The Weiss Family Tragedy
I blogged about the murder of sports agent Vic Weiss in the past, and there was even a loose Ron Launius/Horace McKenna connection. Nil Grevillius and I even spoke about the case in our interview. The sad part about this tragedy is that deaths in the Weiss family did not stop with Vic. His son, Wolf, would die as a contractor working in Iraq in 2004. Vic’s old widow, Rose, would be murdered at age 69, by their troubled daughter, Lauren, in 2008. Author Michael Connelly is also quoted below. Connelly once investigated and wrote about the Vic Weiss murder.
Vic’s son, Wolf, certainly led an interesting life. At a young age, the former Marine swore revenge in finding his dad’s killer(s). I guess that’s why he joined the Marines in the first place, so that he could be a bad ass dude. He was also in a heavy metal rock band. You can sample his music here. Wolf even does a cover of Cliff Richard’s “Devil Woman”. Ugh. Play at your own risk!
Lauren would be judged insane and end up in the nut house. At the time of the murder, she was a transient, only occasionally allowed to stay at her mother’s home. When captured after the murder, she was attempting to split town via the train station. I think she had two kids.
Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell relied on court documents and mental health reports that detailed abandonment, sexual molestation, the death of a brother in Iraq, her husband’s suicide and placement in numerous health facilities.
Donahue killed 69-year-old Rose Weiss in a bathroom in 2008 before dragging her body to the backyard to hide it in thick shrubbery.
- Rose Weiss. Murdered in 2008 by she and Vic’s troubled daughter, Lauren Donahue.
- He was also in a heavy metal band. What. The. Heck.
Daughter Held In Fatal Stabbing Of Simi Woman | Feb 7, 2008 | Ventura County Star
A 41-year-old woman was booked Wednesday into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of fatally stabbing her mother in Simi Valley, authorities said.
Police found the body of Rose Weiss, 69, at her home in the 5300 block of Diane Street at 2:44 p.m. Tuesday after responding to a call asking them to check on her. Sgt. Adam Darough, a spokesman for Simi Valley police, would not say who called police.
Darough said Weiss was stabbed multiple times.
She had likely been dead for several hours by the time police arrived, said Craig Stevens, a senior deputy medical examiner.
Police later arrested Weiss’ daughter, Lauren Donahue, in Santa Clarita. Darough would not offer any details on Donahue’s arrest or what led police to her.
Police did say they learned Donahue "may have boarded a train in the San Fernando Valley," and they later found her at the Santa Clarita train station. Donahue was being held in jail in lieu of $515,000 bail.
Donahue was listed as a transient by police. Police would not say if Weiss lived with anyone at the home.
Court records show Donahue was convicted in 2007 of felony possession of a controlled substance.
Detectives on Wednesday had not yet determined a possible motive for Weiss’ killing, authorities said.
Neighbor Mike Seguin said the street was normally quiet, except for periodic police visits to the Weiss house. "It didn’t happen every week, but it happened often enough," he said.
Darough confirmed police had responded to the home numerous times but would not say why.
Seguin said he would sometimes see Donahue in front of her mother’s home or nearby, and she always seemed to want to be left alone. "If she saw someone coming her way, she would go to the other side of the street," Seguin said.
Seguin said he didn’t see Weiss as often, “but she seemed like a nice, quiet person”.
According to Social Security and Internet database records, Weiss was married to Victor Weiss, a well-known sports promoter found slain in North Hollywood in 1979. Simi Valley police, however, would not confirm the relationship, and other family members could not be reached Wednesday.
Best-selling author Michael Connelly, who wrote an article about the 1979 killing for the Los Angeles Times a decade later, called the unsolved crime “one of the longer-lasting mysteries of Los Angeles”.
Victor Weiss was reported missing by his wife, Rose. He was found dead three days later, stuffed into the trunk of his Rolls-Royce with two gunshot wounds to his head. Los Angeles police suspected Weiss was killed by mobsters because he had accumulated sports-betting debts and was skimming laundered money, Connelly wrote. Connelly’s novel, "Trunk Music," is based on Weiss’ killing.
Victor’s son, Wolf Weiss, was killed in 2004 in Iraq, where he was working for a private security firm, according to neighbors in Simi Valley and published reports.
