So, the James Ellroy thread got me thinking the we should try to create a reading list of true crime books that we think others on the board might enjoy. Everyone can contribute, and we can even write reviews of books that we have read. They don't have to be books specifically about UM cases, but that would be a plus.

Weirdly enough, I used to read non-fiction children's books about missing persons cases when I was a kid, but I've never picked up a true crime book as an adult. I'm starting by putting a copy of Ellroy's "My Dark Places" on hold at the local library.

Awsome thread idea! :D

Two books about UM stories that I have read and really enjoyed are:

"The Deaths of Cindy James" by Neal Hall. Its goes into a lot of detail about all the instances of harassment reported by Cindy and also goes into detail about Cindy's ex-husband and his weird behavior. I still don't understand why UM never pursued that angle.

"A Beautiful Child" by Matt Birkbeck about Sharon Marshall and Franklin Delano Floyd. Very haunting and heartbreaking. Sharon seemed like such a bright girl with so much potential even after being raised in the environment she was. What a tragic end to a sad life. :(

Wasn't there a story about Bobbie Parker and Randolf Dial? Also, I remember somebody mentioning an Amy Billig (sp?) story?

Two books about UM stories that I have read and really enjoyed are:

"The Deaths of Cindy James" by Neal Hall. Its goes into a lot of detail about all the instances of harassment reported by Cindy and also goes into detail about Cindy's ex-husband and his weird behavior. I still don't understand why UM never pursued that angle.

"A Beautiful Child" by Matt Birkbeck about Sharon Marshall and Franklin Delano Floyd. Very haunting and heartbreaking. Sharon seemed like such a bright girl with so much potential even after being raised in the environment she was. What a tragic end to a sad life. :(


What about Ian Mulgrew's "who Killed Cindy James"? That is the only book on the case that I have read. I liked at alot. It is now one of my favorite books. Did you read that one? How did you find a copy of Neal Hall's book? As I am aware, it is out of print. I got the copy of WKCJ from an interlibrary loan. What was the UM story featured in the other book you mentioned? The names don't ring a bell.

Yeah there was a book about Parker and Dial that was mentioned on AMW. In fact, as I said earlier, in Novemeber of 2001 when the author was writing the book he received a call from Dial himself. Unfortunately I don't recall the book's title. I am not sure about anything on the Amy Billig story.

In John Walsh's 2001 "Public Enemies" he mentions people like the SLA and Ira Einhorn, and also refering to another two publications about the later, William Irwin Thompsom's "At the Edge of History" and Steven Levy's "The Unicorn's Secret:Murder in the Age of Aquarius". Levy appeared on the segment about Einhorn.

If there are any other books on some good cases I'd love to know.

So I finally finished My Dark Places by James Ellroy. I had not realized that the book was actually written AFTER Ellroy appeared on UM; therefore, he writes about his UM experience of filming and viewing the segment, as well as the tips resulting from the segment. His account of his UM participation is actually one of the few fun, light-hearted spots in a very dark and disturbing book. I suggest you check it out, even if it's just to read the few pages about the UM experience.

Ellroy is brutally honest about his own life, his mother's life, and his feelings about his mother. Let's just say, it's more candid than I would ever be if I were writing a book about my life. I think the most compelling part of the book is what he went through as a young man after his mother's death.

Anyways, if anybody else here has read the book, I'd be really interested in hearing about what you thought.

I am a huge fan of true crime books. This was a fabulous thread! Now there are some more novels to add to my collection....

Sorry Metal Hybrid, I didn't notice your questions to me until this thread was bumped back up. To answer your questions, I got the Neal Hall book somewhere on the net (its been a few years so I don't remember exactly where). You can actually find it several places on the net but here is one I found:
http://timsbookexchange.com/catalogue.phtml

Secondly, "A Beautiful Child" book concerns the UM segment about Franklin Delano Floyd and was interviewed from prison in the segment. He abducted a little boy (Michael Hughes) from his classroom and also the principal whom he tied to a tree before taking off with Michael. Michael was never seen again. He claimed he was Michael's father but dna tests proved otherwise. Michael's mother was "Sharon Hughes" (she went by a lot of aliases-no one's sure of her true name). She was killed earlier in a suspicious hit and run with Floyd as the prime suspect. She had been with Floyd since she was little and initially he claimed she was his daughter but when she was a teenager he turned around and married her! Anyway a very interesting book.

"The Deaths of Cindy James" by Neal Hall. Its goes into a lot of detail about all the instances of harassment reported by Cindy and also goes into detail about Cindy's ex-husband and his weird behavior. I still don't understand why UM never pursued that angle.

Well, one has to wonder whether the situation involving Cindy's ex-husband was publicly known before UM aired the segment. That's a common factor in what the media tells or doesn't tell you. Maybe I'm missing something, but could it be that the cops suspected the ex-husband, but kept their suspicions to themselves (even from UM) due to a lack of evidence? This is just a thought.

I've expressed this type of idea on other cases. You see, I have learned that there are cases in which cops are quiet about their suspicions of someone, and there are two good reasons for that situation:

1) If you have the right guy, you want to keep the media away from him. That way, the suspect is less likely to be cautious, and more likely to make a mistake that will give him away.

2) If you have the wrong guy, then you haven't vilified an innocent person.

As someone who read both books about the Cindy James case, I think Neal Hall's is the better version. He goes more in order from start to beginning and looks at the harrasment from both angles; suicide AND murder. Ian Mulgrew's book hints more towards suicide and goes into too much detail about Cindy's family history. I got the Neal Hall book online a couple years ago for just $2.00. I went to some true crime book web site, can't remember what it was called exactly.

Has anyone read the book about Anita Green's murder? It was written by Michelle Sammit who was interviewed in the UM segment. I think it was called "No Santuary," or something. I'd like to get a copy of that.

Has anyone read the book about Anita Green's murder? It was written by Michelle Sammit who was interviewed in the UM segment. I think it was called "No Santuary," or something. I'd like to get a copy of that.

No, I haven't read it. By the way, the full title of the book is No Sanctuary: The True Story of a Rabbi's Deadly Affair. If you should search the author's name through any search engine (such as Google), you should type in "Michele Samit". That's the actual spelling of her name (both first name and last name).

For the UM reading list:

Check out "Murderers Among Us" by Stephen G. Michaud, and Hugh Aynesworth.

It covers a lot of cases that have been on UM including Jeeves/Korper, Oberholzter/Schnee "orange socks" murders, Tanya Van Culenbord/Jay Cook double homicide, Ed Baker, Ralph Probst, McCorkendale, Richard Bocklage, Larry George, and William Jordan/Ted Anthony Prevatte.

For the UM reading list:

Check out "Murderers Among Us" by Stephen G. Michaud, and Hugh Aynesworth.

It covers a lot of cases that have been on UM including Jeeves/Korper, Oberholzter/Schnee "orange socks" murders, Tanya Van Culenbord/Jay Cook double homicide, Ed Baker, Ralph Probst, McCorkendale, Richard Bocklage, Larry George, and William Jordan/Ted Anthony Prevatte.

Justin5256, when you mentioned the last name of McCorkendale, were you referring to Dwayne McCorkendale, who was shot to death at an Oklahoma truck stop in 1988?

By the way the book you mentioned, Murderers Among Us, seems familiar. In fact, my local library had that book. When I worked there in the early 1990s, I happened to notice it. I remembered that it listed numerous cases that had been featured on UM, including the murders, including the murders of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg (the actual spelling of her last name). I don't know if the library still has that book, but I'll be sure to check the next time I happen to be there.

I actually mentioned that book at this message board, a few months ago. That was when I learned that it discussed the 1981 murders of Roxann Jo Jeeves and her son five-year-old son Kristopher Korper. Even though I saw that UM segment only once (and, to my knowledge, was never rerun on Lifetime), it was an eerie case, in part because the day of the murders, December 23, 1981, just happened to be Kristopher Korper's fifth birthday! It was also just two days before Christmas.

I have to tell you the truth, for years, I have been hoping that someone who worked on UM would produce a book, recalling some of the significant cases UM profiled (just like how John Walsh highlighted the America's Most Wanted cases that mattered to him in his 1998 book, No Mercy). I don't know if it will ever happen, but one thing is for sure: it wouldn't hurt to give it a chance.

I'm not sure if the following books specifically qualify as "true crime," but I thought I'd throw them in. These are the best books I have ever read regarding the CIA and how it operates. They have all been heavily suppressed, are hard to find, and when they are found may be expensive to purchase. None of them are difficult reads and they are all very, very fascinating.


CIA Diary - Inside the Company, by Philip Agee - easiest to find of the three, first printings are the best
The Third Option, by Ted Shackley - a true treasure-trove of CIA information, expensive.
The Secret Team, Third Edition by L. Fletcher Prouty - probably best of the bunch, deeply suppressed, expensive.

I have mentioned this before on other threads, so forgive me for repeating but the book title 'The Murder of Lil Miss' (Lisa Marie Kimmell) is also now available. Many UM fans having been following her case for years. I wrote the book to hopefully answer the many questions we have been asked over the years. This book is somewhat different than most true crime books because it is told in first person, from my experiences not an out side, thrid persons point of view. And for that reason it makes it a little more difficult to read from an emotional point of view. I did hire an author to help me write the book because I was too emotionally connected and she was able to offer some "out side" objectivity from a readers point of view. For example, when she thought it was important to include the back ground and profile of Lisa's murderer, I told her I didn't give a damn about him nor did I want to devote any part of my book to him. So, I assigned that portion of the book to her. But anyway, if you have questions about the book, please let me know.

