This blog serves as an unofficial companion to Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook, a haunting collection of crime scene photography edited by Sean Tejaratchi. The book itself is a remarkable compilation of images curated by LAPD homicide detective Jack Huddleston, who worked on cases between the 1920s and 1950s. Huddleston’s scrapbook, originally a massive 18” x 24” x 6” thick volume, was filled with real crime scene and morgue photos he gathered during his career. Although his original collection was larger, Death Scenes faithfully reproduces 230 of these grim black-and-white photos, arranged as Huddleston originally placed them in the scrapbook. Accompanying each image is Huddleston’s own captions, which offer insights into the victims, perpetrators, and methods of death, making the book a raw and chilling documentation of the darker aspects of human behavior.
The purpose of this blog is to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the cases depicted in the book by meticulously researching the background stories behind each crime scene. Each post is based on a specific photograph from Huddleston’s scrapbook, and I take great care to comb through original newspaper articles and historical records from the era to uncover the full narrative surrounding the victims and their killers. While the photographs in the book are stark and unsettling, I use artificial intelligence to colorize them in an effort to bring a greater sense of reality to the images. Although the colors may not be historically accurate, the process helps bridge the gap between the past and present, transforming these stark crime scenes from distant black-and-white images into something more tangible and human.
It is important to clarify that I do not have formal credentials in criminology or psychology. I am a freelance writer with a deep interest in true crime, and I approach these cases as an enthusiast rather than a professional in the justice system. Through my research, I aim to explore the psychological and social factors that may have influenced the perpetrators, drawing from a range of sources on criminology and psychology. When relevant, I include insights or theories on why the crimes occurred, offering readers additional context to better understand the dynamics of each case.
As a disclaimer, I am not affiliated with Feral House, the publisher of Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective’s Scrapbook, nor am I connected to the authors or any individuals involved in the production of the book. This blog is purely for entertainment and educational purposes, presenting researched material in a way that encourages readers to engage with these historical crime scenes. Any images used in my posts—such as mugshots, newspaper clippings, or other crime-related photographs—are either sourced from online archives or colorized by me. For names, birth dates, and other details, I rely on verified sources, including ancestry.com.
While my blog posts can be long-winded at times, this is because I strive to include as much relevant information as possible. I believe that understanding the full scope of a murder—its motivations, context, and consequences—helps bring depth to the stories of both the victims and the killers. I hope readers will find the posts informative and thought-provoking, as they offer a closer look into the tragic and often perplexing nature of crime.
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