Larry Austin Real Image, Muder Story?: “The Real Murders Of Los Angeles” is a crime docu-series that tells the story of various murders that occurred in Hollywood, also known as Los Angeles. Los Angeles is renowned for Hollywood. Lawrence Austin was a cinephile who lived in Los Angeles.
Austin was a fan of silent cinema; he owned a cinema theater in LA’s Fairfax District that exclusively screened silent films. However, everything changed on January 17, 1997, when someone killed Austin in his theater.
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Who was Lawrence Austin, aka Larry Austin?
Austin’s real name was Lawrence, but close friends and family members called him Larry Austin. Larry was studying at Fairfax High School in the 1940s when a couple, Dorothy and John Hammond, started the Silent Movie Theater. Larry always used to go to the theater, and he became like a son to Dorothy and John. Unfortunately, the movie theater was shut down in 1979, and in 1990, John Hammond passed away. Dorothy Hammond sold the theater to Austin, as she knew Austin would take care of it. Austin renovated the theater and did everything on his own to revive it.
How Was Larry Austin Killed?
It was the sixth-anniversary celebration for the Silent Movie Theater on January 17, 1997. Everyone was enjoying the movie when they heard a gunshot. People in the theater lay down on the floor to protect themselves. The victims of this gunshot were Larry Austin and 19-year-old Mary Giles.
Austin died that night, but Mary survived by luck. Detectives asked the witnesses what happened in the theater, and they explained that a man entered the theater, fired some rounds, and exited through the theater’s exit door. Witnesses didn’t see the man’s face. The next day, the detective went to the hospital and asked Mary, as she might have seen the shooter’s face.
Mary then provided a detailed account. She said a man came to the lobby, pointed a gun at Austin, and demanded money. When Austin was putting the money in a bag, the man shot him and Mary. The man shot Austin two more times to ensure his death. Mary also saw the face of the killer.
Was Larry Austin Gay?
As the police investigated the bank details, they found that it was a joint account, and the second person’s name was James Van Sickle. James worked as a projectionist at the Silent Movie Theater. Detectives had spoken to him before, and he had claimed to be only a projectionist. However, they discovered that he had a joint account with Larry Austin.
When they spoke with James again, he revealed that he was a business partner with Austin. He also admitted that they were lovers. Larry Austin was gay, although not everyone knew about it.
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