Sheila Kimmell

Thanks for adding your book and its description, Mrs. Kimmell. I was hoping you would! No worries about redundancy...I was thinking of going through old posts and gathering lists of books that way, but it would just take to much time.

Ouphe, since I started watching the tv show "Alias" a few years ago, I've been interested in the CIA. It would be interesting to find out more about the real thing.

And thanks to everyone else who has posted. Keem them coming!

Justin5256, when you mentioned the last name of McCorkendale, were you referring to Dwayne McCorkendale, who was shot to death at an Oklahoma truck stop in 1988?

Correct.


I actually mentioned that book at this message board, a few months ago. That was when I learned that it discussed the 1981 murders of Roxann Jo Jeeves and her son five-year-old son Kristopher Korper. Even though I saw that UM segment only once (and, to my knowledge, was never rerun on Lifetime), it was an eerie case, in part because the day of the murders, December 23, 1981, just happened to be Kristopher Korper's fifth birthday! It was also just two days before Christmas.

Actually, I picked up the book after reading your post about the Korper and Jeeves murders. I had the pleasure of seeing the Unsolved Mysteries segment about their deaths on DVDR recently, and I can tell you that the book did leave out some details that shed more light on a specific suspect named "G-man" (George Washington Hicks, I presume), and also more details about Roxanne's brother's drug activities.

The book also has a chapter about the attempted murder of mayor Eugene Bailey - a story seldom seen on Lifetime.

I'll add a book I've mentioned a few times; "D.B. Cooper: The Real McCoy," by Bernie Rhodes. I got it through the University of Utah Press, which originally published it in the early '90s, for about $18.

This book details the connection between convicted skyjacker Richard Floyd McCoy and the legendary D.B. Cooper incident five months earlier. You think you can find virtually anything on the internet but this book certifies that's nonsense. The McCoy-as-Cooper specifics are pathetically absent from the internet. They are detailed in this book.

I had a lengthy thread on this topic a year or two ago here. I don't blame the skeptics because the public in general is more comfortable with an elusive legend like D.B. Cooper, instead of the very tame story of one guy commiting two skyjackings and getting caught after the second one. There is also one oldtimer FBI guy who goes around on talk shows and says McCoy was placed in Los Angeles at the time of the Cooper skyjacking. It's blatant nonsense. Even McCoy didn't claim to be in Los Angeles. His disproven alibi was he was with his family in Provo. Phone records and gas receipts place McCoy in Las Vegas, where he theoretically flew to Portland to begin the D.B. Cooper event.

I would reccomend "The Shadow Of Death' by Phillip E Ginsburg-the book chronicles the search of a serial killer.The real-life detective work of New Hampshire and Vermont investigators is detailed as they work to solve a truly baffling case.In Springfield,Vermont 3 young girls were murdered from 1979-1983. That killer was brought to justice and is currently serving time.The investigation of this case is only part of this book.What makes this real-life case truly unique is while the killings were happening in Vermont,just across the river in New Hampshire ,another serial killer was at work murdering young women.The book mainly focuses on these cases in great detail.Of all the attacks,only one victim survived.Her case was profiled on 'Unsolved Mysteries" and the TV series re-enactment is mentioned in the book.Despite all the publicity ,the case is still an Unsolved Mystery.

"Murder in Greenwich" (The Martha Moxley case) by Mark Furman was an awesome read. It was published a couple of years before Michael Skakel was arrested and tried but he was right on the money with his theory.

I also like anything by Ann Rice.

A question for you guys. In the Aimee Willard case it appears that they show the cover of a book with a picture of Aimee on the cover and the title "Twists & Turns". I haven't been able to find mention of this book anywhere on the net. Does anyone know if there really was a book written about her or if what I saw may have been a newspaper article or something like that?

I also like anything by Ann Rice.


Oops, I meant Ann Rule.

A question for you guys. In the Aimee Willard case it appears that they show the cover of a book with a picture of Aimee on the cover and the title "Twists & Turns". I haven't been able to find mention of this book anywhere on the net. Does anyone know if there really was a book written about her or if what I saw may have been a newspaper article or something like that?

Where did you see this title? Was it in the UM segment itself? If so, then it couldn't have been a book. When the show profiled the case midway through the 1996-97 season, it still had been less than a year since Aimee's murder (she was murdered in June 1996). Therefore, the case was a bit too recent to have been the subject of a book.

Yes, it was in the UM segment itself. It was shown during the interview with the reporter (a female, I don't remember her name) so initially I just assumed she had written a book about the case but I haven't been able to find it so maybe it was just the cover page of a newspaper article that they showed.

I've read The Deaths of Cindy James and No Sanctuary, two books that others have mentioned. Here are a few other books:

Monster, by Steve Jackson, is about Tom Luther, a man many investigators believe killed Bobbie Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee. The book is actually more about solving the murder of Cher Elder, but Oberholtzer and Schnee are mentioned several times.

Finding Susan is about the disappearance of Susan Harrison. Her husband, Jim, was suspected in the disappearance, although he was never charged. Susan's remains were found later. The book is written by Susan's sister, Molly Hurley Moran.

I forgot one: Stalemate by John Philpin, which is about Tim Bindner, a suspect in the abduction of Amber Schwartz and other young girls in California.

I forgot one: Stalemate by John Philpin, which is about Tim Bindner, a suspect in the abduction of Amber Schwartz and other young girls in California.

Ooohh...thanks for this suggestion! That guy totally freaks me out, and I've been wanting to read more about those cases. Do you think he's involved?

Do you think he's involved?

Yes, I do. The book talks about some pretty creepy behavior.

I'm currently reading a book titled "Wanted For Murder" by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth and it profiles several murder cases where the perpetrators (at the time anyway) were on the run. It does profile a few UM cases such as Rick Church, Greg Webb and Leo Koury. It is good reading and I got it on Amazon for a whopping 1 cent plus shipping. :)

Remember the 1992 segment about Colleen Reed? She was the one who was abducted from a Texas car wash on December 29, 1991. Her case was discussed in two books about her murderer, serial killer Kenneth McDuff: No Remorse and Bad Boy From Rosebud.

No Remorse was written by Bob Stewart. Bad Boy From Rosebud was written by Gary Lavergne, and is the more updated of the two books. NR was published in 1996 (at the time, McDuff was still residing on death row, and Colleen's body had not yet been found), and BBFR was published in 1999, one year after the recovery Colleen's remains and McDuff's date with the needle.

I don't have either book, so I have never read either one of them. But I know that the McDuff case was an eye-opener. In fact, Kenneth McDuff is one of the reasons why I support the death penalty.

This is not about an unsolved case, but I thought it was fascinating enough to discuss....

I recently watched the Peter Jackson movie "Heavenly Creatures" starring Kate Winslet. If you haven't seen it, it's based on the true story of two teenage girls, Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, in 1950s New Zealand who form a very "intense" friendship. When threatened with separation, the two girls plot to murder Pauline's mother. They carried out the gruesome murder and were sentenced to prison; however, they were released after five years due to their ages.

I'd definitely recommend the movie...it's beautiful, dark, and horrifying. The whole story has a very strange footnote, however, because it was discovered shortly before the release of "Heavenly Creatures" that the successful British crime novelist, Anne Perry, was actually Juliet Hulme. Here's a link to the story:

http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Heritage/ParkerHulme/Page27.asp

I believe there are some books out there about the Parker-Hulme case. I was wondering if any of you had read them, or read any of Anne Perry's novels.

I discovered another book that discusses Colleen Reed: Debating the Death Penalty, by Hugo Bedau and Paul Cassell. It describes arguments for and against capital punishment. I don't have the book, but I spotted it in a book store, and discovered a chapter entitled "In Defense of the Death Penalty." That chapter mentions the Colleen Reed case, and has a picture of her. It goes without saying that the chapter cites McDuff as a reason to argue in favor of the death penalty.

So I just finished reading a really interesting book called Sunk Without a Sound by Brad Dimock. It's about the legend of Glen and Bessie Hyde who disappeared while running the Grand Canyon on their honeymoon. You'll remember from the UM segment that a woman came forward years later and confessed that she was really Bessie Hyde and had murdered her abusive husband to escape the Grand Canyon. Also, a body had been found on the property of Emery Kolb, one of the last people to see the couple alive.

The really interesting part of the book for me is that the author is quite critical of the UM segment on the disappearence. UM seemed to be more interested in perpetuating the myth of murder on the Grand Canyon than clearing it up. The woman who claimed to be Bessie Hyde was still alive at the time and could have been contacted easily. The woman definitely was not Bessie Hyde. Those who were there for her "confession" felt it was obvious that she was pulling their leg and didn't even give it a second thought. Research into Glen Hyde's background showed that he was not abusive and brutish as the UM segment portrayed, but a loving person and very respectful of women. In fact, his living relatives were not happy with the way he was portrayed.

I'm just surprised that many of the big questions UM presented could have been cleared up with a minimal amount of research. Also, they had a lot of basic facts about the couple mixed up (e.g., their ages). Such shoddy work from UM? I know we've talked about this in respect to other specific cases (such as the Clifford Sherwood case), but how endemic is this quality issue?

