And so in the summer of 1981, the notorious Wonderland … Nash and Holmes were well acquainted with each other; Nash enjoyed introducing his countless houseguests to Holmes, who was infamous for playing the X-rated movie character "Johnny Wadd." She did not divulge any additional information to police. Drug smuggler Ronald Launius also stayed at the house. That's the equivalent of spending $4.5 million per year today, or $12.3K per day on drugs, for six years. Nash was most notorious for his alleged involvement in the quadruple Wonderland Murders in 1981, the possible retaliation for a robbery of Nash's home perpetrated two days earlier by three to five men.
The retrial ended in an acquittal. Holmes died six years after being acquitted, on March 13, 1988, as a result of AIDS complications, at a VA Medical Center in Los Angeles. They were one of the dominant cocaine dealers in L.A. at the time. At one point, one of the Wonderland Gang's member's guns went off, grazing Nash's bodyguard's face.

The house on Wonderland Avenue was home to many things, though most notably the members of the Wonderland Gang. Launius was found beaten to death on his bed with his gravely injured wife, Susan, beside him on the floor. [12], In April 1988, one month after Holmes' death, Sharon Gebenini Holmes stated in an interview with The Los Angeles Times that on the morning of July 1, some hours after the murders took place, Holmes arrived at her house with blood splattered on his clothing, told her that he was at a murder, and recounted how he led three thugs to the tightly secured drug house on Wonderland Avenue, escorted them in, and stood by as they bludgeoned the five people inside, spattering Holmes with blood. [15] Diles died from liver failure in 1997. Holmes did his part, but when he went to alert the Wonderland gang, they were all passed out. The Wonderland murders, also known as the Four on the Floor Murders or the Laurel Canyon Murders, are four unsolved murders that occurred in Los Angeles, California on July 1, 1981. He also agreed to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. Then in 2000, after a four-year joint investigation involving local and federal authorities, Nash was indicted on federal charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for drug trafficking and money laundering, conspiring to carry out the Wonderland Murders, and bribing one of the jurors of his first trial.

The house was notorious for round-the-clock mayhem and debauchery, and when questioned, neighbors said the Wonderland Gang's drug-fueled parties often included loud, violent screaming and disruptive noise, so when they heard the murders occurring, they simply believed another party was taking place. Filming location used in the 2003 crime-drama "Wonderland." According to court testimony, Nash had a thing for young girls, whips, and Russian roulette. Launius, Deverell, Miller, and Barbara Richardson were found bludgeoned to death at 8763 Wonderland Avenue. Coordinates: 34°06′42″N 118°23′10″W / 34.1117°N 118.3861°W / 34.1117; -118.3861. 's club (shortly afterward renamed Starwood) in West Hollywood, the Soul'd Out club in Hollywood, the Odyssey disco,[4] the Paradise Ballroom, the Seven Seas, Ali Baba's, and The Kit Kat strip club. The gang trafficked drugs, mainly cocaine, throughout the late 70s. After his left palm print was found at the crime scene on the Launius' headboard, Holmes was arrested and charged with four counts of murder in March 1982. Rambo's wife, Susan, knew of the Bautista murders and talked to the police under an agreement of immunity. In the end, Nash received a 4 1/2-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.[17][18]. He also admitted to jury tampering (for which the statute of limitations had run out) and to having ordered his associates to retrieve stolen property from the Wonderland house, which might have resulted in violence including murder, but he denied having planned the murders that occurred. His most successful role was Johnny Wadd, the hard-boiled detective, based on Sam Spade. [9], According to John Holmes' second wife Laurie (known as Misty Dawn), in a Playboy magazine interview, "He [Eddie Nash] was an awful man... John told me he used to leave the bathrooms without toilet paper, then offer the young women cocaine if they'd lick his ass clean. Nash would later admit that he had bribed the lone holdout, a young woman, with $50,000. They found drugs, money, weapons on each occasion. Nash, his henchman Gregory Diles,[3][4] and porn star John Holmes were at various times arrested, tried, and acquitted for their involvement in the murders.

Years later, in 1995, federal agents armed with search warrants raided Nash's house and confiscated what was thought to be a cache of methamphetamine.

