Los Angeles, a city often associated with glamour and the entertainment industry, also holds a dark history stitched with tragedy and violence. Grave Line Tours is now offering a unique way to explore this darker side of the city, taking curious individuals on tours of infamous murder locations in funeral limousines.
Founder Adam Paul Levine stated that Los Angeles is an ideal city for true crime tourism due to its association with immense wealth, which he believes can enable significant immorality and lead to heinous crimes. "When somebody comes into more money than most people can conceive of, it really enables them to get away with some of the worst stuff imaginable," Levine told The Post.
The tours aim to humanize the victims of high-profile crimes, preventing what Levine calls a "double erasure" where individuals lose not only their lives but also their identities. Grave Line's approach is to focus on the victims' lives and legacies, rather than sensationalizing the crimes themselves. The company refers to its tour guests as "mourners" and uses funeral limousines, which are outfitted with front-facing rows and designed for somber reflection, to underscore the memorial aspect of the tours.
One of the notable tours focuses on the Elizabeth Short case, also known as the Black Dahlia murder. Short, an aspiring actress, was found brutally murdered in 1947, and the crime remains unsolved. Levine expressed dismay that Short, despite her pivotal role in a quintessential Hollywood story, is not more widely acknowledged in Los Angeles. To address this, Grave Line's Black Dahlia tour seeks to offer a deeper understanding of Short's life. Levine also founded the Elizabeth Short Memorial Society, which holds monthly meetings in locations Short frequented, such as the Formosa Cafe, to restore her humanity.
The Formosa Cafe is also a stop on Grave Line's Gangsters Paradise Tour, which delves into the city's criminal past, including figures like Bugsy Siegel. Levine's personal connection to this history includes his grandfather having been held up at gunpoint by Mickey Cohen, Siegel's associate.
Levine emphasized that Grave Line is committed to providing accurate information, acting as a meticulous fact-checker to ensure all details shared can be verified by independent sources. "I try to think like a journalist or a lawyer. If it can’t be verified by an independent source, then I will state that," he said. This approach is crucial, as tour guests often engage in lively debates about the cases.
Areas like the notorious Hotel Cecil in Downtown Los Angeles and the Laurel Canyon neighborhood, site of the Wonderland Murders, are highlighted as hotspots of criminal activity. The most popular tour offered by Grave Line focuses on the Manson murders. This extensive three-and-a-half-hour tour includes visits to Spahn Ranch and a local eatery where Charles Manson frequently ate.
The West Side Gory tour connects two infamous cases: the murders of the Menendez family and Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Levine pointed out a surprising connection between the families, noting that the Menendez family and the Simpson family were friends, with O.J. Simpson having a business relationship with José Menendez. The tour also highlights the fact that O.J. Simpson and Lyle Menendez were placed next to each other in jail while awaiting trial, and it was Menendez who reportedly advised Simpson to hire Bob Shapiro.
Levine sees these tours as historical expeditions, aiming to deepen attendees' appreciation for the complex history and culture of Los Angeles, even its grim chapters. The revival of the Grave Line name honors the original tour founded in 1987 by Ray Savage, which also used hearses to take people to crime scenes.