One I would recommend is The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Kevin Poulsen by Jonathan Littman. Every other chapter tells a little about Poulsen's personal life and every other tells about the hacks he was involved in. Very interesting read.....I found that one hard to put aside. Apparently he is now reformed and a 'law-abiding' citizen.

On another note, I've also read More Alive Than Ever: Always, Karen by Jeanne Walker. Very touching story with Karen Walker's biography, her struggle with the cancer that claimed her life AND how Jeanne Walker communicates with her daughter in the afterlife and Karen's experiences in the afterlife.

This is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of A Serial Killer by Michael Kelleher probes deep into the type of personality Zodiac might have been. I say might have because of course, the Zodiac was never caught so we don't know for sure, but nonetheless, alot of interesting theories and speculation. Speculation of where Zodiac may have grown up due to no evidence of an accent on the phone with dispatchers on the West Coast; when he might've been born; what type of background he might've had, etc.
The author also examines the letters and tries to decipher what they mean psychologically, as well. Great speculation book.

Of course, a few of the books on the Men In Black are good reading, as well.

1. Mystery of the Men In Black: The UFO Silencers by Timothy Green Beckley

2. Case book on the Men In Black by Jim Keith

3. The Truth Behind Men In Black: Government Agents-Or Visitors From Beyond by Jenny Randles

I could go on and on....but there's a few good reads anyway.

Cheers

Greetings,

Here is ten more books for a UM Fan's Reading List:

1. The Boston Stranglers by Susan Kelly

Probes deeply into the idea that there was not just one Boston Strangler, but many. All leads into these 'other' suspects were dropped when DeSalvo confessed.

2. Sleeping with the Devil by Suzanne Finstad

Details the lives and relationship of Barbra Piotrowski and Richard Minns. On the surface, they seemed to have it all, but beneath a storm was brewing.

3. The Deaths of Cindy James by Neal Hall

4. Who Killed Cindy James by Ian Mulgrew

5. Unabomber: A Desire to Kill by Robert Graysmith

Same author who wrote 'Zodiac' and 'Zodiac Unmasked' and who is also an expert on Zodiac.

6. We Only Kill Each Other: The Incredible Story of Bugsy Siegal-Mobster by Dean Jennings

Insight into Bugsy's life.

7. DB Cooper: What Really Happened by Max Gunther

A woman who claims she met the hi-jacker after he landed and documents their apparent lives after the sky-jacking. This is a story of 'Clara', a woman who reportedly fell in love with 'Dan Leclair', the supposed 'DB Cooper'. After the hi-jacking. What was Cooper's life like before the hi-jacking? What inspired him to commit the act? and What became of him after? You can believe this one if you want or take it with a grain of salt.

8. The Ultimate Evil by Maury Terry

A good speculation book, indeed. Examines a possible cult connected from Coast to Coast involved in slayings in California and the famous 'Son of Sam' killings. Suggests, like the UM segment, that maybe in fact Berkowitz did NOT act alone and he was apart of a grander conspiracy known as the Process.

9. Torso: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run by Steven Nickel

I take it MOST of us have seen the Strange Legends segment titled 'Eliot Ness'. This is simply a book based on that famous case---the Mad Butcher or the Torso Slayer.

10. Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer by Janice Knowlton with Michael Newton

Daughter of George Knowlton claims she has memories of her father bringing home Elizabeth Short and torturing, killing and dismembering her. Another good speculation book.

Enjoy!

Has anyone here read The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy? There's a film that is soon to be released (directed by Brian de Palma) based on the book.

Also, I'm looking for a book called Someone Cry for the Children by Michael Wilkerson and Dick Wilkerson. It's about the murder of 3 Girl Scouts at a Girl Scout camp in Oklahoma in the 1970s. I only had the opportunity to read the first couple of chapters then had to return it (it was an out-of-state library loan). Has anyone else read it? Does anyone own it, and would you be willing to part with it for a couple months? The cheapest copies on Amazon are $24.99 and it's out of print. What I read in those first few chapters seriously frightened me!

Apparently written by her sister, Melanie Hack, called Soon Cindy.

Check out the website: http://www.melaniehack.com/

It doesn't look like the book is available yet.

I am resurrecting this thread. :wave: Has anyone read any good books lately that were related to UM cases? I have a library card, and I know how to use it....

I am resurrecting this thread. :wave: Has anyone read any good books lately that were related to UM cases? I have a library card, and I know how to use it....

Last week, I ordered the book, "The search for a serial killer," by Phil Ginsburgh on Amazon.com. It covers the New Hampshire/Vermont murders in the 1980's as well as the attack on Jane Boroski - who was stabbed 27 times while 7 months pregnant but lived.

The book was written in 1993 so obviously it's outdated and doesn't mention Michael Nicholow but my interest in the case was renewed after watching the serial killers special about it on E last month so I can't wait to read it. It should be arriving in the mail any day now.

The Boston Stranglers by Susan Kelly

Probes deeply into the idea that there was not just one Boston Strangler, but many. All leads into these 'other' suspects were dropped when DeSalvo confessed.

Sleeping with the Devil by Suzanne Finstad

Details the lives and relationship of Barbra Piotrowski and Richard Minns. On the surface, they seemed to have it all, but beneath a storm was brewing.

Unabomber: A Desire to Kill by Robert Graysmith

Same author who wrote 'Zodiac' and 'Zodiac Unmasked' and who is also an expert on Zodiac.

Torso: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run by Steven Nickel

I take it MOST of us have seen the Strange Legends segment titled 'Eliot Ness'. This is simply a book based on that famous case---the Mad Butcher or the Torso Slayer.



In the Wake of the Butcher is also great book on the Kingsbury Run Murders. It also mentions someone other than the Ness suspect (Francis Sweeney).

Also Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Amy Billig--A Mother's Search for Justice by Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig. It gives detailed information about the case, including a discussion of Hank Blair (the guy who harassed Susan Billig for years) and his prosecution.

Not UM related -- The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis. It's an actual case involving a 16th century French peasant, Martin Guerre, who disappears from his village. In the years following two imposters, at different intervals, claimed his identity, with both Guerre's wife and family embracing each as the 'real' Martin Guerre.

I didn't know there was a book about the Hydes' disappearance; I'll have to check it out.

It's been years, but I remember Lois Duncan's book Who Killed My Daughter? being very good.

A lot of the books mentioned in this thread sound promising. I keep meaning to make time to do more leisure reading, so I may have to ILL for a couple of these. I'm working on my masters in library science and work in a library and yet have no time to actually sit down and read. It isn't fair. :P

It's been years, but I remember Lois Duncan's book Who Killed My Daughter? being very good.

A lot of the books mentioned in this thread sound promising. I keep meaning to make time to do more leisure reading, so I may have to ILL for a couple of these. I'm working on my masters in library science and work in a library and yet have no time to actually sit down and read. It isn't fair. :P
After a few years in grad school and NEVER being able to read for pleasure, I discovered audiobooks. They are so fantastic. You can listen to them in the car or on your Ipod while you're doing other things, and libraries usually have really good collections these days (as you probably know).

Unfortunately, many of the books mentioned in this thread are from smaller publishing houses and don't have audiobooks. The bigger true crime authors do have audiobooks, though.

There's a pretty good reference book called The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes by Michael Newton. Each entry is very thorough, even if there isn't much information to work with in some cases. Jimmy Hoffa, Jon-Benet Ramsey, the Black Dahlia, and the Boston Strangler---all your "usual suspects"---are of course there, as well as many crimes that don't receive near the publicity, such as the Atlanta child murderers, the "Redhead" murders, and the Nahanni Valley slayings. It has extremely through entries on speculation about the Jeffrey MacDonald, Charles Lindbergh Jr., and Martin Luther King cases, and best of all, it has many entries on cases profiled on UM. For instance:

-the I-70 murders
-Nicqui McCown
-Sherry Eyerly (as part of a string of unsolved Salem, OR crimes)
-the priest murders
-the Valley Killer (NH serial killer)
-New Orleans murders
-Michaela Joy Garecht and Amber Swartz (as part of the Bay Area abductions)

...and lots more. It also features international unsolved crimes as well, which is extremely interesting.

The one downside? There's a HUGE picture of the Valley Killer composite on page 296. When I picked up the book in Books-A-Million, that was about the second or third page I inadvertently flipped to. It literally made me shiver right there in the store.

In any event, I think it's a great reference for any UM fan. Highly recommended.

Murderers Among Us is a book I had when it first came out and found again more recently at a local used book store for a buck. Like Justin said, it features many cases featured on UM and some of them go into more details.

Another book that features a bunch of different cases is called Reward by Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble. It features the Shafaa, William Peter Fischer, The Yogurt Shop Murders, KC Firefighters Murder, Roxann Jeeves, Green River Killer, Ohio Truck Stop (I-71) Killer, Pamela June Ray, Kevin Hughes, and Amy Billig cases, among others.

I recommend

Homicide; A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon (creator of THE Wire and the Homicide: LOTS tv show)

an excellent portait of homicide detectives and how police work is. And more importantly it explains very clearly why some cases stay open.


I still think the Thomas book on Jon Benet Ramsey caseis a good piece of work despite it's faults.

9. Torso: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run by Steven Nickel
I second this one. Riveting book. The author does a great job of setting the scene of Cleveland in the 1930s.

