THE PLACE: Greystone Park
905 Loma Vista Drive Beverly Hills (map)
THE GHOST(S):
Although the Greystone Estate (a.k.a "the Doheny Mansion") is probably best known as a location for hundreds of movies, TV shows, commercials, and print ads, it was also the site of one of Southern California's greatest solved (but really unsolved) mysteries. Shorty after this 55-room mansion was built by Edward Doheny (as a gift for his son), Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. and his personal assistant (and closest friend), Hugh Plunkett, were found dead (each with a bullet hole in their head) on February 16, 1929 in one of the guest rooms of this stately manor. At the time, Plunkett and Doheny (along with President Warren G. Harding and Ned's father, oil tycoon Edward Doheny) were embroiled in the infamous "Teapot Dome" bribery scandal, so the sudden death of these two co-conspirators was big news at the time.
The official story (as reported in the newspapers of the day) is that Plunkett went crazy one night and murdered his employer, and then turned the gun on himself. The reasons given for Plunkett's psychotic episode have ranged from a salary dispute to his recent divorce. (His ex-wife, incidentally, was an out-spoken believer of the paranormal.) The homicide detective who arrived at the scene, Leslie T. White, later wrote an autobiography entitled "Me, Detective," in which he devoted a chapter to the injustice of the Doheny investigation. In addition to waiting a couple of hours before calling the police, the family (with help from the family's doctor) apparently staged the scene of the crime and the placement of the bodies as well as tried to disguise the time of death (which all contradicted the blood and bullet evidence). A proper investigation was never conducted (perhaps because of the family's political influence). Despite the obvious tampering and the "rehearsed" eye-witness testimony from the family's housekeeping staff, the case was declared solved by the District Attorney's office the next day, and the bodies were immediately cremated (even though this practice was contrary to the family's religious beliefs).
Over the decades, there have been many theories and rumors surrounding this case. One of the most popular stories is that Ned's religious wife killed both of them, when she discovered that they were having a gay romance. It should also be noted, that earlier that day, witnesses claimed that the two men were having a loud argument at Plunket's apartment (636 South Cochran Avenue), followed by what sounded like doors slamming. Did the other tenants actually hear gun shots, and just mistake them for doors? Curiously, the Doheny family also buried the remains of Hugh Plunket, the supposed killer of Ned Doheny, near their beloved son/husband's remains. Why?
Whatever happened that rainy day (regardless of "official" reports) remains a true mystery. It is these unanswered questions of this tragedy that most likely are at the heart of this historic house's haunting. Why else would the apparition of a man be seen walking the halls outside the scene of the crime? Is it the ghost of Ned Doheny, or is it Hugh Plunkett? Why does a pool of blood appear (then disappear) on the floor of room where the murders supposedly happened. Why just one pool of blood when there were two victims. Who's blood is it? And more importantly, what are the manifestations trying to tell us?
When visiting this landmark building and gardens, keep your eyes open. Any paranormal experience you have may provide the missing clue that finally solves this forgotten case, and ultimately allows the troubled ghosts of the Doheny Mansion the peace they deserve.
4 comments:
I was visiting Greystone for a second time in 1992. I went with my friend Camilla, who had never seen it and was interested in taking a look. Unlike my first visit, the grounds were completely empty, no other visitors this particular day. It was around 3:30 PM, a nice sunny afternoon, but i could not help feeling just a little creeped out. We strolled passed a long "birdbath" and walked passed a corridor of long windows. Periphally i noticed something, and before i could convince myself it was merely nothing, i heard camilla say, and in a rather uneasy tone.."What the hell is that?" OK, great now she sees it too, this was all the confirmation i needed to know i was NOT hallucinating. What we saw was an eerie black figure "floating" very high near the top of the windows. It looked like the ceilings inside were very high, so this made it even creepier. The figure floated in a wavy fashion, i saw NO feet, no hands, but a dark long looking robe, not unlike that of the Grim Reaper... It was not a pleasant sighting, i can tell you that. It was as if whatever it was, was checking "us" out, maybe because we were on it's "turf", so to speak. I had a sense of calm, but it was instinct to get away. I told Camilla to walk slowly with me and when we reached the stairs, we nearly had dual panic attacks. Upon reaching her car, i had said that my brother told me that many films,etc, were made at this location, thinking what we saw might have been a prop, or effect. Camilla then pointed out that if it were a filming...then where was the crew, no other cars but ours, the place was totally barren...Oddly enough my brother told me that he worked on a commercial at Greystone, and he said he felt an awful presence that made him never go back there for any other work..No matter what the pay..
The house itself is gorgeous, and it is sad that any tragedy occurred there.
I know there are lots of folklore about Greystone, but what i saw was real.
Be wary if you visit this site, groundskeepers have quit with fear saying they hear "screams" at night...
This is very interesting to read. Ive been there many times during the day and night and I haven't experienced anything.
Ned Doheny’s wife, Lucy claimed to hear one gunshot and immediately called the family doctor to come to the house. Twenty minutes later both Mrs. Doheny and the doctor went to investigate the shooting. She claimed that the doctor and her found Hugh Plunkett in the doorway of the guest bedroom. He yelled to stay back and ran inside the bedroom and slammed the door. She then claimed that the doctor and her heard a gunshot and rushed inside the bedroom and found both Ned Dohaney and Hugh Plunkett lying on the floor both shot to death.
This past Thursday, August 21st. I took my mom to Greystone to walk around the grounds. It is now a city park. I took my digital recorder with since every park in Los Angeles is haunted, but I heard all kinds of stories about Greystone. While walking in the courtyard of the mansion I captured two gunshots on my recorder. Seconds apart. Before the second shot you can hear the cocking of the gun and after the second gunshot you can hear a faint thud. This is significant since Lucy Doheny said she and the doctor saw Hugh Plunkett alive twenty minutes after the first gunshot and then they heard the second gunshot. It seems the residual gunshots I captured on my recorder proves that Mrs. Doheny was lying. But why?
Later in the recording on my digital recorder a male states twice that he was murdered. I also found it interesting that the questions I ask out loud about the mansion were answered by a male spirit captured on my recorder as I walked the grounds. He seemed to have a great deal of knowledge on the mansion. I believe this to be the spirit of Ned Doheny stating that it was not a double suicide, but instead he was murdered. I will be going back to Greystone this coming Sunday August 31st with my friend Jason Barney to try to get some definitive answers to this mystery. If you see us there come up and say hi and I will let you hear the gunshots I captured and the other related evps.
Jeff Moore 8-27-14
I took a photo of the long hallway of the mansion and a white apparition appeared that really gave me the chills. I felt very creeped out when I took the photo, but did not see this with my bare eyes at all. It reminded me of the clouds of white smoke that mysteriously appeared in the very haunted cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. When I looked up the story about the mansion and learned where the murders took place, and then double-checked the floor plan, I realized I was taking a photo right in front of those rooms. I'm not sure how to post the photo on here, but can send it to anyone interested.
Post a Comment