Following the robbery, Holmes ended up back at Nash's home. Barbara Richardson (ne Flavin; born March 25, 1949) is the former First Lady of New Mexico and the wife of Bill Richardson, the 9th United States Secretary of Energy . In 1981, at Launius' behest, Lind traveled to Los Angeles to join the Wonderland gang and assist them in running drugs. It was said that they were carrying hammers and pipes as weapons. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. She was 93. The first time, he forgot to unlatch the patio door; the second time, he did so but returned to the Wonderland hideout only to find some of the gang members were extremely high on heroin. David Clay Lind was a biker, heroin addict, and member of the Aryan Brotherhood who befriended Launius when the two men served time in prison together. It was this last line of "business", particularly the armed robbery of Eddie Nash, that ultimately led to the group's sudden and violent end. Menu. Launius and Susan Murphy, were married in Carson City, Nevada on April 16, 1971. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. Diles died in 1995. The autopsy performed after his murder identified numerous injection scars on his forearms, in addition to hyperplasia of the lymph nodes a common sign of narcotics abuse. Barbara Lee Richardson was born in Sacramento, California in 1958, and she became the girlfriend of Aryan Brotherhood biker David Lind. ''Wonderland,'' directed by James Cox, is part of a curious, somewhat unsavory subgenre of movies that involve washed-up, sort-of-famous people and death by bludgeoning. Ron Launius is reluctant to go along with the robbery at first, but after Holmes gives him a rundown of what's there, he is eager to participate. The events that took place inside happened just 40 hours after Nash was robbed, and they were hardly muted. [citation needed], DeVerell was an overhead crane operator and heroin user who had been arrested 13 times in relation to his addiction, which is part of the reason why he stayed in the gang. On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. It has nonstop drug use, frequent violence and some sex, though not as much as its main character's profession might lead one to expect. However, he had admitted that he hired people to retrieve some property that belonged to him that was at the Wonderland house prior to police arriving to investigate the murders themselves. [Liberace] then threw me out later because he said he created a monster., Liberace is also the reason Thorson found himself at the home of big-time L.A. drug dealer Eddie Nash in the wee hours of July 1st, 1981. The body of Barbara "Butterfly" Richardson, David Lind's girlfriend, was lying on the ground near the couch she had been sleeping on, covered in blood. Accounts vary as to how and why Holmes arrived there; according to some sources, Holmes went there himself to try to make himself appear innocent,[16] whereas others claim Holmes was kidnapped by Nash's henchmen when they recognized him walking around wearing some of Nash's jewelry. Instead he treats the episode as a chance to show off his mastery of fast-cutting, atmospheric style, which is impressive, but also a little annoying. But a lot of that happened back then., Over Zoom, Thorson has a plasticky sheen and eyebrows that look painted on the appearance of someone whos been under the knife. Mr. Lucas, playing the crown prince of the Laurel Canyon drug scene, is all nerves and teeth, showing some of the same sharp-faced ferocity he brought to ''A Beautiful Mind,'' in which he played John Nash's graduate-school rival. [8], William Raymond DeVerell[5] was Launius' right-hand man and a voice of reason. But he would eventually tell a court the same story of what hed seen at Nashs house although not until several years after the murders. Federal prosecutors have reached back to history here to revive a sensational murder case, unveiling an indictment that alleges that a former nightclub owner, his bodyguard and a pornography actor arranged the killings of four people in the Hollywood Hills nearly two decades ago. Facebook gives. The Wonderland murders were the subject of two Hollywood films. Prosecutors believed Nash had forced Holmes to help Diles murder the people in the house on Wonderland Avenue as revenge for a robbery. [citation needed], The two bedroom split-level house was leased in Joy Miller's name. Joy Miller was found dead in her bed, while DeVerell's body was slumped at the foot, leaning against the TV stand. 