I don't have my library of true crime books at hand, so I can't remember all my favs, but the most compelling true crime book I have read is Honour Thy Mother: The Search for Jeannine Durand by Rick Boychuk. Twists and turns galore.
Among the two best books I read last year were Son by Jack Olsen and Victim by Gary Kinder. I also highly recommend John Walsh's first book, Tears of Rage.
I would also strongly recommend that anyone interested in true crime try to find the Time Life True Crime series of 9 books. The most interesting volume in the series is Mass Murderers, because it deals with several lesser-known cases, whereas the serial killer volume details mostly prominent cases. The second best is Compulsion to Kill. The books are expertly written and filled with photos that vividly flesh out the stories. The series is out of print, but can be found online.

I also read everything by Ann Rule, the "Queen of True Crime", but I find her writing style pedestrian and not as absorbing as that of the better writers. One of the best writers in the genre is a Canadian named Michael Harris, but I think all his books are out of print.

There's a book entitled Stalemate by John Philpin (you'll recall him as the criminal psychologist interviewed in the NH Serial Killer segment) about Tim Bindner, the man strongly assumed to be behind the Bay Area abductions. Difficult to put down, if I may use a cliche. I recommend anything by Philpin (who's also written a few crime fiction novels as well that are equally as great as his other works).

Ripper by Linda Rosencrance is about a serial killer named Mailhot who terrorized Woonsocket, RI a few years back and is a great read for that case itself, but it mentions the Picard/Laferte case and expounds on it a little further than the UM segment did.

Apparently written by her sister, Melanie Hack, called Soon Cindy.

Check out the website: http://www.melaniehack.com/

It doesn't look like the book is available yet.Amazing, about three years later, and it's still not released. :(

Anyway, can anyone tell me how good Ian Mulgrew's book on Cindy James is? I just ordered it off of amazon. I was thinking of buying Neal Hall's book, but it's way to expensive.

Anyway, can anyone tell me how good Ian Mulgrew's book on Cindy James is? I just ordered it off of amazon. I was thinking of buying Neal Hall's book, but it's way to expensive.

Its been a few years since I've read both I did prefer Neal Hall's book but Ian Mulgrew's did list every single incident by the attacker in a timeline fashion that I liked.

*Another book on a UM case I'm currently reading is "Final Vows" by Karen Kinsbury about the "Final Appeal" case of Dan Montecalvo. So far its pretty good.

I would reccomend "The Shadow Of Death' by Phillip E Ginsburg-the book chronicles the search of a serial killer.The real-life detective work of New Hampshire and Vermont investigators is detailed as they work to solve a truly baffling case.In Springfield,Vermont 3 young girls were murdered from 1979-1983. That killer was brought to justice and is currently serving time.The investigation of this case is only part of this book.What makes this real-life case truly unique is while the killings were happening in Vermont,just across the river in New Hampshire ,another serial killer was at work murdering young women.The book mainly focuses on these cases in great detail.Of all the attacks,only one victim survived.Her case was profiled on 'Unsolved Mysteries" and the TV series re-enactment is mentioned in the book.Despite all the publicity ,the case is still an Unsolved Mystery.

I just got this book yesterday in the mail after ordering it from a used-book site (where I also picked up Murderers Among Us), and I seriously can't put it down. This is the first I've read from Ginsburg, and his style is exceptional. There's no mention of Michael Nicholaou as the book was published in 1993, but it's a very fascinating read nonetheless (there's also a couple of glossy pages of pictures as well, a couple of them of the UM re-enactment and Jane Boroski with the cast, which I thought was cool). Philip Ginsburg also wrote a best-seller about Marie Hilley, which I believe was titled Poisoned Blood (anyone read that one?). The "NH serial killer" segment is one of my favorites (albeit the scariest segment ever, IMO :eek: ) and I was really glad to see a thorough work on it.

It's been mentioned countless times in other threads, but I'll go ahead and say it again: The Boys on the Tracks by Mara Leveritt, about the Ives/Henry murders. It's a very in-depth read, compelling. The story is told mainly through the experiences of Kevin's mother Linda as she searched for answers immediately following her son's death. (I think a good practice before reading this one would be to empty one's mind completely of "Clinton body count" theories and other related ideas beforehand, however, and digest the information immediately on the pages.) Leveritt has also written a book on the West Memphis Three that a couple of members here have said was excellent.

I'm not sure if the following books specifically qualify as "true crime," but I thought I'd throw them in. These are the best books I have ever read regarding the CIA and how it operates. They have all been heavily suppressed, are hard to find, and when they are found may be expensive to purchase. None of them are difficult reads and they are all very, very fascinating.


CIA Diary - Inside the Company, by Philip Agee - easiest to find of the three, first printings are the best
The Third Option, by Ted Shackley - a true treasure-trove of CIA information, expensive.
The Secret Team, Third Edition by L. Fletcher Prouty - probably best of the bunch, deeply suppressed, expensive.

FYI, I was able to find the Agee book and the Prouty book in my local library system. Woohoo! I've been neglecting the books on this list, and it's time to catch up. I'm also checking out the Nickel book on Elliot Ness and the Torso Slayer.

I know I've probably asked this question before, but is there a consensus on the best book about the Zodiac?

Just wanted to dig this up as I'm currently reading a book published last year on the NY Bike Path rapist (titled, simply, The Bike Path Killer). Pretty quick read thus far.

I also just finished Ann Rule's Green River, Running Red. Excellent book that I definitely recommend.

Related curiousity question, aimed primarily at the seasoned collectors: is the Green River Killer UM segment considered rare? I have never once seen or even encountered it, and it's rarely discussed (as it's long since been solved that's somewhat understandable, of course).

Related curiousity question, aimed primarily at the seasoned collectors: is the Green River Killer UM segment considered rare? I have never once seen or even encountered it, and it's rarely discussed (as it's long since been solved that's somewhat understandable, of course).

No it isn't rare at all. Interesting you've never seen it. Not sure how often you watched UM but the Green River Killer segment is one of the ones that aired later after UM started going downhill imo. I think its based around this guy that thinks his brother was the Green River Killer when in fact it ended up he wasn't. You didn't miss much, lol.

No it isn't rare at all. Interesting you've never seen it. Not sure how often you watched UM but the Green River Killer segment is one of the ones that aired later after UM started going downhill imo. I think its based around this guy that thinks his brother was the Green River Killer when in fact it ended up he wasn't. You didn't miss much, lol.

Ok, that probably explains why I haven't seen it, then. I was under the impression it was a pre-1993 segment, and I HAVE seen at least 80% of those. Haha, nice one about the brother (like everyone in western Washington with a weird male relative wasn't thinking the same thing at the time, haha)--the only way to make that better would be to build your segment around Melvyn Foster. :p

I know I've probably asked this question before, but is there a consensus on the best book about the Zodiac?

For all it's flaws and inaccuracies...Robert Graysmith's book Zodiac & Zodiac Unmasked are still a great reads. You do get a feel about the fear, complexity and emotional toll the Zodiac case brings up.

I've your looking for facts, zodiackiller.com is still the best repository of information. You can find everything there. The major suspects. The codes, letters and info on the victims.

I always suggest that anyone interested in the Zodiac case
1. Watch the movie first.
2. Read Graysmith's books second
3. Read up on actual facts on zodiackiller.com or a similar website.

Related curiousity question, aimed primarily at the seasoned collectors: is the Green River Killer UM segment considered rare? I have never once seen or even encountered it, and it's rarely discussed (as it's long since been solved that's somewhat understandable, of course).

I don't consider the Green River Killer to be a "rare" UM segment. It has been occasionally brought up at this forum. The segment originally aired in February 1996. Twelve months earlier, I wrote to UM and asked them to do a segment on the Green River Killer. But I'm probably not the only person to have given UM that story suggestion.

Coincidentally, around the time UM was filming the Green River Killer segment, FBI profiler John Douglas published a book called Mindhunter, which I have been reading lately. Early in the book, Douglas discussed his involvment in the investigation into the murders. I learned from the book that the Green River Killer case was a case that nearly killed him - literally! :eek:

In December 1983, John Douglas was in Seattle for the purpose of making a presentation to the police regarding the Green River Killer. While staying at a hotel, he suddenly became ill and came down with a high fever that resulted in a brain hemorrhage. He was in such bad shape that he was not expected to live. But thankfully, he eventually made a full recovery.

As I mentioned on another thread on this forum, there is a new book out called "In the Arms of Evil," by Carlton Smith. It is about the 1996 murder of Jasper 'Jack' Watkins, who was found dead in a steamer trunk. The back cover of the book acknowledges that the case was featured on UM. In fact, the UM segment originally aired in November 2001.

There's another book I should mentioned (in case no one else has already mentioned it): "Through the Valley of the Shadow: The Search for the Abbotsford Killer," by Rod Gehl. The book, published in 2009, focuses on the search for a man who attacked two teenage girls in October 1995. The victims were Tanya Smith and Misty Cockerill. Tanya was killed, but Misty survived. The crime occurred in British Columbia, Canada. After months of taunting the police (and even going as far as vandalizing Tanya's headstone), the killer was captured and identified as Terry Driver.

UM aired the Abbotsford killer case as part of their "special bulletin" segment in April 1996. But this wasn't the first time I had heard of the case; I had previously seen a story about it on the now-defunct TV show Hard Copy.

