The Temple Sheriffs relayed a tip to the El Monte PD. It involved another dirty man at the El Monte Bowl.
The man resembled the suspect. The man was wearing dirty tan trousers. An El Monte PD officer found a similar pair of trousers on the street a short time later. The officer picked them up, brought them to the station and placed them on Captain Bruton’s desk.
The El Monte PD had Dead White Woman Fever.
A Coroner’s Inquest was held on Tuesday, July 15th. Dr. Charles Langhauser presided. Jack Lawton represented the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Six jurors heard evidence. The inquest was held in Room 150 at the Hall of Justice.
Armand Ellroy testified first. He stated that he had no recent relationship with his ex-wife and hadn’t seen her alive in over two years. He stated that he viewed her body on Monday, June 23rd, and acknowledged that her full name was Geneva Hilliker Ellroy, 43 years of age and a native of Wisconsin.
George Krycki testified. He described a brief conversation he had with the victim on Saturday, June 21st. Jean did not appear to be inebriated. He said it was funny—“Her face seemed to be always made up.”
Jack Lawton asked Krycki several questions. He emphasized the victim’s friends.
Krycki said he didn’t know her friends. His wife might—she knew Mrs. Ellroy better than he did.
Anna May Krycki testified. Langhauser ran her through her activities on the night of June 21st and cut back to the issue of Jean Ellroy’s friends. Mrs. Krycki said she only knew one couple—older people currently visiting Europe.
Lawton took over. He asked Mrs. Krycki if Jean ever asked her to recommend a place to have a drink.
Mrs. Krycki said, “Yes”—but she told Jean there was
Lawton asked her if she ever recommended any restaurants. Mrs. Krycki said she recommended Valdez’s and Morrow’s. The conversation occurred a month before the murder. Jean never said if she went to any of those places.
Lawton asked Mrs. Krycki if she ever saw Jean drunk. Mrs. Krycki said, “Never.” Lawton asked her if she ever saw Jean take a drink at all. Mrs. Krycki revised her Jean-the-Teetotaler line. She said Jean had a few glasses of sherry in the evening.
Lawton asked Mrs. Krycki if Jean ever confided her troubles. Mrs. Krycki said she mentioned her ex-husband once in a while. Lawton asked her about Jean’s men friends. Mrs. Krycki denied that such friends existed.
Dr. Langhauser excused Mrs. Krycki.
Deputy Vic Cavallero took the stand and described the crime scene at Arroyo High School.
Margie Trawick was sworn in. She described the events she witnessed at the Desert Inn. She said the suspect looked like a man who’d had all his teeth pulled. He was just that thin in the jaw.
Jack Lawton testified. He summarized the Ellroy case three weeks in.
He said the victim appeared to be drunk at Stan’s Drive-in. He said several people thought they’d seen the victim that Saturday night. Their information was unverified. Margie Trawick, Lavonne Chambers and Myrtle Mawby were their only verified eyewitnesses.
He said they’d run down a good bunch of suspects. He said all of the men were cleared. The investigation was still going forward.
Dr. Langhauser excused the jury. They returned with a verdict fast:
“Asphyxia, due to strangulation by ligature, inflicted on the deceased by a person or persons unknown to this jury at this time; and from the testimony introduced at this time, we find the death of the deceased was homicidal, and that the unknown person or persons was criminally responsible therefor.”
Salvador Quiroz Serena was an ex-Airtek machinist. He was a 35-year-old Mexican. He was 5?6?, 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. His pal Enrique “Tito” Mancilla ratted him off for the Jean Ellroy snuff. Serena was known to drive a ’55 Olds sedan.
Sheriff’s Homicide caught the call. Hallinen and Lawton were incommunicado. Sergeant Al Sholund handled the tip.
He sent a teletype to the State Records Bureau. They replied fast. Serena had a full-page rap sheet.
One burglary pop. One ADW pop. One bigamy conviction. The suspect was registered as a resident alien and a resident ex-con.
Sholund teletyped the state DMV. They replied fast.
Serena owned a ’54 Olds coupe. His last known address: 952 Westmoreland, L.A.
The address didn’t match the address Mancilla gave him. Sholund drove to Airtek and braced Mancilla.
Mancilla said he knew Serena for two years—during and after his Airtek stint. Serena was pals with two other Airtek guys: Jim Foster and George Erqueja.
Serena was down in Mexico recently. He returned to L.A. last month. Jim Foster found him a pad at his apartment house in Culver City.
Mancilla visited Serena on or about June 23rd. He said, “Did you hear what happened to Jean?” Serena said, “No.” Mancilla told him that Jean had been murdered. Serena did not seem surprised.
Serena said he danced with Jean at a company picnic last year. He said, “I could have had her if I wanted to.”
Serena showed up at Mantilla’s house seven or eight days later. He wanted to borrow Tito’s car. Mancilla turned him down. Serena returned that night. He said he was moving to Sacramento.
