The circumstances surrounding the Wonderland Murders (also known as the Laurel Canyon Murders or Four on the Floor) reads like a detective story, complete with addiction, betrayal, and rivalry with a porn star (John Holmes) acting as the catalyst.
The year was 1981, and John Holmes found himself with a reported $1,500 a day cocaine habit. In order to feed his habit, he continually borrowed money from a good friend and wealthy Los Angeles businessman, Eddie Nash and leaders of the Wonderland Gang. As his debt grew, the Wonderland Gang began pressuring Holmes for payment, money which he did not have. In order to satisfy the debt, Holmes set up Eddie Nash to be robbed by the Wonderland Gang.
In June 1981, Holmes entered Eddie Nash's home, and left the door unlocked. Shortly thereafter, the Wonderland Gang came into the home and robbed Nash of nearly a quarter of a million dollars of cash and jewelry at gunpoint. Nash immediately suspected that Holmes was involved and under the threat of murder, persuaded Holmes to confess to the set up and its details.
On July 1, 1981, the house on 8763 Wonderland Ave. was entered and four of the five people present were blugeoned to death (Ron Launuis, William DeVerell, Barbara Richardson, and Joy Miller) the fifth (Susan Launuis) was found barely alive. Police knew Holmes was present at some point during the murders, though the level of his involvement was never really known, due to his lack of cooperation with law enforcement and conflicting stories.
Eventually, both Holmes and Nash were brought up on charges relating to the murders. Holmes was acquitted on June 16, 1982. Nash's first trial ended with a hung jury and his second ended in acquittal.
