Wonderland massacre: 1980s porn star John Holmes took notorious murder mystery to his grave

It's been 43 years since the Wonderland murders in California, and one writer believes adult film star John Holmes knew the truth.

“The short answer is yes — he took a lot of secrets to his grave,” crime writer Michael Connelly told Fox News Digital.

“He was very involved … and it was almost a drug rip-off,” Connelly shared. “But to think he was the only one involved — or the only one who knew [what happened] – I don't believe it. I think he knew a lot and left it.”

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The still-unsolved 1981 case is the subject of a new true-crime docuseries on MGM+, “The Wonderland Murders and the Secret History of Hollywood.” It is based on Connelly's Audible podcast of the same name.

The show features new interviews with key surviving players, including key detectives, prosecutors and undercover cops involved in the case. It also includes a final meeting with Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover and a prominent figure in the trial.

Thorson died on August 16 in Los Angeles. He was 65.

Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover, spoke on the docuseries shortly before her death. (MGM+)

“There are films, other documentaries and books… [but] I don't think there was anything that got the whole story,” Connelly said. “I think we do. We present some fascinating character studies from relentless detectives who, for the most part, never told their stories. … And then I think we can dive deeper into who our main villain is – Eddie Nash – than anyone has done before.

The Wonderland Massacre case is being explored in a new true-crime docuseries. (MGM+)

“This is a very complicated case … and I think this is a new step.”

On July 1, 1981, the bodies of Ron Launius, William “Billy” Deverell, Joy Miller and Barbara Richardson were found inside a Laurel Canyon home on Wonderland Avenue.

Police believe that the victims were beaten to death with hammers and metal pipes. The LAPD compared the murder to the Tate-LaBianca murders committed by the Manson family 12 years earlier.

Michael Connelly can be seen here interviewing Scott Thorson. (MGM+)

Launius' wife, Susan Launius, was the sole survivor of the attack. US Sun reported that movers working next door heard her crying. They called the police.

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According to the LAPD at the time, the murders were similar to those committed by the Manson family. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Susan suffered a serious head injury. A portion of his skull was removed during emergency surgery. He later testified that he could only remember seeing “shadowy figures”.

A palm print was discovered at the crime scene. It belongs to Holmes.

Key detectives in the case spoke on the record. (MGM+)

Executive producer Alison Ellwood pointed out to Fox News Digital that before the murders, Laurel Canyon was known as a haven for musicians in the '60s and '70s. Artists such as Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Mama Cass and James Taylor once called it home.

The house where the brutal murder took place. (Kevin P. Casey/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“The story was a negative image of this bucolic place with beautiful music,” says Ellwood. “It became a hangout for drug lords. It was a very different vibe. And L.A. changed.”

When the murders occur, Holmes is crowned “The King” of X-rated movies. By the early '80s, he had appeared in more than 1,000 films, according to the Los Angeles Times. It is rumored that he slept with more than 14,000 women during his two-decade career and was paid $1,000 a scene.

Bobby Egger, former LAPD narcotics detective (MGM+)

After achieving fame and fortune, everything comes crashing down when Holmes develops a crippling addiction to cocaine.

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John Holmes in Los Angeles, circa 1975 (Mark Sullivan/Contour via Getty Images)

“What's wrong with John Holmes? Drugs, his addiction,” Connelly said. “A big part of this project is its social history. It's a unique story of how drugs destroy people.”

“You can look at Holmes … but it's also about the changes, the dramatic changes, that happened … in the late '70s and early '80s when drugs were inspiring and mind-opening … evolved into drugs that were intentionally made to be addictive and then This documentary tells the story of how you move into the crack epidemic.

Mac McClain, former LAPD detective (MGM+)

“But the other thing that was going on was how the drug trade had evolved and changed,” Connelly said. “Much like this crime, it was a very brutal … a very bloody business.”

John Holmes developed a crippling addiction to drugs. (Mark Sullivan/Contour via Getty Images)

According to US Sun, the Ohio-born actor began freebasing home-cooked crack cocaine, which left him impotent and unable to work. He soon turned to petty robbery to feed his addiction.

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Tom Lange, former LAPD detective. (MGM+)

According to the documents, Holmes became involved with the Wonderland Gang, a group of drug dealers known as the most feared cocaine distributors in Los Angeles. Launius, Deverell and Miller were members. Richardson was dating gang member David Lind.

The story involves Eddie Nash, a one-time actor nightclub owner and drug dealer.

Two days before the murder, his house was robbed, and a bodyguard was shot. He ordered associates to question Holmes about the theft, Variety reported. Trial testimony revealed that four men entered Nash's home through a sliding door that was reportedly left open by Holmes.

Eddie Nash was arrested in a raid, circa 1981. During that time, federal agents seized two pounds of cocaine. (Boris Yarrow/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

According to the outlet, Thorson testified that he was at Nash's house buying drugs when he saw Holmes tied to a chair, beaten and threatened. He claimed that Holmes had revealed the identity of the thieves out of fear for his life. The outlet noted that Lunius, Deverell and Miller were part of the robbery.

Liberace (right) and Scott Thorson (left) have been together for six years. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Although Thorson's claims have been questioned over the years, Ellwood said he believes him.

“His stories are sometimes very offensive,” she admits. “It's hard to imagine if it's true or if he's embellishing. … But you can see that Michael is really working with him to get details and confirm things with detectives and prosecutors. And his story holds up. Michael tried to do a lot of punching. There are holes in it and there really isn't any to be found.”

Val Kilmer played John Holmes in 2003's “Wonderland.” (Shutterstock)

“Everything is hard to believe,” says Connelly. “But we always found a backup for that. … We found the detective who took him in for protection, so we did our best to confirm his stories because some of them are over the top.”

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Scott Thorson has struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life. (Rick Meyer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

In court, Thorson accused Nash of planning the killings as revenge, the outlet reported. However, Nash's trial ended in a hung jury. He was never convicted.

Holmes was tried and acquitted of the Wonderland murder. In 1984, he and his wife divorced. A year later, he tested positive for AIDS.

According to multiple reports, Holmes refused to give any additional details about the murder to detectives on his deathbed. He died in 1988 at the age of 43.

This 1982 photo shows John Holmes after his release from the LA County Jail (Boris Yarrow/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

After his death, Sharon claimed that Holmes confessed to her in 1981 that he played a central role in the murder, the Los Angeles Times reported. Holmes claimed he led several men into the home and stood by while they bloodied the five men inside, splattering him with blood. Investigators suspected that Holmes may have been acting on Nash's orders.

Holmes never told his wife the names of the assailants, and he never gave a public account of what happened. He was also adamant about never hurting anyone.

Nash died in 2014. He was 85 years old.

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John Holmes was charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He was acquitted of all criminal charges. (Getty Images)

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“[Holmes] A victim was because of drugs,” Connelly said. “Drug addiction … makes people do horrible things … Was John Holmes a cold-blooded killer? A juror said no. The jury said that if he did anything, he was probably coerced. … There are different levels of guilt. The audience can make all the decisions.”