1976 John Holmes Barbara Lee Grave Memorials Find A Grave Easton True Crime Donovan Graphic Image In Hollywood More information . Drug gang in Los Angeles (1970's & 1980's), Not to be confused with the Wonderland Club, an online child pornography ring busted by, Cass Paley, quotation in the director's cut of. Release Dates Following the robbery, Holmes ended up back at Nash's home. He is a member of famous with the age 71 years old group. They should go after them if they can catch more people that were involved. The Wonderland Gang was a group of drug dealers involved in the Los Angeles cocaine trade during the late 1970s and early 1980s; their home base was located on Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California. It determined that he was an unwilling participant who was forced to watch the attack. Specifically at the time of the murder, Lind testified in court that he was at a motel in the San Fernando Valley, consuming drugs with a male prostitute. According to our Database, He has no children. Wonderland is a 2003 American crime drama film, co-written and directed by James Cox and based on the real-life Wonderland Murders that occurred in 1981. Tracy Raymond McCourt was the driver of the stolen 1975 Ford Granada that carried the Wonderland Gang to Eddie Nash's home on the night of the robbery. Ron Launius, 37, Billy DeVerell, 44, Joy Miller, 46, and Barbara Richardson, 22, all died in the 1981 massacre. One thing that stood out during the investigation was a print of a left-hand that apparently belonged to Holmes. [11] Nash asked to pray for his children but was instead forced to open his safe. On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. Unaware of Nashs illicit line of work, Liberace had, through Thorson, invested in some of the nightclubs Nash owned in L.A. at the time. At heart it is a standard cop show whodunit, with Mr. Levine and Franky G. as the dogged detectives trying to sort through the distortions and ambiguities. He did not disclose the names of those responsible. [7], A California police officer described the blond, bearded Launius as "one of the coldest people I ever met". She seems like a real person, and you wonder how she was dragged into a situation -- and a movie -- like this. In retrospect, Thorson says he recognizes that Liberace took advantage of him. He is perhaps best-known as Liberaces former lover. Just days after the attack, the Los Angeles Police Department investigated the murders and searched the house for evidence. So, how much is Barbara Richardson worth at the age of 71 years old? The Wonderland murders happened on July 1, 1981, when the killer (s) stepped in the Wonderland Gang's den without any sign of breaking and entering, as the Los Angeles Times tells us. We were freebasing, and he was right. After the trial ended in a hung jury, they were retried the following year and were later acquitted. All Rights reserved. Official Sites The girlfriend of John Holmes, Dawn Schiller, is on the streets and picked up by a holy roller after Holmes leaves Schiller in a hotel room. It determined that he was an unwilling participant who was forced to watch the attack. [citation needed], Although the Wonderland Gang was mainly known for its drug sales, which concentrated on cocaine and the occasional heroin deal, the gang also gained revenues through burglaries and armed robberies of rival drug dealers. He said hed have them all on their knees, teach them a lesson, and that theyd never steal from him again, Thorson said on the stand. The retaliation for the robbery is swift and fatal. View the profiles of people named Barbara Ann Richardson. Attempting to get back in the gang's good graces, Holmes suggests robbing Nash's home. The fates of others allegedly involved in the Nash robbery or Wonderland attacks are: Any other assailants who might have participated in the bludgeoning attack on the Wonderland Gang have neither been identified nor prosecuted; their fate and whereabouts are unknown. "[6], Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:09, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wonderland_(2003_film)&oldid=1141795244, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:09. Barbara Flavin was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, March 25, 1949, the daughter of Evelyn Mary (ne Kaplan) and John Francis Flavin. Find 55 people named Barbara Richardson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok search on PeekYou - true people search. Barbara Lee Easton (married Walter Richardson in 1977 after graduating from Sacramento Cordova high school in 1976) Richardson, who was 22 at the time of her death, was associated with David Lind. They proceeded to beat John Holmes. See the article in its original context from. Barbara Easton Richardson. Barbara Richardson is on Facebook. 