131:. At the same inquest, Johnson stated he and Takaoka had been in a relationship for three years, but they could not marry because his estranged wife refused to grant him a divorce. Johnson was indicted on August 20 for the murder of Midi Takaoka and held without bail for trial. During the grand jury hearing, Johnson's confession was read in which he stated he had obtained a butcher knife from his workplace, a restaurant, and sharpened it while praying for strength. After waking Takaoka up in her bedroom the next day, he stated "I couldn't control myself any longer. I struck her many times on the head with a cold chisel and then slashed her across the throat with the butcher knife." Johnson was carrying a hatchet in his suitcase when he turned himself into the police, intending "to give to Hal Takaoka, the dead girl's brother, so that Hal could cut him into little pieces for murdering his sister."
120:
she was now involved with
Bachand. After Bachand asked Takaoka's mother's permission to marry her, the pair traveled to Yuma to marry, but were denied by the authorities there. After returning to Los Angeles on August 10, Bachand testified that Johnson stabbed him five times with an ice pick that night and told him to leave Takaoka's house, where he was staying. Johnson was separated from Bachand by one of Takaoka's brothers, and Takaoka tearfully threatened to leave both men if they continued to fight. Bachand was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for his wounds, and returned to stay at the Takaoka home later that night. The next morning, on August 11, Johnson returned to confront Takaoka, and according to Bachand's recollection, he witnessed Johnson leaving the house at approximately 9 o'clock, followed by Takaoka, who collapsed on the front lawn.
666:"Hal Takaoka, floral designer, brought his wife and daughter to Peoria in December 1943 from Manzanar. Mr. Takaoka formerly lived in Los Angeles. His daughter started kindergarten last year and this year she is in the first grade. I enjoy my work here as a floral designer, said Mr. Takaoka. This is my first job since coming to the Midwest and I have found working and living here pleasant for myself and my family"
116:
Takaoka, he had beaten and stabbed
William J. Bachand with an ice pick, the other man involved in the love triangle. Police were in pursuit of Johnson when the second crime was committed. Johnson turned himself in to the police two days later and confessed to the murder, saying he slashed her throat in a jealous rage after finding her with another Caucasian man.
134:
After his trial and conviction, Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder on
November 30, 1936, with the possibility of parole after five years. For his assault of Bachand, Johnson was also given a mandatory five-year sentence to be served consecutively. Johnson was later paroled in 1948
119:
Bachand had initially met
Takaoka at a bus depot in New York, and he proposed marriage to her two days later with an engagement ring he purchased in St. Louis, even though she was already wearing an engagement ring from Johnson. The pair arrived in Los Angeles on August 7, where Takaoka told Johnson
106:
Imahei
Takaoka (a Christian minister and founder of the Hollywood Japanese Independent Church) and Kazuko Majime. Imahei died young from tuberculosis, leaving the family destitute and their son Hal Takaoka in charge. In their teens Myrtle got into show business as an extra. She convinced her sisters
115:
The Taka
Sisters became nationally recognized but after headlining Harry’s New York Cabaret between 1935-1936 their careers ended abruptly after Midi Takaoka was murdered in Los Angeles at her family home on August 11, 1936 by Raymond Johnson, a jilted lover. The night before Johnson murdered
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summarized as a "tragic tale of the love of two occidentals for a sloe-eyed oriental dancer" and inspired the fate of the character Ida in the novel
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468:"Hal and Myrtle Takaoka, siblings of slain dancer, at a preliminary hearing for their sisters' murder, Los Angeles, 1936"
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on August 14, Bachand testified that he and
Takaoka had tried to marry in California and Arizona, but were denied due to
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692:"Finding Aid for the V. Vale Collection of Search and Destroy and RE/Search Publications Records, 1927-2014 LSC.1858"
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139:. The murder of Midi Takaoka became widely publicized as a racial cautionary tale, which the
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singers and dancers who billed themselves as "the only
Japanese triplets on the stage".
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Myrtle (1916-2011), Midi (1914-1936), and Mary (1912-1991) were the daughters of
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to go into vaudeville as the Taka
Sisters, a risqué act of the time.
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644:"Myrtle Takaoka, 1917 - Manzanar Relocation, WWII POW summary"
222:"A Life Lived: Her story had plenty of drama, Hollywood-style"
623:"Mary Takaoka, 1912 - Jerome Relocation, WWII POW summary"
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while her sister Myrtle and brother Hal spent time in
276:"Japanese actress slain, two white men are involved"
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361:"Court hears confession in Japanese girl death"
328:"Two Love Rings Worn by Slain Japanese Beauty"
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672:. The Regents of the University of California
161:was issued in 1942, Mary Takaoka was sent to
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524:"Slayer of Japanese Actress Given Life"
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597:"Girl's Death Laid to Jealous Swain"
530:. Associated Press. 1 December 1936
195:"Myrtle "Michi" Takaoka Goldfinger"
177:during their internment at Jerome.
422:. Associated Press. 14 August 1936
282:. Associated Press. 12 August 1936
14:
664:Iwasaki, Hikaru (14 March 1945).
549:Davidson, Shayne (30 June 2017).
442:"Read Confessions of Film Slayer"
472:Los Angeles Daily News Negatives
220:Kollenborn, K.P. (March 2011).
694:. Online Archive of California
302:"Slayer of Jap girl confesses"
135:after serving twelve years at
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670:Online Archive of California
416:"Fatal Knifing Blame Placed"
163:Jerome War Relocation Center
720:Japanese-American internees
603:. 20 August 1930. p. 6
253:. 12 August 1936. p. 9
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494:"Held in Death of Actress"
576:"Thinking About Lisa See"
390:"Tragic love told court"
730:American murder victims
601:Spokane Daily Chronicle
504:(86): 2. 17 August 1936
129:anti-miscegenation laws
111:Murder of Midi Takaoka
725:Vaudeville performers
555:Captured and Exposed
251:The Indianapolis Star
173:was born to Mary and
551:"East-West Triangle"
448:. AP. 21 August 1936
159:Executive Order 9066
528:San Bernardino Sun
498:The Shamrock Texan
420:San Bernardino Sun
280:San Bernardino Sun
394:Los Angeles Times
365:Los Angeles Times
141:Los Angeles Times
92:Japanese-American
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199:Find A Grave
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84:Taka Sisters
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62:Past members
48:Years active
20:Taka Sisters
175:Conrad Yama
169:. In 1944,
146:China Dolls
137:San Quentin
98:Early years
68:Myrtle Taka
714:Categories
698:8 February
676:5 February
649:5 February
628:5 February
607:5 February
581:5 February
560:8 February
534:7 February
478:5 February
452:8 February
426:7 February
400:8 February
371:8 February
338:8 February
312:7 February
286:7 February
257:5 February
231:5 February
205:5 February
181:References
88:vaudeville
41:Vaudeville
30:California
123:Before a
74:Mary Taka
71:Midi Taka
508:17 April
247:"Page 9"
167:Manzanar
90:trio of
171:V. Vale
474:. 1936
157:After
37:Genres
26:Origin
104:Nisei
52:1930s
700:2018
678:2016
651:2016
630:2016
609:2016
583:2016
562:2018
536:2018
510:2016
480:2016
454:2018
428:2018
402:2018
373:2018
340:2018
314:2018
288:2018
259:2016
233:2016
207:2016
82:The
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