on Thursday. That was yesterday. Bobbie knew a guy named Roger. Bobbie knew a guy who worked at the Challenge Creamery. Betty said she didn’t know their last names. Betty said she didn’t know any “rich guy.” A man brought Bobbie to work two weeks ago. He had slicked-back hair and a mustache. He was driving a white-and- turquoise car. Betty said she didn’t know his name. She never saw him before or since. She said they should contact Fred Mezaway—the cook at Bill’s Cafe. Fred dropped off Bobbie’s paycheck Wednesday or Thursday.
Hallinen called Bill Shostal and got Mezaway’s address. Shostal said he’d probably be home now. Hallinen, Hopkinson and Lovretovich drove to the address and questioned Mezaway.
He said he planned to drop off Bobbie’s check early Wednesday night. He got involved in a card game and postponed the errand. He dropped the check off Thursday morning. Bobbie scolded him. She said he had no business playing cards.
Mezaway said Bobbie dated around. He couldn’t supply any names. She owed a bookie $300. He didn’t know the bookie’s name. He didn’t know any “rich guy” or any guy named Roger or any guy with slicked-back hair or any guy who worked at the Challenge Creamery.
The cops drove back to Bobbie Long’s apartment. They went through Bobbie’s address book and started calling her friends. They got a string of no-answers. They reached a woman named Freda Fay Callis. Freda Fay said she saw Bobbie on Tuesday. They got together and picked up their friend Judy Sennett. They ran Bobbie by her doctor’s office. Bobbie was having bad headaches. She bumped her head on an iced-tea dispenser at work. The doctor X- rayed Bobbie’s head and took a blood sample.
The girls drove out to Rosemead. They dropped Judy off at her son-in-law’s place. Freda Fay drove Bobbie back to L.A. and dropped her at her apartment. Bobbie called her yesterday morning. She said, Let’s go to the races. Freda Fay said she was broke and declined the invitation.
Freda Fay said Bobbie was a racetrack fanatic. She took the bus out to Santa Anita habitually. Sometimes she’d meet strangers and get rides home. Bobbie was friendly. She wasn’t man crazy. She liked men with money. Freda Fay didn’t know any “rich guy” or any guy named Roger. She didn’t know Bobbie’s bookie. She didn’t know any guy with slicked-back hair or any guy who worked at the Challenge Creamery.
The cops made some more calls. They reached Bobbie’s friend Ethlyn Manlove. She said Bobbie never mentioned any family. Bobbie told her she was married a long time ago. She got married in New Orleans and divorced in Miami. Ethlyn Manlove said Bobbie dated around. She couldn’t supply any names. She didn’t know any “rich guy.” She didn’t know Bobbie’s bookie. She didn’t know any guy with slicked-back hair or any guy who worked at the Challenge Creamery. The name Roger tweaked her. Roger might be this married guy Bobbie palled around with.
It was 2:00 p.m. The Long snuff made the afternoon papers. A man walked into the LAPD’s 77th Street Station. He said his name was Warren William Wheelock. People called him Roger. He read about the Bobbie Long murder. He knew Bobbie. He thought the cops might want to talk to him.
The desk sergeant called Sheriff’s Homicide. The watch commander called Bobbie Long’s apartment and talked to Ray Hopkinson. Hopkinson called 77th Street and talked to Warren William Wheelock.
Wheelock said he met Bobbie at Hollywood Park Racetrack in May ’58. He said he went by her apartment Wednesday morning—two days ago. He invited Bobbie down to San Diego. He was going down there with his wife. Bobbie brushed him off. She said she wanted to go to the track on Thursday. Wheelock and his wife went down to Dago. They visited his brother-in-law. They went to the jai alai games down in T.J. He had a ticket for game #7— dated last night.
Wheelock said he didn’t know Bobbie’s bookie. He didn’t know any “rich guy” or any guy with slicked-back hair or any guy who worked at the Challenge Creamery. Hopkinson thanked him and said he’d be in touch.
Hallinen, Hopkinson and Lovretovich drove to the Hall of Justice. They checked the bus ticket in Bobbie Long’s purse. Lovretovich called the L.A. Transit Authority. He explained his situation and read off the numbers on the ticket. His contact did some checking and called back. He said the ticket was issued yesterday—1/22/59. It was purchased at 6th and Main in downtown L.A. Their stub was the unused portion. Somebody took an M-line bus to Santa Anita Racetrack and did not take the bus home.
Hallinen walked down to the morgue. Deputy Coroner Don H. Mills ran the autopsy by him.
Bobbie Long died of acute asphyxiation. She took some bad shots to the head. Her skull was fractured in four places. One fracture wound was crescent-shaped. The killer might have hit her with a crescent wrench. Her sixth cervical vertebra was fractured and separated. She had partially digested beans, rice and cornmeal in her stomach. She had semen in her vagina. Her external genitalia were not bruised or abraded. Her blood alcohol registered at 0%. She died cold sober.
A teletype went out that night.
BROADCAST NO. 76 1/23/59 FILE NO. Z-524-820
MURDER INFORMATION WANTED EMERGENCY
FOUND AT APPROX 2:30 AM 1/23/59 VICTIM BOBBIE
LONG FWA 45-50 5/554, 135 LBS., BLUE EYES, SHORT
DISHWATER BLOND HAIR. DRESSED IN CHARCOAL AND
BLACK BLOUSE, BLACK FELT SKIRT, BRIGHT RED FULL
LENGTH COAT WITH COSTUME JEWELRY HORSE PINNED
ON LEFT SHOULDER. VICTIM’S PANTIE GIRDLE, BRA,
AND SLIP WERE ALSO BRIGHT RED. WORE OPEN-TOE
BLACK SHOES AND CARRIED BLACK PURSE. VICTIM WAS
FOUND LYING ON BACK BESIDE A DIRT ACCESS ROAD
NEAR A PUMP HOUSE OFF DON JULIAN ROAD AND 8TH
AVE., LA PUENTE AREA, FULLY CLOTHED, STRANGLED
WITH A NYLON STOCKING. HAD ALSO BEEN BEATEN ON
THE HEAD WITH AN INSTRUMENT LEAVING CRESCENT-SHAPED
MARKS. HAD HAD INTERCOURSE OR HAD BEEN
RAPED. ATTENDED RACES AT SANTA ANITA ON 1/22/59.
PURSE CONTAINED GLASSES AND CAMEL CIGARETTES,
PLUS USUAL FEMININE EFFECTS. SUSPECT’S CAR MAY
HAVE BLOODSTAINS. PLEASE CHECK YOUR FIELD
INTERROGATION CARDS FOR THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING UP TO 12:00 MIDNIGHT OF 1/22/59.
ATTN/TEMPLE STATION
ATTN/SAN DIMAS STATION
ATTN/SAN GABRIEL VALLEY POLICE DEPTS.
ATTN/SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AREA CHP
REFER MCGOWAN, ANDRE, EVERLEY HQ DB HOMICIDE
DETAIL
FILE Z-524-820