Yes anything by John Douglas is good. Even though I am not an overwhelming fan of the FBI, Douglas knows his stuff. I know that Douglas and I believe it was Robert Ressler have had a falling out over the years. But Mindhunter is good, John Douglas also wrote a few other good books that I have, Journey into Darkness, Obsession, the Anatomy of Motive, the Cases that Haunt Us, John Douglas also wrote a very good book about BTK but I have not read it as of yet but heard it is good. Another good book by a former FBI profiler is Dark Dreams by Roy Hazelwood. I tend to like the profiling team at the FBI although I am not as big of a fan of the day to day operations of the agency but the profiling is good. I have always been a fan of John Douglas and Roy Hazelwood. Robert Ressler also has written several books. Like I said, it always has seemed to me that Ressler and Douglas have kind of had a rivalry. Douglas has said from his end that is not true but Ressler for some reason was always trying to outdo him. Ressler and Hazelwood both retired from the FBI in 1990. Douglas retired from the FBI in 1995.

I am not an overwhelming fan of the FBI

Boy there's a lot in that quote. I would love to discuss with you kardamas about your feelings about the FBI. I have a feeling I might share a lot of your opinions. This is probably not the place though to discuss it.

As for John Douglass, I have grown to like him less and less. He's become now a hired hand who will give opinions based on whoever will pay him.

Hey Mastermind, well if you want to discuss it, send me a pm and I can give you my e-mail address or we can just discuss it by pm if you like. I would be interested to hear your opinions as well.

This thread needs a bump.

In regard to the topic, I've been reading the book "A Beautiful Child" by Matt Birkbeck. It chronicles the life of Sharon Marshall, a girl who was connected to Franklin Floyd. The same individual who abducted Michael Hughes, and some say, murdered him. It's a pretty fascinating book. After reading some of the details in the book, Floyd seems even more warped.

I recently bought the new book Our Little Secret, by Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie. It focuses on the 1985 murder of Danny Paquette, who was shot to death while working at his yard. It was a case that took twenty years to solve.

As you'll recall, the UM segment, which aired in 1990, explored the possibility of a connection between Danny's murder and the suspicious burning death of his mother Rena in 1964. Although the theory sounded plausible, it eventually turned out that there was no connection between the two cases (aside from the family name). Rena's death remains unsolved, but Danny was killed by Eric Windhurst, a friend of Danny's stepdaughter Melanie.

"The Cases That Haunt Us" and "Mindhunter" both by John Douglas. I have read The Cases That Haunt Us easily 3 times by now and would read mindhunter again if I could get it back from the person I loaned it too.

John Douglas was the guy that built the profiling unit in the FBI. The show criminal minds is based on this unit. "Mindhunter" tells of his building of the unit as well as profiling many of the cases investigated along the way. "The Cases That Haunt Us" has Douglas looking at some of the more notorious crimes starting with Jack the Ripper on up to the Ramsey case.

I had always figured the parents were somehow invloved in the death of Jon-Benet until I read this book. No I would never be convinced that they were ever invloved. His chapter on that case alone is enough to pick up the book. But his in depth looks at Jack the Ripper, Lizzy Borden, The Lindbergh case, Zodiac, The Black Dahlia, Lawrencia Bembenek, and The Boston Strangler, are all just extremely fascinating. I often pick up the book to look up a quick fact and the next thing I know, I have read 3 chapters.

I just wish he would do "The Cases That Haunt Us 2" and profile other crimes such as the Torso Slayings, Jeff McDonald, Sam Shepard, OJ Simpson and so on.

Guardian, I devoured both of those books but I'm curious, did you find John Douglas to be just about the biggest braggart in the world (as I did)?

Ok, that probably explains why I haven't seen it, then. I was under the impression it was a pre-1993 segment, and I HAVE seen at least 80% of those. Haha, nice one about the brother (like everyone in western Washington with a weird male relative wasn't thinking the same thing at the time, haha)--the only way to make that better would be to build your segment around Melvyn Foster. :p

I just finished reading Dave Reichert's book Chasing the Devil about the Green River case. o Interesting read, but I'd also like to read someone's perspective on the investigation too. He was the long time lead detective (as many of you know). There was no mention of the UM segment on Green River. It's been so long since I've seen the segment that I don't even remember if they interviewed him. I assume they did. Anyone?

He did talk about a show called Manhunt Live which was hosted by Patrick Duffy. They ran a 2 hour special about the Green River killer, did a live phone bank, the whole works. Does anybody remember this show?

He does spend quite a bit of time talking about Melvyn Foster...:rolleyes:

Right now I'm reading "The Last Victim" by Jason Moss. it is about an 18 year old college student who begins corresponding with serial killers. he becomes penpals w/ Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez, Charles Manson, & had the most intense relationship with John Wayne Gacy. he befriends them to try to get them to open up. of course things spiral out of control the deeper Jason delves and when he goes to visit Gacy in prison.

The book is a fast read. just shy of 300 pages. along with photographs of Jason and his family along with pictures of the serial killers. sadly Jason committed suicide a few years ago. at the time he was a Criminal defense Atty. it makes me wonder how long until something like that takes it's toll on you? :confused:

I also wonder how much he enjoyed Gacy's attention. how much of a potential serial killer he could've been. he states in the book he's a manipulative and obsessive person.

Lastly I thought it was interesting the book was made into a movie called "Dear Mr. Gacy". it stars Jesse Moss and William Forsythe. apparently it will be on dvd in the near future.

Media tried Justice Denied claiming Darlie Routier as innocent is a good book for any UM fan to read.
With Murderous Intent by Robert Hemming is about the Dave Davis case.Dave Davis murdered his wife Shannon for insurance money.

Murder Victim. She was an heir to Toledo's Mohr Brothers Pop Bottling fortune. She met and fell in love with David Richard Davis, and was killed in an apparent horse riding accident in Hillsdale, Michigan. Later it was determined after her body had been exhumed that a powerful horse tranquilizer was found in her tissue. This led investigators to determine that her husband David Davis had murdered his wife for insurance monies. David Davis was found guilty of murder and sits in a Michigan prison sentenced to life. Shannon Mohr-Davis' life story was made into the TV movie "Victim Of Love: The Shannon Mohr Davis Story". After it was determined that Mr. Davis had killed Ms. Mohr, his name was removed from her marker at Toledo's Calvary Cemetery. Unsolved Mysteries led to Davis capture in American Samoa.

Dave Davis who claimed that his wife fell off her horse and hit her head on a rock is a UM case published in a book.The book is called With Murderous Intent by Robert Hemming.
Dave Davis injected Shannon Mohr with a drug Sch or Succinyl Choline Chloride.
Their have been several books published on the Darlie Routier case such as hush little babies,media tried justice denied,flesh and blood,and Precious Angels by Barbara Davis. Barbara Davis told the world in her book that Darlie murdered her children but now believes Darlie is innocent after a source contacted her about photos,she has a Darlie innocent statement at her website.Media tried Justice denied author Chris Brown used to think Darlie was guilty but when he wrote the book he talked about Darlie being innocent. I believe Darlie is innocent myself and I have always believed she was innocent.

I just finished reading Dave Reichert's book Chasing the Devil about the Green River case. o Interesting read, but I'd also like to read someone's perspective on the investigation too. He was the long time lead detective (as many of you know). There was no mention of the UM segment on Green River. It's been so long since I've seen the segment that I don't even remember if they interviewed him. I assume they did. Anyone?

He did talk about a show called Manhunt Live which was hosted by Patrick Duffy. They ran a 2 hour special about the Green River killer, did a live phone bank, the whole works. Does anybody remember this show?

He does spend quite a bit of time talking about Melvyn Foster...:rolleyes:

I seem to recall Dave Reichert as having a hard religious bend, so much so that he approached his investigative work with it, according to Rule (I remember something about "ridding the streets of Satan's evil" or some such thing). Did you find this to be true, nowheregirl? If so, I can imagine that must've been a difficult read at times. :rolleyes:

I seem to recall Dave Reichert as having a hard religious bend, so much so that he approached his investigative work with it, according to Rule (I remember something about "ridding the streets of Satan's evil" or some such thing). Did you find this to be true, nowheregirl? If so, I can imagine that must've been a difficult read at times. :rolleyes:
There was not anything over-the-top in there as far as his religion goes. He does call the GRK a "devil" a few times (which is kind of hard to argue with :mad: ), and he does mention that he is a religious man, but it's not a central part of the book or the investigation by any stretch.

I don't know if its been mentioned or not but "Death Cruise" by Don Davis is the story of The Rogers women who will murdered by Oba Chandler in Tampa Bay in 1989. Its a very good book that even includes photos from an undeveloped camera the ladies had in their hotel room.

Has anyone else read The Murder Room about the Vidocq Society (a group of detectives, forensics specialists, etc who volunteer to solve cold cases)? I thought it was an interesting read, but I ended up frustrated with the book for several reasons:

***WARNING, SORT OF SPOILERISH, BUT YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND THIS INFO ON THE INTERNET***

The famous "boy in the box" is a case that the author returns to again and again throughout the book. We are told that a woman came forward claiming that her mother obtained the boy (bought him?) in order to torture and molest him. He was ********, could not speak, and they called him Jonathan. She claims that her mother killed him in a fit of rage and she helped dispose of the body when she was just a child. The woman wants to remain anonymous, but detectives interview her and believe her story. Her mother has since died. However, Richard Walter, the criminal profiler featured in the book believes that the man who found the body is the one who actually killed him. The book leaves off on a cliffhanger where Walter and another detective are about to confront this suspect and The End.

