The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood, on MGM+

The 1981 Laurel Canyon quadruple homicides were not quite as personal to Michael Connelly as the Black Dahlia murder was to James Ellroy, but the crimes stuck in his head ever since he covered it as a crime beat reporter. It was just one of those cases that took on a life of its own, because of its scandalous connections to Liberace and adult film “actor” John Holmes. Connelly takes yet another deep dive into the cold case, adapting his podcast for television as the host-narrator and executive producer of The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood, which premieres Sunday on MGM+.

A few days before the 4^th of July, four people were found brutally bludgeoned to death in a Laurel Canyon home, with a fifth left for dead. Somehow, she survived, but she could never identify her attackers. Given the volume of blood and the number of victims, the police deduced there was more than one killer.

The question of who struck the blows would be contentiously argued in court, but every investigation pointed towards the drug lord, whom some of the residents living at the Wonderland Avenue home had just robbed in a violent home invasion. Eddie Nash (Adel Nasrallah) was a Palestinian immigrant who came to Hollywood to be an actor but only landed a small part on a Cisco Kid episode. Instead, he became arguably the biggest coke dealer in LA, who also owned a series of nightclubs, to facilitate his illicit trade.

In a twist of fate, Liberace wanted to invest in nightclubs, so somehow, he became Nash’s silent partner. His “boy toy” Scott Thorson (played by Matt Damon in the HBO movie) was their go-between. Thorson was also an addict, so he quickly became a customer as well. So was Holmes, but the man considered the inspiration for Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights also bought from the Wonderland Avenue gang.

The multiple investigations and criminal trials that followed were epic in scope, but tragically ultimate justice was almost completely denied. Connelly and the various investigating officers all agree Thorson and Holmes were both probably compulsive liars, but the recently deceased (as of only last month) Thorson clearly emerges as the more credible witness and the better person. At least he expresses remorse for involvement in the illegal drug trade and he clearly wanted Nash to pay for the Wonderland murders.

Throughout all four episodes, Connelly shows his ease talking and relating to the cops and assistant district attorneys who worked the Wonderland case. It is clear how he developed law enforcement sources while working as a reporter and probably continued to benefit from their expert opinions once he started writing full-time.

Although he is not the most polished interviewer, Connelly often makes that a virtue. He regularly challenges Thorson’s assertions, rather than accepting them at face value. By the same token, Thorson understands his credibility issues and sticks to his guns, rather than responding defensively.

Even if viewers discount Thorson’s testimony, Connelly and series director-co-executive producer Alison Eastwood comprehensively lay out the facts of the case and draw up a compelling indictment against Nash and his chief henchman. This is definitely one of the better true-crime documentary mini-series. Connelly’s presence and expertise certainly elevates it above the pack. Yet, there is no denying the grabbiness of the lurid Hollywood elements. If this ruins John Holmes’ blue movies for you, well, so be it. Recommended for fans of Connelly and seedy Hollywood true crime, The Wonderland Massacre starts streaming this Sunday (9/8) on MGM+.