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Vintage Crime Scene Photos from the Los Angeles Police Department Archives

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Los Angeles- based photographer, Merrick Morton found a derelict stash of LAPD crime photos dating from the 1920s to 1970s. He also served as an onetime LAPD reserve officer. The cellulose nitrate-based film and negatives were decomposed and deemed a fire hazards. Morton worked with Fototeka photo digitation service and the US National Film Archive, to restore these photographs and bring them back to life.

Here below are some of the restored photographs that show criminals and crime scenes from Los Angeles history. Also check, crime scenes photos of murders from 20th century New York City

#3 Dead body laying on the ground with gun at side – 1926

Dead body laying on the ground with gun at side – 1926

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#4 Detectives calculating the trajectory of a bullet – 1934

Detectives calculating the trajectory of a bullet – 1934

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#8 July 23, 1932. Passer-by shot dead in botched jewellery robbery.

July 23, 1932. Passer-by shot dead in botched jewellery robbery.

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#10 Chinatown: An assault victim poses for the camera – 1934.

Chinatown: An assault victim poses for the camera – 1934.

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#14 Erwin Street, 12 December, 1953. James Ellroy: “A man named Manuel Vela was pounded by a guy named Joe at this tavern. He returned that night and fired four shots through the front door. A guy called Thomas Castillo was shot three times, almost hit in the heart, but he survived – so Vela dodged the

Erwin Street, 12 December, 1953. James Ellroy: “A man named Manuel Vela was pounded by a guy named Joe at this tavern. He returned that night and fired four shots through the front door. A guy called Thomas Castillo was shot three times, almost hit in the heart, but he survived – so Vela dodged the

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#15 Abortion, Highland Park, 28 April 1953. James Ellroy:George R Davis was a quack. In 1952, he had testified at a trial of a woman accused of having illegal surgical equipment. He got her acquitted, but it alerted the cops to the fact that he was hinky. They surveilled him for six months, and found hi

Abortion, Highland Park, 28 April 1953. James Ellroy:George R Davis was a quack. In 1952, he had testified at a trial of a woman accused of having illegal surgical equipment. He got her acquitted, but it alerted the cops to the fact that he was hinky. They surveilled him for six months, and found hi

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#16 Vandals, 29 November. 1953. James Ellroy:Some punks lug huge blocks of concrete over to the large windows of this high-end women’s store one night, and hurl them through. The police thought it was vandalism at first, because the mannequins, who were all female, had been posed in sexual postures. If

Vandals, 29 November. 1953. James Ellroy:Some punks lug huge blocks of concrete over to the large windows of this high-end women’s store one night, and hurl them through. The police thought it was vandalism at first, because the mannequins, who were all female, had been posed in sexual postures. If

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#19 Homicide, Foothill Boulevard, 22 February.James Ellroy: “See those hands? They’re the hands of a killer. Clarence E Vickery, aged 33, killed his friend Paul M Kenney at a gas station. They’d been friends for five years. When he woke up out of his alcoholic stupor, this had to be one of the world’s g

Homicide, Foothill Boulevard, 22 February.James Ellroy: “See those hands? They’re the hands of a killer. Clarence E Vickery, aged 33, killed his friend Paul M Kenney at a gas station. They’d been friends for five years. When he woke up out of his alcoholic stupor, this had to be one of the world’s g

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#25 Demand note. Bank robbery. Case information unavailable Date: 12/21/1961

Demand note. Bank robbery. Case information unavailable Date: 12/21/1961

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#29 Homicide, El Monte, 6 May.This is a detective modelling a mask worn by one of Baxter Shorter’s crew. Shorter was in a gang with Emmett Perkins, Jack Santo and Barbara Graham. The three of them murdered an old woman called Mabel Monohan on 9 March 1953. Shorter was appalled by his gang’s violence. He

Homicide, El Monte, 6 May.This is a detective modelling a mask worn by one of Baxter Shorter’s crew. Shorter was in a gang with Emmett Perkins, Jack Santo and Barbara Graham. The three of them murdered an old woman called Mabel Monohan on 9 March 1953. Shorter was appalled by his gang’s violence. He

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#30 Buried body parts, San Fernando Valley, 14 April.James Ellroy: “There were 81 murders in LA in 1953. This was the headline murder of the year – the ‘croquet mallet slayer’. Ruth Hilda Fredericks was tired of her husband Richard.

Buried body parts, San Fernando Valley, 14 April.James Ellroy: “There were 81 murders in LA in 1953. This was the headline murder of the year – the ‘croquet mallet slayer’. Ruth Hilda Fredericks was tired of her husband Richard.

Ruth Hilda Fredericks was tired of her husband Richard. She was good-looking and young and wanted to go on the party cir

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#32 Kidnapping and shooting, Hollywood, 4 November. James Ellroy:This is a bar called the Melody Lane for lonely juiceheads. Some people from out of state – a reform school graduate who did time for killing his dad and a friend of his – decided to heist it. That was a big mistake. Someone called the fu

Kidnapping and shooting, Hollywood, 4 November. James Ellroy:This is a bar called the Melody Lane for lonely juiceheads. Some people from out of state – a reform school graduate who did time for killing his dad and a friend of his – decided to heist it. That was a big mistake. Someone called the fu

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#33 Olympic Boulevard and Alvarado, 9 June 1953. James Ellroy: “The liquor store killer was cold-blooded. He killed the owner, a man named Reposo, who was in his 70s. The guy sandbagged him, hit him from behind, and tapped the till for $25 bucks and his pockets for $60. A human being dies from brain dam

Olympic Boulevard and Alvarado, 9 June 1953. James Ellroy: “The liquor store killer was cold-blooded. He killed the owner, a man named Reposo, who was in his 70s. The guy sandbagged him, hit him from behind, and tapped the till for $25 bucks and his pockets for $60. A human being dies from brain dam

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#35 Three images telling the story of a suicide Date: 4/9/1950

Three images telling the story of a suicide Date: 4/9/1950

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#36 Female assault victim exposes bruising and bandaged fingers. Date: 2/6/1950

Female assault victim exposes bruising and bandaged fingers. Date: 2/6/1950

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Written by Benjamin Grayson

Former Bouquet seller now making a go with blogging and graphic designing. I love creating & composing history articles and lists.

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