Wolf Weiss, 36, told Rolling Stone magazine in 2004 that he had joined the Marines at 18 partly because he wanted to hunt down his father’s killers. His mother eventually talked him out of revenge. He became a mercenary after a career as a rock musician.
After hearing about Rose Weiss’ killing, Connelly said Wednesday that the tragedy was one more strange twist in a saga that has stuck with him. “It’s a pretty surprising story”, said Connelly, who now lives in Florida.
david woodard 9:28 pm on June 22, 2014 Permalink |
I was wolfs best friend from 2004 till he died, I was woody and he did tattoos in my room all the time, I spent new years 200 with him and kit in vegas, pleze contact me at my email, I have stories, thanks and if u talk to kit tell her im srry
david woodard 9:47 pm on June 22, 2014 Permalink |
I have proof he was my brother with a tattoo he gave me with a skull and crossbones that he signed on all the bones, tyvm for opening this back up, I was the one who brought the party bus to the roxie when he played there, I wanna be part of his legacy, we spent many times alone and I miss him soo much, thanks for remembering him
Jarrett 2:48 am on November 12, 2014 Permalink |
Please contact me regarding film project.
Jarrett Galante
Raeven 10:17 am on October 5, 2016 Permalink |
Wolf was like my uncle. My father still to this day has trouble listening to his music with out crying, they were like brothers my dad looked up to him and was a marine as well.. i remember going to his house as a kid and his garage open with his tattoo gear gave my mom her belly button piercing and tattoos on her stomach and ankles he had this big plan in his head of a project tattoo on my mom and didnt get to finish it before he was lost.. he was such a cool guy..
Greg Carter 11:33 am on March 3, 2018 Permalink |
I was very close with the Weiss family in the 80s. Rose was a wonderful lady. Chuck and Laurie were not Vic’s natural children, but he was their dad. They both had drug and anger issues from a young age. I understand little Rose, the youngest, is doing well and is a city attorney in Los Angeles. Truly a tragic tale.
Yeni Marisela Menendez 12:30 pm on February 29, 2020 Permalink |
Wolf wasn’t Vic’s only son and Rose wasn’t his only wife .she was married to him first but Rose had a sister her name is Juanita Priscilla Weiss Vic actually left rose for her sister which made the two sisters disowned each other .Vic and Juanita married moved to Encino and had Gerald Frank Weiss …. But she ended up leaving him and Vic would visit Jerry Weiss on his bday but he didn’t really have a father son relationship with him ….rose knew about Gerald later changed to Jerry Frank Weiss … She knew Vic had a son with her sister but never acknowledge Jerry as Vic’s son …. So at the funeral they had for Vic Jerry was not allowed to sit with rose wolf and the sister she had him sit with the ot immediate family. And even for the will she didn’t want anyone to know about Vic having any other kids but her owns ….. How do I know this story I have two kids with Jerry Frank Weiss and we was sitting watching the news when they announced …. Rose was murdered so I always wondered who they left everything too because Juanita and Jerry never saw anything after Vic’s murder the sisters never again talked .my kids are Isabella Weiss and Daniel Weiss …. Jerry has. NO idea I just left this message …. But it’s not something you want to hold on to….
Yeni Marisela Menendez 6:50 pm on February 29, 2020 Permalink |
Wolf wasn’t Vic’s only son and Rose wasn’t his only wife .she was married to him first but Rose had a sister her name is Juanita Priscilla Weiss Vic actually left rose for her sister which made the two sisters disowned each other .Vic and Juanita married moved to Encino and had Gerald Frank Weiss …. But she ended up leaving him and Vic would visit Jerry Weiss on his bday but he didn’t really have a father son relationship with him ….rose knew about Gerald later changed to Jerry Frank Weiss … She knew Vic had a son with her sister but never acknowledge Jerry as Vic’s son …. So at the funeral they had for Vic Jerry was not allowed to sit with rose wolf and the sister she had him sit with the ot immediate family. And even for the will she didn’t want anyone to know about Vic having any other kids but her owns ….. How do I know this story I have two kids with Jerry Frank Weiss and we was sitting watching the news when they announced …. Rose was murdered so I always wondered who they left everything too because Juanita and Jerry never saw anything after Vic’s murder the sisters never again talked .my kids are Isabella Weiss and Daniel Weiss …. Jerry has. NO idea I just left this message …. But it’s not something you want to hold on to….