When people search for Sharon Gebenini, they usually want to know who she was beyond the headlines around John Holmes. She was not a celebrity by choice. She was a nurse, a wife, and later an important witness in one of Los Angeles’ most shocking true-crime stories.
Quick Bio of Sharon Ann Gebenini
| Bio Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sharon Ann Gebenini |
| Also Known As | Sharon Holmes / Sharon Gebenini Holmes |
| Birth Date | June 11, 1943 |
| Birth Place | Renton, Washington, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Pediatric Nurse |
| Nursing School | L.A. County School of Nursing |
| Husband | John Curtis Holmes |
| Marriage Years | 1965–1984 |
| Children | None (miscarriages reported) |
| Known For | Being John Holmes’ ex-wife and a key witness in Wonderland murders history |
| Death | October 28, 2012, Haines, Oregon, age 69 |
Early life in Washington and abroad
Sharon Gebenini was born on June 11, 1943, in Renton, Washington. Her parents were Roy Gebenini and Betty Ann (Wilson) Gebenini. As a child, she spent a lot of time with her grandmother Hattie Wilson, who was married to Renton’s mayor. These family ties gave her a stable base early on.
Her father served in the U.S. Army, so the family moved often. During her teen years they lived in Germany, where she attended high school. Living in another country at a young age helped her become independent and careful, traits that later showed in her work and personal decisions.
Nursing school and a life of care
After returning to the United States, Sharon Gebenini settled in California. She studied nursing in Los Angeles and graduated from a county nursing program. She chose pediatrics, meaning she worked mainly with children. Friends and later memorial notes describe her as calm, gentle, and very committed to patients.
She worked for a pediatric doctor in Glendale, California, taking care of babies and young kids. She also helped new nurses learn the job. For many years, her nursing salary was the most stable income in her home. This is important, because it shows she was a responsible adult even when people around her were not.
Meeting John Holmes
In late 1964, Sharon Gebenini met John Curtis Holmes in Los Angeles. He was then an ambulance driver. She worked at a hospital as a nurse. They started dating quickly, and one year later they decided to marry. By all accounts, this was a normal young couple at the start, with big hopes for the future.
They married in August 1965 in the Monterey / Fort Ord area of California. After the wedding she sometimes used the name Sharon Holmes, which is why searches like sharon gebenini holmes or john holmes sharon gebenini appear online.
Marriage years: love, work, and strain
For the first years of marriage, Sharon Gebenini focused on building a home. She worked long shifts and helped pay rent and bills. The couple also managed apartments for extra money. She believed in a stable, quiet life.
John, however, was pulled toward a very different world. Through the late 1960s and 1970s he entered the adult film industry and became famous. Sources say he first hid this job from her, but later told her it was his path. She did not join that industry; she stayed in nursing and tried to keep daily life normal.
Public searches and the porn confusion
Many people now type searches like sharon gebenini porn or sharon gebenini nude. Reliable records do not show that she acted in adult films or posed nude. Those terms exist only because of her husband’s fame and the public’s confusion. She was a private person and a medical worker, not a performer.
John’s career also created the idea that she lived in the spotlight. In reality, she spent most of her days working with patients, not with cameras. Her connection to that industry was personal, not professional.
No children and personal loss
The couple never had children. In interviews later used by writers, Sharon Gebenini said she had several miscarriages early in the marriage. This was a deep personal sadness for her. Other accounts also suggest John may have been unable to have children. Whatever the medical reason, the result was the same: they did not become parents together.
Without children, their bond depended on trust and shared values. As John’s lifestyle changed, that trust broke more and more. He became involved in heavy drug use and many relationships outside the marriage.
Separation and divorce
By the late 1970s, the marriage was mostly a legal link, not a real partnership. Sharon Gebenini lived a working, quiet life. John spent long periods away with other partners and friends from the drug scene. Still, the divorce did not happen immediately. They finally divorced in 1984.
This long gap shows how complex their relationship was. She cared about him, but she also saw his dangerous choices. Her later statements suggest she felt both love and fear, and she did not want to be fully pulled into his world.
