Dark Facts About Thelma Todd, Hollywood’s Most Notorious Cold Case
Thelma Todd was an unapologetic party girl with an insatiable desire for men who treated her wrong. Then, on December 16, 1935 her maid discovered her lifeless—and elegantly dressed—body curled up in her chocolate-colored Lincoln convertible.
She was just 29 years old. It looked like a simple, tragic, accident—but, as they say in Hollywood, things are rarely what they seem. Let’s let the facts speak for themselves.
1. She Faced An Early Tragedy
It didn’t take long for young Thelma Todd to face tragedy. Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1906, Todd shared a home with her mother, father, and an older brother.
The family bliss shattered when she was four and an unknown accident took her brother's life. Following this heartbreaking loss, Todd grew up an only child. She dreamed of becoming a teacher, and eventually enrolled in teacher's college.
Her mother, however, had other dreams in mind.
2. It Was Mom’s Idea
Todd’s mother, Alice Elizabeth Edwards, wasn’t on board with Todd becoming a teacher. She believed she saw something in Todd that her daughter couldn’t see—and it was something that could make the family stinking rich.
Because of Todd’s beauty, Edwards pushed her daughter into a career in modeling.
It was a bit of a role reversal: Todd wanted the predictable life of a teacher, while her mother wanted something more exciting—and lucrative—for her daughter. But if you think Mom was a handful, you should meet Dad.
3. He Was Distant
Though reports of John Shaw Todd are spotty at best, they don't exactly paint him in the best light. Some say that he was a corrupt politician and a cold, distant father.
Some stories are even worse, with claims of abuse loud enough that they featured in the movie about Thelma Todd's life. An abusive, distant, and possibly corrupt father would certainly set up Todd for the kind of men she would pursue later in life.
Unfortunately, that would turn out to be her downfall.
4. She Was A Miss Times Two
Thelma Todd was trying to balance her life. She was following her dreams of becoming a teacher while also trying to keep her mother happy by finding work and extra cash as a model.
Modeling led to beauty pageants, and soon she had received two titles: Miss Lawrence, for her hometown, and Miss Massachusetts, for the entire state.
Next stop was the national stage—and that's where an audience member stepped up and changed Todd’s life forever.
