The Mysterious Disappearance of Jean Spangler
Most people might consider the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short to be the biggest mystery of the decade. But in 1949, another Los Angeles woman’s disappearance would make headlines.
Jean Elizabeth Spangler was born on September 2, 1923 in Seattle. By the time she was in high school, Jean had moved to Los Angeles. At some point, she set her sights on working in the film industry.
In 1942, Jean married a man named Dexter Benner, a manufacturer. Within two years, they had a daughter together. The marriage was short-lived, as they divorced in 1946. A custody battle followed.
In 1948, Spangler was apparently awarded custody of her child. The two moved in with Jean’s mother, Florence, her brother, and her sister-in-law in Park LaBrea.
Beginning in 1948, Jean was making some bit appearances in Hollywood films. She had an uncredited role in the 1948 film When My Baby Smiles at Me. The film starred Betty Grable and Dan Bailey as vaudeville performers.
In 1949, Jean had another bit part in a comedy called Chicken Every Sunday. She was also working on a musical drama to come out in 1950 called Young Man with a Horn.
