Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories · Spotify Studios

Solved or Unsolved? The Death of Ned Doheny Pt. 2

·49 min·4 clips

Detective White finds powder burns on Ned Doheny's temple, suggesting the gun was held inches from his head.

This episode concludes the investigation into the 1929 deaths of oil heir Ned Doheny and his secretary Hugh Plunkett at Greystone Mansion. Hosts Carter and Wendy of the Parcast network examine why the official murder-suicide ruling remains controversial. The narrative details the early morning crime scene investigation by young detective Leslie White, who noted Hugh's body in a pinstripe suit and Ned's in sleepwear with an open bottle of scotch nearby. White found a warm Colt .45 revolver with no fingerprints under Hugh's body and observed a lit cigarette with fresh burns on Hugh's hand. The official account from the Doheny family doctor, Ernest Fishbaugh, claimed Hugh shot Ned during an argument and then turned the gun on himself after slamming a door. Key forensic inconsistencies troubled Detective White: powder burns indicated Ned was shot at extremely close range, while Hugh's head wound showed no such burns. White also noted that bloodstain patterns on Ned's face contradicted Fishbaugh's initial statement about not moving the body. During interrogation, Fishbaugh changed his story, admitting Ned bled out for twenty minutes while being repositioned. The Los Angeles Times' initial coverage parroted the family's narrative, emphasizing Hugh's alleged insanity and omitting mention of the Teapot Dome scandal, a bribery case involving both men. District Attorney Buron Fitts announced a sweeping investigation but abruptly closed it within a day, declaring the case a murder-suicide with no autopsy. A later coroner's report claimed Hugh had powder burns, directly contradicting White's observations. The hosts explore alternative theories, including the possibility Ned shot Hugh and then himself, which might explain why Ned, not Hugh, had close-range powder burns. This theory is bolstered by the Catholic Church's historical denial of consecrated burial for suicide victims, and Ned's unmarked sarcophagus was placed in a non-Catholic cemetery far from his father. Edward Doheny's wife later burned his personal papers, further obscuring the truth. The tone is narrative and investigative, blending historical storytelling with forensic analysis. Listeners who enjoy detailed historical true crime with unresolved forensic puzzles will appreciate this episode. Those seeking definitive answers or who dislike stories where institutional power obscures the truth might find it frustrating.

As heard by us

A forensic case study that turns grief into doubt.

The episode follows Edward Doheny, Ned Doheny, Hugh Plunkett, and detective Leslie White through a bleak Beverly Hills death case that begins in family shock and settles into a forensic puzzle.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a powder-burn clue that flips the whole theory.

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