California is a calming place to many, but those who bother to look past its beaches and tourist attractions begin to find themselves seeing the dark corners of it’s heinous crimes. Unsolved cases of murders and victims in California are used in tours and films to make the illegal activities more easy to bare for the public and convince them that California is nothing but where dreams come true. Here are three unsolved crimes that were given the spotlight due to their mysterious outcome:

1. Hotel Cecil, Los Angeles
A more recent unsolved death in California was that of a tourist named Elisa Lamb who would soon become a permanent resident to the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Her death has yet to be solved in whether it was a suicide or murder, but though her death occurred a few years back in 2013, it still leaves many interested. What caught most people’s eye was the fact that Lamb was able to get onto the roof which was not considered possible and that the last time she was seen alive is in a disturbing video from the elevator. Her body was found weeks later in one of the water tanks on the roof, which was sealed shut, after many residents at the time complained of the water pressure being low, the water turning black before turning clear and having an indescribable taste. Lamb would soon become an act of evidence for supernatural theories because of her strange death.

2. Black Dahlia, Los Angeles
Another infamous death is that of the Black Dahlia in the late 1940s; she gained the spotlight a second time after being featured in “American Horror Story”, but was the center of attention long ago as her body was found on someone’s lawn in a gruesome way. The Black Dahlia was known for being a lovely woman and an aspiring actress only to be eventually found mutilated in Los Angeles out on someone’s front lawn. Her body left no evidence of who could be the killer and to this day the list of suspects remains the same and for this reason she is considered one of the top cold cases in Los Angeles.

3. The Zodiac Killer, Northern California
Probably one of the most biggest cases in California is not a victim, but of a killer. In the 1960s and 1970s in Northern California, the Zodiac Killer was tied to killing at least five people, but in mocking notes he left for the police and media, he claimed he had murdered more than 37. He was the perfect magnet in the media as he let notes go out to public and police as he teased in encrypted notes that claimed his identity would be discovered if they could be solved. Although it would later on be discovered that the killer would only reveal his initials and that the killer is yet to be found. His infamous murder spree left many to jump at the chance to claim it was them and then later be featured in films. He had a movie named after him in 2007 and was featured in “American Horror Story.”