1976 J John Weg 95 followers More information Wonderland victim. Lind's position in the drug underworld was and remains murky due to allegations by rival drug dealers that he worked as a police informant. Drugs were regularly dealt from the residence at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. The Wonderland Murders Crime Scene Photos The living room where the first victim, Barbara Richardson was found. In his last days, it was reported that Holmes no longer wanted to cooperate with authorities regarding the murders. The Wonderland murders have been the subject of movies, books, and, of course, podcasts. The robbery was seemingly successful, having yielded a lucrative haul for the gang; they absconded with more than $1.2 million ($3.6 million today) worth of cocaine, heroin, quaaludes, cash, the antique guns, and jewelry. Synopsis. [3][4], Ronald Lee Launius [5] was a United States Air Force veteran of the Vietnam era, who had been dishonorably discharged and convicted of smuggling heroin from Vietnam back to the United States in the coffins of American service members. The murder victims belong to a group of addicts and small-time dealers whose endless, hectic parties gain a certain sleazy cachet from Holmes's presence. Neither Lind nor Holmes seems to be a very reliable informer or an especially admirable character, and the movie, though fascinated by the druggy, amoral milieu, holds each man at arm's length. They were probably considered dirtbags and drug dealers and Who cares? he says. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! He is buried at Santa Rosa Memorial Park in, Tracy McCourt died of unspecified causes on October 18, 2006, aged 57. Originally, McCourt was designated to take part in the home invasion itself, but a day or so before the event, conspirator David Lind (who derisively referred to McCourt as "Titmouse Tracy"[citation needed]) took away McCourt's handgun, and McCourt was relegated to driving duty. Rather than return the guns to Holmes, Nash keeps them for himself. And I took a Lear jet into Burbank and I met with Eddie Nash., When Thorson arrived, however, Nash had neither drugs nor money. Prior to the murders, five people resided in the home: Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, DeVerrel's girlfriend Joy Audrey Gold Miller, Tracy McCourt and David Lind. Thorson testified against Nash in 1990, telling the jury Nash had ordered Holmes to take Diles to recover his drugs and money. John Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982, after his handprint was found in one of the bedrooms. Company Credits Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, Barbara Richardson, and Joy Miller had all been beaten to death with metal objects. On June 29, 1981, the Wonderland Gang, comprising Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, David Lind, Tracy McCourt,[13] and their associate, John Holmes, conspired to launch a home invasion and robbery upon Eddie Nash, a reputedly powerful organized crime figure who usually referred to himself in the third person as "The Nash". David Lind died of a heroin overdose in 1995 while Tracy McCourt died of unknown causes in 2006. Prior to the robbery, Nash was visited on three separate occasions throughout the day by John Holmes, known at the time as one of the most popular adult film stars. However, the spirits of the occupants who had been savagely murdered on that July night may also still be out and about. Mr. Cox is not really interested in the truth behind the murders or in generating sympathy for anyone touched by them. I could hear the furniture flying. The Wonderland Gang gains access through the unlocked kitchen door and robs Nash at gunpoint. Mr. Holmes was accused of playing a role in both crimes and being the link between the two camps. So Im here to defend Matt Damon., If you ask Thorson now nine years sober all of his troubles can be traced to his time with Liberace, or Lee, as he sometimes calls him. However, he died in 1988. As of January 2017, Susan Launius is both the sole survivor of the Wonderland murders and the only living member of the Wonderland Gang. View the profiles of people named Brbara Richardson. Barbara Richardson (Barbara Ann Barnett Richardson) See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Connell Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos Barbara Richardson See Photos But when Mr. Nash, appearing on a television news program two weeks ago, was asked if he had ordered the killings, he said: ''No, I did not. Lind's position in the drug underworld was and remains murky due to allegations by rival drug dealers that he worked as a police informant. Richardson's official autopsy report documented that she possessed intravenous drug injection site scars.[12]. