Second Ritual Killings Here
Los Feliz Couple Found Slain
Link To 5-Way Murder Scene
August 11, 1969
By Dial Torgerson and Ted Thackrey Jr.
Times staff writers
A Los Feliz couple were found slain Sunday night under bizarre circumstances
that police said may connect the crime with the weird ritual murder of actress
Sharon Tate and four others in Benedict Canyon.
At least one suspect in the Benedict Canyon case is still at large.
Detectives tentatively identified the latest victims as Leno and Rosemary
LaBianca, they were found in their home 3301 Waverly Drive by their son-in-law,
Frank Struthers, at about 10:30 PM Sunday.
LaBianca, identified as the owner of a supermarket chain, was lying on his
back in the living room, his head covered by a white hood, his chest pierced by
a meat carving fork which had evidently been used to cut the word "war" and the
letters "XXX" into the flesh.
Back Ripped To Bits
Mrs. LaBianca's body, clad in pajamas, was found in the bedroom. Police said
her back had been ripped to bits either by a knife or a whip, and an electrical
cord wrapped about her neck. She was 38 years old. No age is given for the man.
The words "death to pigs" had been smeared on the door of the refrigerator,
apparently by the heel of the slayer's hand dipped in the victims blood.
Police said it was the same technique used by the Benedict Canyon Slayer to
smear the word "pig" on the door of Miss Tate home-a fact disclosed after the
Los Feliz murders were discovered.
The bloody inscription, the hood, and the atrocious nature of the wounds all
indicated the connection with the earlier crime, police said.
Residents of the Los Feliz neighborhood clustered in curious but frightened
groups on their lawns in the post-midnight hours, watching police going in and
out of the isolated single story home, which is partially screened from
surrounding homes by trees.
Mrs. LaBianca's two teen-age children by a previous marriage were absent from
the house at the time of the murders, police said.
The youngsters returned home shortly after the bodies were discovered, and
were immediately taken into the home of friends on the same block. Police said
the children were in a state of shock and unable to give a clear account of
earlier events in the evening.
Second Man Sought
Miss Tate and her four companions were slain late Friday night or Saturday
morning. One suspect is now under investigation and a second is being sought.
The second suspect is a man whose name was mentioned by William E. Garretson,
a nineteen-year-old caretaker at the estate who was taken into custody shortly
after the murders were discovered.
Garretson underwent an hour long lie detector test at central police
headquarters Sunday afternoon. He was then returned to his cell, and Sergeant
Jesse Buckles explained that homicide detectives were "not entirely satisfied"
with his answers to their questions.
Earlier, officers had indicated Garretson might be released after testing on
the polygraph. Buckles said Garretson may still be released - but not till
further investigation.
