Wonderland murders’ survivor Susan Launius was saved when movers heard cries – but she was unable to remember attacker

SUSAN Launius was the sole survivor of the gruesome Wonderland murders that left four dead in one of the most infamous cold cases of the 80s.

However, she could not recall what happened due to her severe injuries that damaged her memory.

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On July 1, 1981, Susan was discovered near-dead by furniture movers who were working at the house next door to the crime site — 8763 Wonderland Avenue, Laurel Canyon, in Los Angeles , California .

The movers heard her pain-filled cries and called the police in a panic, All That’s Interesting reported.

Authorities found Susan on the floor with a bashed-in skull, covered in blood.

The beaten body of her husband, Ron Launius, was discovered on the bed next to her, the outlet stated.

Billy Deverell, Joy Audrey Gold Miller, and Barbara Richardson were also found bludgeoned to death in the home.

The victims were members of the drug -dealing Wonderland Gang who ran a cocaine operation out of their home.

Susan suffered brain damage that resulted in permanent amnesia and was therefore unable to remember the Wonderland murders .

However, in February 1982, she testified about the grisly slayings during porn star John Holmes’ preliminary hearing.

Holmes has been accused of being involved in the murders .

Susan testified that she did not remember seeing Holmes in the house on the night of the killings, per UPI .

She told the court she could only remember seeing “shadowy figures” and said doctors removed a significant portion of her skull during surgery after the attack.

Her head trauma also left her left leg paralyzed.

“I was laying down on the bed. I believe I was watching TV and it seems like a bunch of people were coming in and out,” Susan said, according to the outlet.

Holmes’ lawyer then asked what she could recall after that, to which she responded, “Nothing.”

The famed porn star was charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after his December 1981 arrest in Miami , Florida , per the publication.

Holmes’ palm print was found near the crime scene, UPI also reported.

WHO WAS JOHN C HOLMES?

John was best known for his role as PI Johnny Wadd whose raunchy crime-busting techniques proved a hit in the 1970s.

Born John Curtis Estes on August 8, 1944, John grew up in rural Ohio and left home at 15.

He joined the US Army before venturing into menial jobs, including one at a meat packing factory in California where he was noticed by Bob Chinn, a prolific porn director.

John would go on to star in hundreds of adult movies and sleep with thousands of women in a career that spanned from 1971 up until his death 1988.

John was dubbed the ‘Elvis Presley of Porn’ by adult cinematographer Bob Vosse and was recognised for his 13-and-a-half inch penis, which he described as “bigger than a payphone, smaller than a Cadillac”.

John reached the zenith of his fame playing serialised character Johnny Wadd in the 1970s.

Despite drawing in thousands per shoot, John lived a meagre life and spent his money feeding a ferocious drug habit that at one point saw him getting high “every fifteen minutes”.

John was acquitted of the Wonderland Murders in June 1982 and spent 111 days in prison for contempt of court. He returned to starring in porn movies after his release, despite being HIV positive.

John died from an AIDS-related illness on March 13, 1988.

However, following an “extremely publicized” trial, he was acquitted of all charges in June 1982, per the Daily Mail .

In 1990, nightclub owner and drug kingpin Eddie Nash was arrested in connection with the murders.

On June 29, 1981 — just days before the slayings — Nash’s home was robbed by four members of the rival Wonderland Gang.

Ron and Deverell pretended to be police officers and led fellow gang members David Lind and Tracy McCourt into Nash’s house, per All That’s Interesting.

They handcuffed Nash and his bodyguard, Gregory Diles, and made the former open his safe, during which Lind accidentally shot and injured Diles.

They stole at least $1 million in illegal drugs, money , jewelry , and arms, the outlet reported.

Due to this incident, police suspected Nash had planned the Wonderland murders.

A divided jury in Nash’s case led to a mistrial, and he was acquitted when he tried again the following year, per the Daily Mail.

However, in October 2001, Nash was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for racketeering and other crimes, including a conspiracy to murder four people in Laurel Canyon, the Los Angeles Times reported .

Nash pleaded guilty to avoid the possibility of a life sentence.

He confessed to telling his associates to repossess his stolen items in the Wonderland house on the night of the murders, but never admitted to having ordered the killings, per All That’s Interesting.

Today, the case remains unsolved , with the killers’ identities unknown.

A new MGM+ docuseries , The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood, investigates the grisly 1981 murders.

The four-part program premieres on Sunday, September 8 at 10 pm EST.

Photo by Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images - Getty

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