Jean Spangler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Spangler
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Headshot of Spangler, 1943
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| Born |
Jean Elizabeth Spangler
September 2, 1923 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Disappeared | October 7, 1949 (aged 26) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 75 years, 8 months and 8 days |
| Spouse(s) |
Dexter Benner
(m. 1942; div. 1946) |
| Children | One |
Jean Elizabeth Spangler (born September 2, 1923) was an American actress. She had small parts in several Hollywood movies in the late 1940s. She became well-known because she mysteriously disappeared in October 1949.
Jean was born in Seattle, Washington. She went to high school in Los Angeles, California. She started her film career in 1948. She appeared as a dancer in several movies without being named in the credits. These films included When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), Chicken Every Sunday (1949), and Young Man with a Horn (1950).
On the evening of October 7, 1949, Jean left her home in Los Angeles. She told her sister-in-law that she was going to meet her ex-husband. After that, she planned to work as an extra on a movie set. She was last seen alive at a grocery store near her home around 6:00 p.m.
Two days later, Jean's torn purse was found in a quiet part of Griffith Park. This park was about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from her home. Inside the purse was a note addressed to someone named "Kirk." The note also mentioned seeing a doctor. Because Jean had recently worked on the movie Young Man with a Horn with Kirk Douglas, he called the police. He wanted to make it clear he was not involved. He told them he was in Palm Springs at the time, and the police believed him.
Many ideas have been suggested about what happened to Jean. So far, no new clues have been found in her case. Her location is still unknown.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jean Spangler was born in Seattle, Washington. She went to Franklin High School in Los Angeles, California. She finished school in 1941. As a teenager, Jean danced at places like the Earl Carroll Theatre and Florentine Gardens.
In 1942, Jean married Dexter Benner. He worked as a manufacturer. They had a daughter named Christine, who was born on April 22, 1944. Jean and Dexter divorced in 1946. They had a long disagreement over who would care for their daughter. Jean was finally given custody of Christine in 1948. When Jean disappeared, she lived with her mother Florence, her five-year-old daughter Christine, her brother Edward, and her sister-in-law Sophie. They lived on Colgate Avenue in the Park La Brea area.
Jean's Disappearance
On Friday, October 7, 1949, Jean Spangler left her home in Los Angeles. It was around 5:00 p.m. She left her daughter with Sophie. Jean said she was meeting Dexter Benner to talk about a late payment for Christine's care. After that, she planned to work on a movie set that night.
Two hours after leaving, Jean called home. She spoke with Sophie and her daughter. She told Sophie she would "have to work the full eight hours." She also said she probably would not come home that evening. At that time, Jean's mother Florence was visiting family in Louisville, Kentucky. The next morning, October 8, Sophie went to the police. She reported Jean as a missing person because Jean had not come home.
Jean had told her sister-in-law that she was going to a film set. However, police checked with movie studios and the Screen Extras Guild. They found no records showing she had worked that night. A saleswoman at the Farmers Market remembered seeing Jean. The market was only a few blocks from Jean's home. The saleswoman saw her around 6 p.m. and noticed Jean "appeared to be waiting for someone." This was the last time anyone definitely saw Jean.
Police questioned Dexter Benner about Jean's statement. He said he had not seen his former wife for several weeks. His new wife, Lynn Lasky Benner, supported his story. They had been married for only one month.
Finding the Purse and Note
Kirk: Can't wait any longer, Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way wile [sic] mother is away,
On October 9, 1949, Jean Spangler's purse was found. It was near the Fern Dell entrance of Griffith Park in Los Angeles. This was about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from her home. Both straps on one side of the purse were torn. It looked like it had been pulled from her arm.
Sixty police officers and over one hundred volunteers searched the 4,107-acre (16.6 km²) park. But no other clues were found. There was no money in the purse. Sophie had said Jean had no money when she left home. So, the police decided robbery was not the reason for her disappearance.
Inside the purse was a note addressed to "Kirk." It said: "Kirk: Can't wait any longer, Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away,". The note ended with a comma.
Police could not find anyone named "Kirk" or "Dr. Scott." Jean's family and friends did not know anyone by those names. When Jean's mother, Florence, came back to Los Angeles, she told police something. She said someone named "Kirk" had picked up Jean at her house twice. But he stayed in his car and did not come inside. Police questioned every doctor named Scott in Los Angeles. None of them had a patient named Spangler or Benner (her married name). Jean had once been with a man she called "Scotty." But her lawyer said she had not seen him since 1945. More than 200 volunteers and police searched Griffith Park for the next week. During the search, a volunteer's dog found a denim Los Angeles County Jail uniform in a shallow hole. But no other items belonging to Jean were found.
Theories and Possible Sightings
When Jean disappeared, she had just finished filming a small part in the movie Young Man with a Horn. The star of this movie was Kirk Douglas. This made people wonder if he was the "Kirk" mentioned in the note. Kirk Douglas himself called the police. He denied knowing Jean. Later, he admitted he had "talked and kidded with her a bit" on set. But he said he had never spent time with her outside of filming. On October 12, Kirk Douglas made a public statement. He said he did not remember Jean until a friend reminded him she was an extra in a scene with him. He recalled she was a tall girl in a green dress. He talked with her on set but never saw her before or after that.
Another idea the police looked into was that Jean's disappearance was linked to people involved in organized crime in Los Angeles. Jean had worked as a dancer at Florentine Gardens, a nightclub. This might have connected her to various people involved in organized crime. Jean was reportedly seen with Davy Ogul, who was connected to a crime figure named Mickey Cohen. She was seen with Ogul in Palm Springs. She was also seen in Las Vegas, Nevada with Ogul and another person connected to Cohen, Frank Niccoli. Davy Ogul also disappeared on October 9, 1949, two days after Jean. This made police think that Jean and Ogul might have left to avoid trouble with the law. Police questioned Thomas Ellery Evans, who knew Ogul. In April 1950, Jean's sister Betsy said that neither she nor Jean knew Ogul, Cohen, or any of their associates.
In 1950, a customs agent in El Paso, Texas reported seeing Ogul and a woman who looked like Jean in a hotel. The hotel clerk identified Jean from a photo. However, neither Ogul's nor Jean's names were on the hotel register.
Aftermath of the Disappearance
Soon after Jean disappeared, the care of her daughter, Christine, was given to Dexter Benner. This happened on October 27, 1949. The next year, Dexter and Jean's mother, Florence, had a disagreement over Christine. Dexter did not let Florence visit Christine. He was ordered to spend fifteen days in jail for not following court orders. Instead, he left California with his daughter. They later settled in Florida. Dexter Benner passed away in 2007 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) kept searching for Jean. They shared her picture for several years. But they were not able to find her or any good clues. A newspaper writer named Louella Parsons offered a $1,000 reward for information. Despite a search across the country, no new clues have appeared. There were possible sightings in northern and southern California, Phoenix, Arizona, and Mexico City over the next two years. But none of these sightings could be confirmed. Jean Spangler is still listed as a missing person, and the LAPD has not closed her case.
Images for kids
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Headshot of Spangler, 1943
See also
In Spanish: Jean Spangler para niños
