still active. Although most of its important members have died, it's said that the events of July 1, 1981, destroyed any traces of the group's influence.
Together with the violence of the murders, Eddie Nash's retribution essentially brought an end to the gang's rule over the Los Angeles drug scene. The surviving associates turned away from the crimes, and since the massacre, there has been no significant comeback of the gang.
The aftermath of the Wonderland Murders
The Wonderland murders is mesmerizing even after more than four decades. The case is still unresolved despite many investigations, trials and admissions. The actual killers walked free, and the specifics of that horrible night on Wonderland Avenue are still unknown.
Although it doesn't provide a clear solution, The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood addresses unresolved issues of one of Hollywood's worst crimes.
Other members of the Wonderland Gang faced mixed fates after the massacre. David Lind, a biker and heroin addict, survived because he wasn't present during the murders. He later testified in court but lived a troubled life until his death in 1995.
Tracy McCourt, the driver during the Nash robbery, escaped the massacre and lived quietly in Colorado, where he died in 2006. Many associates distanced themselves from the crime scene later.
The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood revisits one of Los Angeles' most gruesome unsolved crimes. The Wonderland Gang's brutal murders shocked the world, but their motives remain unknown.