What??

I mean, I understand the literary use of the cliff hanger for dramatic purposes, but this is real life for $@#$ sake! This is a very famous unsolved case. Even if there's not a solid resolution like someone being tried and convicted for the crime, we would still like to know what the heck happened with this other suspect!

Really, the book is about the VS itself and only secondarily about the cases it features. This is very frustrating for those of us who actually care about the cases.

2 other more UM-centric reasons for being frustrated:
It is mentioned as an aside that Walter has been working with 2 amateur detectives: one he believes has identified the Zodiac killer, who is a wealthy man still living in California. No other info is given. The other amateur detective has identified the Cleveland Torso slayer, according to Walter. He was a railroad worker. No other info given.

It's entirely possible that all of this information is freely available on the internet, or that some of you might know the suspects that the book refers to. It would be nice if I didn't have to go dig up this EARTH SHATTERING information on LEGENDARY unsolved cases. (sigh...)

If anyone can enlighten me, or has any thoughts, please share!

I mean, I understand the literary use of the cliff hanger for dramatic purposes, but this is real life for $@#$ sake! This is a very famous unsolved case. Even if there's not a solid resolution like someone being tried and convicted for the crime, we would still like to know what the heck happened with this other suspect!

Maybe they're preparing us for another book. :lol:


I'm not sure how I feel personally about Vidocq. I know they've managed to help clear a number of cold cases and that's pretty cool, but from what I've read about them (and that has been admittedly limited), it seems at times they suffer from a tendency to want to pound square pegs into round holes. Despite decades of law enforcement work on all three of those cases, suddenly one or two amateur detectives have pinpointed likely suspects in every case? If they really have managed to do so, however, that's awesome.

I'm unaware of any of those suspects you mentioned from the book myself. I suppose in the Cleveland Torso Slayer's case there may be a connection between a railroad worker and the victim that was found just outside the Nickel Plate Railroad office.

I'm not sure how I feel personally about Vidocq. I know they've managed to help clear a number of cold cases and that's pretty cool, but from what I've read about them (and that has been admittedly limited), it seems at times they suffer from a tendency to want to pound square pegs into round holes. Despite decades of law enforcement work on all three of those cases, suddenly one or two amateur detectives have pinpointed likely suspects in every case? If they really have managed to do so, however, that's awesome.

The 2 amateur sleuths were not part of the Vidocq Society, but had been apparently working on their own for years and had been communicating with one of the society members. He happened to think that they were on the right track. Obviously, no one has been brought to justice (in the Zodiac case) yet.

In general, what I got out of the book was that many of the cases they helped solve involve suspects who were either A.) quickly dismissed because of whatever reason, but were already in the case file, or B.) the main suspect, but detectives just didn't have enough evidence for a D.A. to bring charges, and the VS would help them figure out how to get enough evidence.

Of course, the author probably chose the cases he profiled based on their successful resolution, so I don't think there is a complete picture there.

Found another title for the list. The Doctor, the Murder, the Mystery: The True Story of the Dr. John Branion Murder Case by Barbara D'Amato, who was the writer interviewed in the Branion segment itself, along with her law professor husband. They both believed Branion to have been innocent, so this is, of course, the perspective from which the book was written.

http://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/northwestern/winter2002/alumninews/justthefacts.htm

I like this excerpt from the article:

...she appeared on Unsolved Mysteries, which produced a segment about the Branion case. “They did much of the filming at a house that was a lot like Dr. Branion’s,” she says. “It was very interesting to find out how they do that kind of thing.” :cool:

Just finished the book about Shannon Mohr Davis. I definitely believe without UM profiling the case Davis would still be on the run. They talked a bit about the filming of the UM segment. They said it was too painful for Shannon's parents when they had to re-create where they exhumed the body at the cemetary so they weren't there for that. Shannon's father found it too difficult to relive the argument with Davis at the hospital about Shannon being cremated so her mother stepped up and said the line. Davis' neighbor Richard Britton who was interviewed extensively also complained that it was tough as they had to keep doing some of the scenes over. Another comment I found interesting was that at some point after UM started airing Robert Stack was a guest on The Tonight Show and was asked to choose the most memorable of all the unsolved mysteries presented on the series. Without hesitation Stack replied "No question: the David Davis case".

Just finished the book about Shannon Mohr Davis. I definitely believe without UM profiling the case Davis would still be on the run. They talked a bit about the filming of the UM segment. They said it was too painful for Shannon's parents when they had to re-create where they exhumed the body at the cemetary so they weren't there for that. Shannon's father found it too difficult to relive the argument with Davis at the hospital about Shannon being cremated so her mother stepped up and said the line. Davis' neighbor Richard Britton who was interviewed extensively also complained that it was tough as they had to keep doing some of the scenes over. Another comment I found interesting was that at some point after UM started airing Robert Stack was a guest on The Tonight Show and was asked to choose the most memorable of all the unsolved mysteries presented on the series. Without hesitation Stack replied "No question: the David Davis case".

Interesting. I may have to get the book since it took place in my state. What's the title again?

Interesting. I may have to get the book since it took place in my state. What's the title again?

Its called "With Murderous Intent" by Robert Hemming.

This is too good of a thread to not bump! Any additional finds?

I knew him, and his lies were outrageous. So outrageous I went snooping though his office.
There were a lot of stories in Los Angeles that were never mentioned.
For example, I was contacted by the FBI because they wanted to press Federal charges on him because the house he was renting was a pot house.
He ditched the FBI and ran to Hawaii.
They were gathering as much information on him to make the charges stick in addition to the state charge for murder.

I feel the need to bump this thread. I read Not Wanted by Dayton Lummis which is about Brad Bishop murdering his family in 1976. It was a good book but there was inconsistencies in that the last time the author saw Bishop before the murders was 12 years prior. I am reading a book about the Green River Killer. I forget what it's called. I believe it's by Ann Rule.

"The Deaths of Cindy James" by Neal Hall

"Dead Air: The Disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit" by Beth Bednar

"Torso" by Steven Nickel (definitive volume on the Butcher of Kingsbury Run).

"Zodiac" by Robert Graysmith (essential reading).

Pretty much any book that John Douglas or Robert K. Ressler have written, whether you put much stock into profiling or not they always make for excellent reading.

Have yet to find a Ted Bundy book I am happy with.

The recent one is selling for over 50 bucks for some reason so I can't get it.

We've discussed the fact that Kevin Poulsen (aka Dark Dante) writes for Wired magazine, but did you know that he wrote a book called Kingpin (http://kingpin.cc/)? It's about another hacker. He even mentions UM in his bio (http://kingpin.cc/about/).

I just finished Dead Air: The Disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit. The best book I have read in a while. So glad I saw this thread. Lots of really good suggestions.

I'm not much on books but I like a good read here and there. Which books about UM cases should I look into? Any suggestions?

I'm not much on books but I like a good read here and there. Which books about UM cases should I look into? Any suggestions?

Some of the books on UM cases that I've read are listed here. If you're not a big fan of reading the two I recommend most are A Beautiful Child and The Murder of Lil Miss, as they are very detailed, interesting, and hard to put down.

A Beautiful Child by Matt Birkbeck - A must read book for anyone interested in the Sharon Marshall/Franklyn Delano Floyd story.

Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan, mother of murder victim Kaitlyn Arquette.

The Murder of Lil Miss by Sheila Kimmell, mother of murder victim Lisa Marie Kimmell.

Without a Trace by Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig (mother of missing teen Amy Billig)

The Boys on the Tracks: Death, denial, and a mother's crusade to bring her son's killers to justice by Mara Leveritt

Some of the books on UM cases that I've read are listed here. If you're not a big fan of reading the two I recommend most are A Beautiful Child and The Murder of Lil Miss, as they are very detailed, interesting, and hard to put down.

A Beautiful Child by Matt Birkbeck - A must read book for anyone interested in the Sharon Marshall/Franklyn Delano Floyd story.

Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan, mother of murder victim Kaitlyn Arquette.

The Murder of Lil Miss by Sheila Kimmell, mother of murder victim Lisa Marie Kimmell.

Without a Trace by Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig (mother of missing teen Amy Billig)

The Boys on the Tracks: Death, denial, and a mother's crusade to bring her son's killers to justice by Mara Leveritt

Thank you

A Beautiful Child and Without a Trace blew me away. Even though I knew how both ended, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, especially with the odyssey of Amy Billig. Every lead made me want to jump, even though I know full well she's never been found. I can only imagine actually living that nightmare. And Susan Billig also had to deal with Henry Blair, the man who harassed her by telephone for over twenty years, taunting her about her lung cancer and husband's death, as well as claiming to have tortured Amy. Such a sick individual. There are so many details in the book that the UM segment just couldn't cover, like the Glasser twins' ransom demands and such. I already respected Susan immensely after watching the UM segment. After reading the book, I think this lady should have a monument dedicated to her. What a wonderful, altruistic woman. I can only hope Amy can be found one day so that her brother can finally know the truth. A Beautiful Child is tragic, mainly because of the life that Suzanne/Tanya lived. We don't even know her real name or exact age. She was smart and kind even after all of the abuse Franklin Floyd put her through. I'm glad he's in jail to stay because that book covers his evil ways and sadism to such an extent it is difficult to believe it took so long for him to be imprisoned for good. It makes it even harder to watch the interview in the UM segment. I am pretty certain he did kill Michael, a horrible thought, but I think he's just being cocky in the interview and totally committed the crime, as he confessed to his sister. Absolutely disgusting. Dynoguy said it perfectly well in another thread. Floyd is a complete waste of space.