Garceau was turned in to the police after he murdered Greg Rambo, who had helped him dispose of the Bautistas' bodies. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! Nash was born Adel Gharib Nasrallah in British Palestine. [11] Garceau died from cancer on San Quentin's death row on December 29, 2004. All three of them, Ron Launius, Billy DeVerell, and Joy Miller, along with the girlfriend of an accomplice, Barbara Richardson, died from extensive blunt-force traumainjuries. The youngest son in the family, Nash came to America with less than ten bucks in his pocket. They made a plan: Holmes would visit Nash's house, leave a sliding glass door unlocked, head back to Wonderland and tell the crew the coast was clear and they could take Nash down. An initial theory of the murders centered around Holmes. Nash was then made to beg for life on his knees, an act that he found humiliating. LAPD detectives are on record saying the crime scene was bloodier and more gruesome than that of the Tate-LaBianca murders. It's amazing to think that one of the most brutal criminals, who orchestrated one of the most gruesome murders of the 1970s (and this is during the Manson murders) got off so easily. During the trial, Susan Rambo testified that Harlyn Codd had told her Nash was Telesforo's father, and that Nash once had paid Garceau to fulfill a contract but that Garceau had failed to perform and, as a result, Nash was "looking for" Garceau. A key player in the incident, adult film performer John C. Holmes, was later acquitted of the murders. Nash became friends with Holmes, who made 2,274 hardcore adult films and had sex with an alleged 14,000 women. He became more withdrawn and reclusive, and rarely left his Studio City house. He invested in movies and leased office space to several adult-film-related businesses. Only Launius' wife, Susan Launius, survived the attack, allegedly masterminded by the organized crime figure and nightclub owner Eddie Nash. Miller was found on her bed, with DeVerell at the foot of the bed in an upright position leaning against the TV stand. Eddie Nash (April 3, 1929[2] - August 9, 2014) was a Palestinian-born Los Angeles nightclub owner and restaurateur, as well as a convicted money launderer and drug dealer. In a moment of panic, he told them he would help them target Nash. Embarrassingly, the meth turned out to be a bunch of mothballs, and no charges were filed against Nash. Small price to pay for a one-time multi-millionaire who likely orchestrated a brutal quadruple homicide. He received a four-and-a-half year prison sentence (including the time already served) and a $250,000 fine. Around 3:00 AM on July 1, 1981, two days after the Nash robbery, an unknown number of unidentified men entered the Wonderland Avenue townhouse and bludgeoned to death Launius, DeVerell, Miller, and Barbara Richardson (Lind's girlfriend who had been visiting).

As for Nash, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, but a judge released him after only two, supposedly due to health issues. #4 – June 29, 1981: Wonderland Gang Robbed Eddie Nash The Wonderland Gang decided it would be a good idea to rob Nash’s Studio City mansion. Nash held thirty-six liquor licenses and owned real estate and other assets worth over $30 million (roughly $133 million today). Nash ordered his men to beat Holmes, but spared his life when Holmes identified the Wonderland gang as the thieves. [9] Lind died of a heroin overdose in 1995, and McCourt died in 2006.

", However, by 1981, Holmes had become desperately addicted to freebasing cocaine, and as a result, his career had declined due to chronic impotence. On June 29, 1981, the Wonderland Gang entered into Nash's home via the unlocked sliding door, held Nash and his bodyguard at gunpoint, and stole Nash's drugs, jewelry and money. [2] It is assumed that five people were targeted to be killed in the known drug house of the Wonderland Gang, three of whom were present. Nash sent Diles to retrieve Holmes for questioning; Diles supposedly spotted Holmes walking around Hollywood wearing one of Nash's rings and brought him back.
[8], In 1990, Nash was tried in state court for having planned the murders; the trial resulted in an 11-1 hung jury. He also admitted to having ordered his associates to retrieve stolen property from the Wonderland house, which might have resulted in violence including murder, yet he denied having planned the murders. Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) remarked that the Wonderland Murders were particularly brutal, noting that the crime scene was bloodier than the Tate-LaBianca murders. She was a heroin addict and a mom, and both Miller and her lover, Billy DeVerell had previous arrests for drug related crimes. The food is named after bands of course. Griselda Blanco: Ordinary Innocent Colombian Grandmother Or Ruthless Bloodthirsty Cocaine Billionaire? Only Launius' wife, Sus… [1], In 2000, after a four-year joint investigation involving local and federal authorities, Nash was arrested and indicted on federal charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for running a drug trafficking and money laundering operation, conspiring to carry out the Wonderland Murders, and bribing one of the jurors of his first trial. The robbery went down, and Nash and his bodyguard were beaten and left for dead.

Nash, already in his seventies, and suffering from emphysema and several other ailments, agreed to a plea bargain agreement in September 2001. [5], On June 29, 1981, Launius, DeVerell, Lind, and McCourt committed a brutal home invasion and armed robbery at Eddie Nash's home, resulting in Nash's bodyguard, Gregory Dewitt Diles, being shot and injured. The drug he used most often was freebase cocaine, and there are reports that he mixed the crack with heroin on occasion. Holmes drew a map of the floor plan of Nash’s house and pointed out where Nash kept his cash and valuables.

He was dangerous, but his most brutal act occurred in the summer of 1981 at his property in Laurel Canyon. In the early 1950s, Nash emigrated to the United States with only $7.

Audrey Miller was leasing the house. Holmes went to Nash's home on the morning of the attack to leave a sliding door unlocked so the Gang could enter the home. The film starred, Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow and Kate Bosworth.