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Connelly thinks the fact that the killings revolved around the cocaine trade help. | Directed by James Cox; written by Mr. Cox, Captain Mauzner, Todd Samovitz and D. Loriston Scott; director of photography, Michael Grady; edited by Jeff McEvoy; production designer, Franco-Giacomo Carbone; produced by Holly Wiersma and Michael Paseornek; released by Lions Gate Films. Launius' brazen and fearless nature led both to his dominance of his chosen profession as well as his demise, stemming from the events leading up to his death in the Wonderland Murders. The gang hurls racial epithets at Nash and Diles and walks away with over one million dollars in cash, jewels, and drugs. Today, Thorson is the last person alive with firsthand knowledge of the notorious massacre, at least among those who are willing to admit to it. (Nash had befriended Holmes because of Holmes' notoriety as the porn film phenomenon Johnny Wadd.) After a key witness for the prosecution died in an unrelated police shootout, the murder charges against Launius were dropped. Filming & Production Holmes died on March 13, 1988, from AIDS complications in Los Angeles. "[4] On Metacritic it has a score of 43% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". While prosecutors were attempting to paint Holmes as one of the willing participants of the murders, Holmes attorneys were able to prove that Holmes was not involved with the murders, but rather a victim who was forced to allow the assailants entry into the home to carry out the attack. We have estimated On 1 July 1981, she was beaten to death by some of Eddie Nash's men, who used striated lead pipes to kill the gang members, as she slept on the couch of Launius' rowhouse on Wonderland Avenue. Lind and Launius had become friends while in prison and promised to deal drugs together upon their release. All the other characters in in the movie are psychologically transparent: they are addicts and criminals motivated by need, greed and revenge, but Ms. Kudrow, looking sorrowful and severe, remains tantalizingly opaque. But I think they deserve closure. The four men had broke in and eventually robbed Nash at his home. The objective of the robbery was to steal a hoard of cash, heroin, and cocaine that Holmes claimed was in a safe embedded in Nash's bedroom floor, as well as to retrieve some antique guns the Wonderland Gang had stolen from another businessman and then subsequently, using Holmes as an intermediary, sold to Nash in exchange for drugs. And so there is this sense that no one was innocent in this crime., At the same time, Thorson, who is familiar with the struggle of addiction, points out that even a houseful of drug dealers deserves justice. Holmes arrives at the apartment, and they have sex and snort cocaine in the bathroom. Imagine a house just sitting there like any other on the block. Ah, you must be Barbara. Barbara works at Animal Rescue. What seems indisputable is that he was mixed up in some very bad business. Lind accidentally fires his gun, wounding Nash's bodyguard, Greg Diles. The house was notorious for round-the-clock mayhem and debauchery. She was the sole survivor of the attack suffering severe head injuries, amnesia, and a severed finger. All five occupants were known for dealing drugs while using themselves. . Another officer, Billy Ward, intervenes in the investigation. WONDERLAND Directed by James Cox; written by Mr. Cox, Captain Mauzner, Todd Samovitz and D. Loriston Scott; director of photography, Michael Grady; edited by Jeff McEvoy; production designer,. Barbara Richardson We found 100+ records for Barbara Richardson in SC, CA and 48 other states. Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, rode down to the Wonderland house on Lind's motorcycle and slept on the living room sofa. Anyone can read what you share. Police believed the brutality of the killings suggested a crime of rage and revenge. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Scott Thorson, who was buying drugs at Nash's home, wrote in his memoir My Life with Liberace (1988) that Nash had ordered Diles to bring Holmes to Nash's house, which Diles did after finding Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings. Available on Amazon and our website. Matt Damon played him opposite Michael Douglas in the 2013 HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, based on Thorsons tell-all book by the same name about his relationship with the famous pianist. In addition, she runs an annual bowling fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.[3]. Ron Launius, Deverell, Richardson, and Miller are all brutally beaten to death with striated lead pipes. In Mr. Cox's film the particulars of the crime -- five people attacked with lead pipes in a house in Laurel Canyon, four of them fatally -- remain in some doubt, as does the extent of Holmes's responsibility. Join Facebook to connect with Brbara Richardson and others you may know. 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