I'm not much on books but I like a good read here and there. Which books about UM cases should I look into? Any suggestions?

Some more books on UM segments that others have posted about (I haven't read any of these):

Darlie Routier: Precious Angels: A True Story of Two Slain Children and a Mother convicted of Murder by Barbara Davis AND Hush Little Babies: The True Story Of A Mother Who Murdered Her Own Children by Don Davis AND Flesh And Blood by Patricia Springer AND Media Tried Justice Denied, Behind the truth and Lies of the Darlie Lynn Routier Murder Case by Christopher Wayne Brown

Danny Casolaro: The Octopus: Secret Government and the Death of Danny Casolaro by Kenn Thomas AND The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal by Cheri Seymour

Tara Calico: I'm Missing - Please Find Me: Crime Stoppers: Missing Persons by Cal Millar

Martha Moxley: Murder in Greenwich by Mark Fuhrman AND
Conviction: Solving the Moxley Murder: A Reporter and Detective's Twenty-Year Search for Justice by Leonard Levitt

Shanon Mohr Davis: With Murderous Intent by Robert Hemming

Connecticut River Valley Murders: The Shadow of Death: The Hunt for a Serial Killer by Philip E. Ginsburg

Tina Resch: Unleashed: Of Poltergeists and Murder: The Curious Story of Tina Resch by William Roll

Hope I could find most if not all these books on eBay and/or Amazon. I'm not that good on money so it might be awhile before I get to read any of these.

Hope I could find most if not all these books on eBay and/or Amazon. I'm not that good on money so it might be awhile before I get to read any of these.
The awesome thing about some of the older books is that they are quite cheap if you can get a used copy. I got Without a Trace and A Beautiful Child for very cheap prices. The bulk of it was shipping.

Tara Calico: I'm Missing - Please Find Me: Crime Stoppers: Missing Persons by Cal Millar



Thanks for mentioning this one. One of my Christmas gifts was an Amazon gift card so I may buy this. I hate that they put that picture on the front. If I do buy it I will definitely be covering it up.

Hope I could find most if not all these books on eBay and/or Amazon. I'm not that good on money so it might be awhile before I get to read any of these.

Do you have a kindle app on your phone? On my phone the kindle app was free so I didn't have to buy a kindle reader. You can enlarge the text so it's not too much of a hassle to read on the small phone screen.

I've gotten many books for free on that and since I love to read, it's a big bonus! I got classics like The Picture of Dorian Gray, Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, and Uncle Tom's Cabin all for free. There are countless more interesting free books available. Other books are quite inexpensive and there are no shipping charges for kindle books since they are transferred straight to your device.

In Amazon's paperback section, Darlie Routier "Precious Angels" is available used from 13 cents, "Hush Little Babies" from 1 cent. Shannon Mohr Davis "With Murderous Intent" is available used from 1 cent.

Do you have a kindle app on your phone? On my phone the kindle app was free so I didn't have to buy a kindle reader. You can enlarge the text so it's not too much of a hassle to read on the small phone screen.

I've gotten many books for free on that and since I love to read, it's a big bonus! I got classics like The Picture of Dorian Gray, Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, and Uncle Tom's Cabin all for free. There are countless more interesting free books available. Other books are quite inexpensive and there are no shipping charges for kindle books since they are transferred straight to your device.

In Amazon's paperback section, Darlie Routier "Precious Angels" is available used from 13 cents, "Hush Little Babies" from 1 cent. Shannon Mohr Davis "With Murderous Intent" is available used from 1 cent.

I'm not sure. My cell phone right now is running on a free 1-month plan that they gave me by surprise. It expires on Jan. 6th and I'll have to pay the next one, which I don't have the money for. My mother has a Kindle Fire but I don't know if I can get the books on that or not.

I'm not sure. My cell phone right now is running on a free 1-month plan that they gave me by surprise. It expires on Jan. 6th and I'll have to pay the next one, which I don't have the money for. My mother has a Kindle Fire but I don't know if I can get the books on that or not.

You might be able to get the kindle app onto that phone for free, but since money is tight and you might not be able to renew the phone service you'd have to read the books really fast!

If your mom doesn't mind sharing her kindle reader with you, you should be able to get cheap/free books downloaded to her kindle.

Do you have any friends who've upgraded their electronic devices over christmas and maybe wanna sell cheap or give you their old kindle? Might be worth looking into.

Not exactly on the same subject but my 25 year old son got a free pink Nintendo DS thingie from a friend who didn't want it. He removed all the girlie stickers and sparkles from it and traded in at gamestop for some store credit or traded it for a game.... can't remember, but it still had the stylus, which is usually missing on the older stuff and that made it more valuable to the store.

You never know what free stuff might be sitting around your friend's houses that they'd be glad to get rid of and would rather give to you than throw it away. You might be able to save up some money that way.

Not all books are available from amazon cheaper on the kindle version, so you might be able to save some money by buying a combination of used paperbacks and kindle e-books. Also, amazon sometimes has free shipping for orders of a certain amount, so you might be able to save up over a few months and make one order of paperbacks that qualifies for the free shipping. That's what I usually do at christmastime. I keep a list of all the books I want to read and then make a yearly amazon purchase with my christmas gift money.

Oh, I just remembered, do you use a personal computer at home or do you borrow one or use one at the library? I think you can download a free kindle reader to your home computer, same as to a phone, and still get free/cheap books downloaded to that. I'm not as familiar with that as the kindle phone app because my family of 3 generations shares the same laptop so I don't always have access to it to read a kindle book. I decided not put the books on this computer for that reason.

Sorry for the bump, but I was curious if there were any good books on the Circleville Letters, Blair Adams, the Zip Gun Bomber, or missing cases like Patricia Meehan segments?

Just curious.

Sorry for the bump, but I was curious if there were any good books on the Circleville Letters, Blair Adams, the Zip Gun Bomber, or missing cases like Patricia Meehan segments?

Just curious.

Paul Freshour wrote this huge manifesto on the Circleville Letters on wordpress. Here is the link: (caution it takes me a while to load this page)

http://circlevilleletters.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/the-full-story.pdf

Paul Freshour wrote this huge manifesto on the Circleville Letters on wordpress. Here is the link: (caution it takes me a while to load this page)

http://circlevilleletters.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/the-full-story.pdfOh wow! Thanks for that! :eek:

I really want to read the Missing 411 series. The prices on Amazon are outrageous, but apparently you can obtain a copy for a reasonable price on the author's website. Most of the reviewers say they will never look at going into the forest the same way ever again. :eek:

This isn't really a True Crime book, but I just finished ''The Gift of Fear'' and really enjoyed it. I think it had some valuable pointers and a great attitude toward protecting yourself from crime, but not living in constant fear. It's a great way to look at trusting your intuition but not letting fear dominate your life.

Although I don't have one to contribute, I'd just like to mark my place in this amazing thread :read:


props: @OP


P.S. "Murder on Main Street: Small-Town Crime From Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine & Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine" is a fantastic fictional anthology!

I'm in the middle of Ann Rule's ''The Stranger Beside Me'' as was suggested by many of the posters on here. I think the scariest part of this book is that most of these victims didn't take chances. The one time they happened to go out alone, albeit briefly, Ted Bundy was waiting for them. One of the saddest examples is of a university student who never goes out alone at night ever. Not once. Then one night, she hears about a resident advisor job opening meeting. She takes a chance and goes. She has martial arts training, even. She never returns. Bundy just happened to be there the one night she took a chance. Another girl at a different university had to walk only 40 feet unseen by other students to get back to her dorm. Guess who happened to be there? :eek: Of course, we all know that Ted also used the ruse of a broken arm/leg to get girls to help him to his car. It is absolutely sickening how many girls he killed and how many remain missing to this day because of him. Their families can't even lay them to rest and have to deal with the fact that they're definitely gone anyway.

I can't wait to hear Rule's opinion on Ann Marie Burr. Ted was only 14 when she vanished, but anything is possible...

I'm sure "Who Killed My Daughter" by Lois Duncan, about the death of Kait Arquette, has been mentioned in this thread. I just found out that the long awaited follow-up has been published as an e-book. It's called "One To the Wolves" and it's available here. (http://www.amazon.com/One-Wolves-Trail-Killer-ebook/dp/B00DYOC21O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374591267&sr=1-1&keywords=one+to+the+wolves)

Just finished The Stranger Beside Me. I learned some facts I had never known about the cases before. TWO of Bundy's victims had their bodies lost by a moved Medical Examiner's office. A third victim's leg bones were apparently found (and Bundy claimed this to be so) but never conclusively identified. And a fourth victim's remains were apparently disposed of and never conclusively identified! Sad that even 25 years after his execution, he still haunts families and friends who have never found their loved ones.

I found all of the accounts of girls who think they may have been approached by Bundy (that Ann found credible) to be pretty fascinating. And the topper being that Bundy worked at a Crisis hotline, sat beside Rule (a former policewoman) and seemed so nice and caring...it's disturbing how many people he fooled and even more so when you hear stories of how his personality would jump back and forth. I nearly dropped the book when Rule talked about him sneaking up behind her and enjoying a pastime of "jumping out of bushes at women" and delighting in frightening them. Just the description of the look on his face when he grabbed Rule by the waist really freaked me out, even though they were in a public place. Another frightening moment: He killed two women on the same day and lured them away from the same location, an extremely crowded lake park. After committing these crimes, he very casually returned to his girlfriend's home and took her out to dinner.

