Margaret Gibson did she or didn’t she?

There was nothing simple about Margaret “Gibby” Gibson the former silent film actress that lived her later years in virtual obscurity then confessing to the murder of Director William Desmond Taylor on her deathbed.

During her Hollywood years she was friendly with thieves,drug dealers and blackmailers. She was relatively unnoticed as long as she stayed ahead of the law but the times the law caught up with her she would change her stage name and continue to act. She was arrested in A Chinatown brothel in 1917 she changed her name to Patricia Palmer and continued to act. She was arrested for suspicion of being part of a blackmailing ring in 1923 now known as Pat Lewis. 

Margaret’s career was over with the advent of the talkies, she used at least 5 other aliases throughout her life but settling on Pat Lewis. 

Margaret worked with William Desmond Taylor in 4 shorts in 1914. He was the new actor in town then. 

Al Christie gave Gibby her big break in 1917. He signed her to a contract 

 

She worked out the year with Christie but after the scandal in Chinatown she was released and was picked up by Vitagraph as Patricia Palmer. She went back to Christie Studios for a short time in 1920 got involved in a extortion scheme, married twice the first marriage ended in divorce and her marriage to Elbert Edgar Lewis who was the love of her life ended when he passed away in April 1942. 

In her final years Gibby lived in a small bungalow on Gordon Street in the heart of Hollywood and went by Ella M. Arce then after she became single again she bought a little home in the Hills above Hollywood overlooking Beachwood. She was known to her neighbors as Pat Lewis. 

Pat’s neighbors the longs said she was reclusive to the extreme. She allowed vegetation to totally obscure her home. She went out only for doctors appointments and vet appointments for her cat and had her groceries delivered. 

Pat suffered a Heart Attack on October 21,1964 before she died she confessed to her neighbors that she was a silent screen actress and that she murdered William Desmond Taylor. She told them that when Authorities were closing in on her she left the country. 

She did travel to Singapore in 1935. 

She never gave a motive

Why would she confess to a crime she didn’t commit?

Top taylorologists have ruled Gibby out as the murderer. 

So did she or didn’t she? You be the judge!