In late 1950s LA, in the era of pin-up girls and Hollywood starlets, there was no shortage of young women looking to break into the entertainment industry.
But as well ruthless studios and agents preying on their dreams, there was something even more sinister preying on their vulnerability.
In 1957, model Judith Ann Dull, took a call from a man called Johnny Glenn offering her a job posing for the cover of a true crime publication.
Judy, just 19, was signed with an agency who’d passed him her number.
The beautiful blonde readily agreed, especially when Johnny said the shoot could be done at her apartment. She was going through a divorce, and needed the $50 fee to put towards a custody battle over her 14-month old daughter.
When Johnny arrived, he told Judith he’d decided to take the pictures at his studio instead.
Judy’s roommate Betty didn’t like the change, but felt reassured when the small man, wearing glasses, gave her the studio’s number.
But when Judy failed to arrive home, and Betty dialled the number, it was for a machine shop. And they’d never heard of a Johnny Glenn.
Police launched a search for the supposed photographer and missing young mum Judy, but they found no trace.
Seven months after Judy’s disappearance, 24-year-old divorced mum-of-two Shirley Anne Bridgeford answered a lonely hearts ad.
Corresponding with a man, George Williams, he offered to take her out to a dance. Arriving at her home, he met Shirley’s family and waved ‘Nice to meet you all!’ as they left.
In the car, George suggested they ditch the dance and go for a drive and dinner, and they set off towards the hills.
After a restaurant meal, things took a terrible turn. Stopping the car, George drew a gun and forced Shirley to undress as he took photos.
Then he drove her out to the desert before strangling Shirley and abandoning her body.
Her loved ones searched desperately for answers when she didn’t return home from her date. But they came up with nothing.
READ MORE: Killer doctor drugged his wife to be with his mistress
READ MORE: Kathy Kleiner Rubin was viciously beaten by Ted Bundy, but lived to tell the tale
In July 1958, a photographer arrived at the home of model Ruth Murcado, 24, for a scheduled shoot. Ruth changed her mind about going ahead, and the man left.
A few hours later though, he returned, breaking in to the home and sexually assaulting Ruth. He then drove her to the desert, strangled her and left her body.
In October 1958, a man called Frank Johnson walked into the Diane modelling agency on Sunset Boulevard. He hoped to photograph Diane herself, the owner, but with his scruffy looks she spotted him for the amateur he was.
Used to working with professionals herself, Diane looked through her books for a less experienced model who would appreciate the work.
She found new recruit Lorraine Vigil. Calling Lorraine, the young woman was excited for her first shoot and it was decided Frank would pick her up at 8pm.
But after he left, Diane felt uneasy. So she picked up the phone again. ‘Be careful with this loser. He’s not a professional and is, er, rather creepy – you know what I mean?’ she warned Lorraine.
In the car with Frank, Lorraine grew concerned by how long the drive to the studio was taking.
When she challenged him, he became angry, driving the car erratically across lanes to exit the highway.
Stopping, he ordered Lorraine to put her arms out. As he tried to tie her up, Lorraine fought back so Frank pulled out his gun.
Firing, a bullet skimmed Lorraine’s skirt. Fighting for her life, the pair ended up on the gravel road.
Out of what seemed like nowhere, the pair were suddenly caught in headlights. And, incredibly, they belonged to a police car out on patrol.
Lorraine was safe.
Officer Tom Mulligan later testified that the attacker had a ‘lunatic stare’ and a ‘wild look in his eyes.’
But who was he? Grilled by police, the man made a full confession.
His real name was Harvey Glatman, but he’d gone by Johnny Glenn, George Williams as well as Frank Johnson. Now, he’d be known as the Glamour Girl Killer.
And he was already known to authorities.
As a child, his mum noted some disturbing sexualised behaviour but was told by doctors he would grow out of it. Then, as a teenager he broke into women’s apartments. Tying them up, he’d molest them and take photos as a twisted trophy.
He was arrested in 1945 for attempted burglary but, while awaiting trial, he struck again – kidnapping a woman and assaulting her.
He was jailed for eight months but soon ended up back behind bars for mugging people.
While detained, he was diagnosed as a psychopath but, despite his obvious appetite for harming women, he was given early release in 1956 for good behaviour.
Finding work repairing TVs, he began posing as a photographer and scouring modelling agencies.
That’s how he’d found his first victim, Judy.
Under the ruse of the shoot being about a crime victim, he tied her up before taking photos of her.
At some point though, the deception ended and his horrifying motives became clear.
After assaulting Judy, he drove the two of them out to the desert. There, Judy was strangled with a rope and dumped.
Police found sickening images of Glatman’s victims taken before and after their deaths, that he’d kept as souvenirs. And he’d used the same rope to kill all three.
Glatman’s detailed taped confessions were played to a stunned courtroom.
Sentencing him to death, Judge William T Low said, ‘I never heard anything like it and I hope I never hear anything like it again.’
In September 1959 Glatman was gassed at San Quentin State Prison, aged 31.
Finally, the women of LA were safe from his evil ways.