The Wonderland murders connection
The biggest reason people remember Sharon Gebenini today is the Wonderland murders. On July 1, 1981, four people were killed at a drug house on Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. The victims were Ron Launius, Billy Deverell, Joy Miller, and Barbara Richardson. One woman, Susan Launius, survived but with life-changing injuries.
Police found John Holmes’ palm print at the scene. They believed he helped the attackers enter the house, possibly under pressure from nightclub owner Eddie Nash. John was tried for murder in 1982 but was found not guilty. The case remains officially unsolved.
What Sharon said John told her
Soon after the murders, Sharon Gebenini gave a short newspaper interview saying John knew the people in that house and had been there before. She did not share full details at that time. Years later, after John died, she spoke more openly.
In a major 1988 report, she said John came to her home hours after the killings with blood on his clothes. As a trained nurse, she checked him and told him the blood was not from any injury he had. She said he then admitted he had brought three men to the house, helped them get inside, and watched the attack. She said he never told her the men’s names.
This account is why her name appears in true-crime books and documentaries. She was not accused of any crime. She was a witness to a confession, and her words shaped how people understand the event.
Life after John Holmes
After the divorce and John’s death from AIDS complications in March 1988, Sharon Gebenini stayed away from Hollywood. She continued to work and live quietly. She did not seek fame, and she rarely gave interviews except when asked about the murders or John’s life.
She appears as an interview subject in the documentary Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes. She is also quoted in books about him and about the adult film era. In these works, she is shown as a steady, honest voice in contrast to John’s chaos.
Health, death, and memorials
Searches such as sharon gebenini died and sharon gebenini cause of death lead to her obituary pages. Public memorials state she died on October 28, 2012, in Haines, Oregon, at age 69. They praise her nursing career, her love for children and animals, and her willingness to help anyone in need.
The obituary does not list a clear official cause of death. Some later biographical notes say she faced cancer and intensive treatment before passing away. But because no formal medical statement is public, it is best to say only that she died after serious illness.
Did she have a Wikipedia page?
Many people look for sharon gebenini wikipedia. At this time, she does not have a full standalone Wikipedia article. She is mentioned inside pages about John Holmes and the Wonderland murders. That is why most online information about her is tied to those topics, not to her nursing life.
Clearing up common myths
Because her husband was famous, the internet created many wrong stories about her. Some sites claim Sharon Gebenini was part of porn scenes or that she wanted fame. There is no solid proof of that. Every reliable source describes her as a nurse who stayed outside that industry. The confusion comes from mixing her name with John’s movies.
Another myth is that Sharon Gebenini disappeared after the murders. In reality, she kept working and living normally, just far from cameras. She spoke only when it helped explain the truth about the case or her marriage. This quiet choice is part of why people respect her memory today.
Why her story matters
It is easy to see Sharon Gebenini only as “John Holmes’ ex-wife.” But her story is bigger. She represents the quiet people who live beside fame and addiction, trying to hold onto normal life. She worked hard, cared for others, and never chased attention. Her nursing career helped many families in real ways.
Her witness statements also matter for history. The Wonderland case might have been forgotten or misunderstood without her account. By telling what she knew, she helped the public see the human cost behind the headlines and the way drug violence ruins lives.
Key facts at a glance
Sharon Gebenini was born in 1943 in Washington, became a pediatric nurse in California, and married John Holmes in 1965. She lived through his rise in adult films and his fall into drugs. They had no children and divorced in 1984. She later reported his confession about the Wonderland murders. She died in Oregon in 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Who was Sharon Gebenini?
She was an American pediatric nurse and the first wife of John Holmes. - Was Sharon Gebenini in porn movies?
No. Sharon Gebenini was not a porn actress; her link to porn was only through Holmes. - What was her role in the Wonderland murders story?
She shared what John Holmes confessed to her about the Wonderland murders. - Did Sharon Gebenini have children?
No. She and Holmes never had children, and she suffered miscarriages early in marriage. - When did Sharon Gebenini die?
She died on October 28, 2012, in Haines, Oregon; the exact public cause is not confirmed.
Final thoughts
Today, interest in Sharon Gebenini comes from curiosity about the past. People want to understand how a nurse from a quiet background became connected to a famous adult star and a brutal crime. When we look closely, we see a woman who stayed grounded in care and truth. Her life is a reminder that even in dark stories, there are people trying to do the right thing.
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