The Chilling Halloween Night Murder of Peter Fabiano
Halloween night is supposed to be a time for tricks, treats, and innocent fun. But on October 31, 1957, one seemingly routine knock on the door in Los Angeles turned into a real-life nightmare. Peter Fabiano, a husband, father, and owner of a successful beauty salon, opened his door that evening, unaware that what awaited him wasn’t a typical trick-or-treater, but cold-blooded murder.
The Night of the Crime
It was just past 11 PM when Fabiano’s wife, Betty, heard the doorbell ring. Peter answered, expecting late-night trick-or-treaters. Instead, a figure stood at the door dressed in a mask, aiming a paper bag toward him. Without warning, a shot rang out. Peter collapsed, and his life was over in an instant. The shooter fled into the night, leaving behind a shocked neighborhood and a grieving wife.
A Case of Jealousy and Deception
It wasn’t long before investigators began to uncover a tangled web of secrets, betrayal, and forbidden love. Betty Fabiano revealed to police that her husband had a falling out with a woman named Joan Rabel, a photographer with a peculiar interest in their marriage.
As detectives dug deeper, they discovered that Rabel harbored romantic feelings for Betty and was intensely jealous of Peter’s role in her life. Rabel recruited her friend, a troubled woman named Goldeen Pizer, to carry out the murder. Pizer, captivated by Rabel’s manipulation, agreed to pull the trigger. On that fateful night, Pizer donned the disguise of a trick-or-treater and shot Peter Fabiano at point-blank range.
Justice for Peter Fabiano
The case shocked Los Angeles, not only for the brutal nature of the crime but also for the motive behind it—a twisted love triangle culminating in murder. Both Rabel and Pizer were eventually caught and confessed to their roles in the killing. In 1958, they were convicted of second-degree murder, with both women sentenced to prison.
To this day, Peter Fabiano’s murder serves as a reminder of how jealousy, manipulation, and obsession can spiral into unimaginable violence.
If you're fascinated by true crime stories like this, be sure to listen to our latest episode of Hitched 2 Homicide, where we delve even deeper into the plans of Joan Rabel to win back the affections of Betty Fabiano.
Sources used for this podcast:
The Valley Times. (1957, November 1). [Newspaper image]. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/381283407/
The Los Angeles Times. (1957, November 2). [Newspaper image]. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/694255162/
The Los Angeles Times. (1957, November 1). [Newspaper image]. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/694200517/
Hay, M. (2016, October 31). The bizarre lesbian murder scandal that rocked 1950s LA. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-bizarre-lesbian-murder-scandal-that-rocked-1950s-la/
True Crime Tales. (2021, October 31). The trick-or-treat murder. Medium. https://medium.com/@truecrimetales/the-trick-or-treat-murder-6f2c40adf5fc
The Wicked Truth. (2022, October 31). The spooky trick-or-treat murder of 1957. Medium. https://medium.com/the-wicked-truth/the-spooky-trick-or-treat-murder-of-1957-3d26acfc3666
Deranged LA Crimes. (n.d.). Peter Fabiano. https://derangedlacrimes.com/?tag=peter-fabiano
Krajicek, D. J. (2008, March 25). The trick-or-treat murder. New York Daily News. https://www.nydailynews.com/2008/03/25/the-trick-or-treat-murder/
Crime+Investigation. (n.d.). Murder on Halloween: The trick-or-treat slaying. https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/murder-halloween-trick-or-treat-slaying
Italo. (n.d.). Calabria, Italy: A complete travel guide. https://blog.italotreno.com/en/travel-ideas/calabria-italy-a-complete-travel-guide/
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Calabria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabria
Los Angeles Public Library. (n.d.). Peter Fabiano murder case [Photograph]. Tessa Digital Collections. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/128975
Citations:
Photos and Video Clips
The Jetsons | 1962 | S1 E1 | Test Pilot| Disney General Entertainment Content (Disney Entertainment) | ABC |Blue Network
Blind Date | 1987 | TriStar Pictures
You Don't Mess with the Zohan | 2008 | Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Mad Men | S7 E12 | Lost Horizon | AMC
Schitts Creek | 2015 | S3 E19 | Rooms by the Hour | CBC Television
The Simpsons | S3 E19 | Dog of Death | FOX
Batman and Robin | S2 E 20 | The Cat's Meow | Greenway Productions, 20th Century-Fox Television
The Godfather | 1972 | Paramount Pictures, FilmFlex
Perry Mason | 1957 | S2 E29 | The Case of the Dubious Brigadoon | CBS
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
All information contained in this video presentation is provided for entertainment purposes only. The authors leave any and all conclusions to individual members of the audience. The author offers no statements of fact beyond those available through diligent private research or through information freely available in the public record. To the extent that pending or settled criminal matters or crime or possible crimes, are discussed in this video presentation. All parties or defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. To the extent that any pending or settle civil matters are discussed in this video presentation, all parties or defendants are presumed not liable unless proven liable in a court of law. Copyright for material incorporated and presented under Fair Use is retained by the original author or copyright holder where applicable. Our cases are researched using open source and archive materials, and the subjects are real crimes and people. We strive to produce each episode with respect to the victims, their families and loved ones. At Hitched 2 Homicide we are committed to always discussing how victims lived, and not just how they died. All podcast information is gleaned from sources given. All opinions in the podcast are solely of Hitched 2 Homicide and are for entertainment purposes only.
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