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Stay ConnectedApril 21, 2010 Pepperdine University School of Law
Steve Hodel was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He served four years as a medic in the U.S. Navy, and then joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1963. After six years in uniform patrol, he transferred to Hollywood Division Detectives where he worked all of the “tables”: Burglary, Robbery, Auto-Theft, Juvenile, Crimes against Persons and was then permanently assigned to the Homicide Detail. During his career at Hollywood Homicide, Steve promoted to Detective II and in 1983 was the senior field homicide detective.
During his years of service he received more than 75 commendations and handled over 300 separate murder investigations and had one of the departments highest “solve rates. “ Steve promoted to Detective III (the highest attainable rank in detectives) and retired from LAPD in 1986.
Steve’s first book, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder published in 2003 with new updated investigative chapters added to the HarperCollins paperback edition in 2004 and 2006. Black Dahlia Avenger is a New York Times Bestseller, a NYT Most Notable Book and was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category.
Steve spoke to a packed house of over 75 students and faculty about his investigation into the Black Dahlia murders and presented evidence as to why he’s convinced his father was the notorious “Black Dahlia Avenger.” Also attending the talk was attorney and Pepperdine alum, Anthony Salerno of Salerno & Associates, one of L.A.’s top criminal defense lawyers with a practice in Century City.