My copy also included many photos of victims and Bundy himself; ever the chameleon, he altered his appearance constantly.

Just finished The Stranger Beside Me. I learned some facts I had never known about the cases before. TWO of Bundy's victims had their bodies lost by a moved Medical Examiner's office. A third victim's leg bones were apparently found (and Bundy claimed this to be so) but never conclusively identified. And a fourth victim's remains were apparently disposed of and never conclusively identified! Sad that even 25 years after his execution, he still haunts families and friends who have never found their loved ones.

I found all of the accounts of girls who think they may have been approached by Bundy (that Ann found credible) to be pretty fascinating. And the topper being that Bundy worked at a Crisis hotline, sat beside Rule (a former policewoman) and seemed so nice and caring...it's disturbing how many people he fooled and even more so when you hear stories of how his personality would jump back and forth. I nearly dropped the book when Rule talked about him sneaking up behind her and enjoying a pastime of "jumping out of bushes at women" and delighting in frightening them. Just the description of the look on his face when he grabbed Rule by the waist really freaked me out, even though they were in a public place. Another frightening moment: He killed two women on the same day and lured them away from the same location, an extremely crowded lake park. After committing these crimes, he very casually returned to his girlfriend's home and took her out to dinner.

My copy also included many photos of victims and Bundy himself; ever the chameleon, he altered his appearance constantly.

The Stranger Beside Me is one of my all-time favorite books. Ann Rule's writing style (even though this is really just as much her story) is nothing short of addicting.

Also, the one Bundy murder that terrified me the most was the Caryn Campbell murder. The woman was on vacation with her boyfriend in CO, she goes to her room to get a magazine and somehow Bundy kidnapped her within this timeframe.

Paul Freshour wrote this huge manifesto on the Circleville Letters on wordpress. Here is the link: (caution it takes me a while to load this page)

http://circlevilleletters.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/the-full-story.pdf

Wow, I am extremely close to Gallipolis, Ohio. Makes this case feel more disturbing than ever...

Also, the one Bundy murder that terrified me the most was the Caryn Campbell murder. The woman was on vacation with her boyfriend in CO, she goes to her room to get a magazine and somehow Bundy kidnapped her within this timeframe.
YES. This is one of the scariest ones, in my opinion as well. I think he used the cast to lure her outside to his car, once again, because IIRC he was seen with the cast loitering in the lobby. Being a nurse, she was probably drawn to seeing a man with a cast in need of assistance. What are the odds that you're going to encounter and get taken by a killer in the short time it takes to go grab a magazine? :eek: I also found it particularly tragic because it seemed obvious that her boyfriend and his children really loved Caryn. I'm sure they wrestled with it for years and wished they could have stopped her from going alone.

Ghost: The True Story of One Man's Descent into Madness and Murder -by- Glenn Puit

This book tells the story of John Addis. We learn a lot of details about where he came from as far as his years leading up to his filthy deeds.

Has anyone yet read Blood Will Out, the book about Christian Gerhartsreiter aka Christopher Chichester aka Clark Rockefeller aka murderer of John & Linda Sohus by Walter Kirn? I haven't read it yet, but I have high hopes since the author is a well-respected writer who happened to become friends with this piece of human garbage while he was living in New York. It doesn't sound like your typical true crime book...

Here's an NPR interview with the author. (http://www.npr.org/2014/03/10/288580904/blood-will-out-reveals-secrets-of-a-murderous-master-manipulator)

Not UM related....

I bought Helter Skelter yesterday. I lost my copy of the book decades ago, and just got the kindle edition. It doesn't have any of the photos that the print book has, not even non-graphic pics of the people involved. Not sure why that is. Lots of my other kindle books have pics.

I haven't read this book since the early 80s, and of course have forgotten most of it, so it's almost all new info to me.

I just bought Murderers Among Us and already am shocked about some details about UM cases I'd never known.

In particular, I had no idea Sally Garrity had an 11-year-old daughter at the time of her murder (who lived with Sally's sister, who was interviewed in the segment).

More details about Steve Wilson's abuse of Callie (which is kind of glossed over in the segment), definitely explaining why her father was prepared to shoot him when he was vandalizing his farm and returning to the ranch begging for Callie back.

More details about the Orange Sock Murders and why Jeff was looked at as a suspect so strongly (besides the business card). Glad he was eliminated as one for sure, and it's really tragic to read about how worried he was when searching for her.

I ordered Stalemate, too, and am excited to read all of John Philbin's analysis of Tim Bindner.

I just bought Murderers Among Us and already am shocked about some details about UM cases I'd never known.

In particular, I had no idea Sally Garrity had an 11-year-old daughter at the time of her murder (who lived with Sally's sister, who was interviewed in the segment).

More details about Steve Wilson's abuse of Callie (which is kind of glossed over in the segment), definitely explaining why her father was prepared to shoot him when he was vandalizing his farm and returning to the ranch begging for Callie back.

More details about the Orange Sock Murders and why Jeff was looked at as a suspect so strongly (besides the business card). Glad he was eliminated as one for sure, and it's really tragic to read about how worried he was when searching for her.

I ordered Stalemate, too, and am excited to read all of John Philbin's analysis of Tim Bindner.

Dude, you're gonna LOVE Stalemate. I couldn't put that book down.

Speaking of Tim Bindner, I was searching for things about the John Branion case a couple of days ago and came across a Google Books version of the September 1984 issue of Ebony. In it, a letter to the editor written by Shirley--Dr. Branion's second wife--appears, thanking the magazine for featuring an earlier story about her husband's case. In the column directly to the right of Shirley's correspondence is a letter by none other than Tim Bindner. And yes, it has to be THAT Tim Bindner. He was working in the Richmond, CA Social Security Administration at the time (and was fired shortly thereafter for sending those envelopes of money to young teenage girls--that's detailed in Stalemate as well). His sentiments in the letter are actually rather poignant IMO, but he still is and always will be one seriously creepy dude.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Dz-MzhOLmewC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=shirley+branion+ebony+magazine&source=bl&ots=mtdvIEcCdP&sig=D1JxqsSgTq4FUlnvYocIT08uT6I&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwie4vePvYbKAhXLSiYKHROQAwYQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=shirley%20branion%20ebony%20magazine&f=false

Dude, you're gonna LOVE Stalemate. I couldn't put that book down.

Speaking of Tim Bindner, I was searching for things about the John Branion case a couple of days ago and came across a Google Books version of the September 1984 issue of Ebony. In it, a letter to the editor written by Shirley--Dr. Branion's second wife--appears, thanking the magazine for featuring an earlier story about her husband's case. In the column directly to the right of Shirley's correspondence is a letter by none other than Tim Bindner. And yes, it has to be THAT Tim Bindner. He was working in the Richmond, CA Social Security Administration at the time (and was fired shortly thereafter for sending those envelopes of money to young teenage girls--that's detailed in Stalemate as well). His sentiments in the letter are actually rather poignant IMO, but he still is and always will be one seriously creepy dude.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Dz-MzhOLmewC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=shirley+branion+ebony+magazine&source=bl&ots=mtdvIEcCdP&sig=D1JxqsSgTq4FUlnvYocIT08uT6I&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwie4vePvYbKAhXLSiYKHROQAwYQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=shirley%20branion%20ebony%20magazine&f=false

Good to see you back on here, Meg!

Now I'm extra excited for Stalemate to arrive in the mail. And that's a crazy coincidence about Tim Bindner. I have to say that I actually like his letter, but agree that he's an extremely bizarre and creepy person still.

Well, I'm not quite done with Stalemate, but here are some of my thoughts:

I think Tim Bindner likely has a mental problem. He's very intelligent, but he is also extremely obsessive and displays behavior that is downright abnormal. To me, he is NOT a good Samaritan. He's so obsessed with finding missing children (possibly to look like a hero) and with befriending children, that he crosses boundaries considered acceptable by society.

*Bindner was fired twice from the SSA for searching for girls in the computer system and sending them money on their 14th birthdays. He didn't know these girls and I believe they were even out-of-state. Kindness? I call it creepy and an abuse of the database/invasion of privacy.
* Binder told Kim Swartz to her face that they would now be searching for Amber's dead body since she had been missing three days. Anyone with any sort of social skills would know not to be so brusque with the parent of a missing child. Let's write it off and call it a fluke-- it gets worse. Bindner sent Kim multiple letters, goading her with reading recommendations like Crime and Punishment and actually writing in my own way, I love you
* Not only did Bindner visit Angela Bugay's grave 90 times a year for multiple years, he even sent her mother letters mentioning the other missing girls. Also highly unacceptable. This is obsessive behavior and boarders on sadistic to be bothering the mother of a murdered child.
*Binder didn't take hints from two girls who wanted him to leave them alone and was arrested for harassing them, claiming he just wanted to help them with bus money. Bindner also wrote "friendly" letters to young girls he didn't know. One of them lived a few doors down from Nikki Campbell, who vanished in 1991. Creepy coincidence?
*Bindner, if he is innocent, is a huge detractor of these investigations. The police are so focused on his bizarre behavior the actual culprit(s) are getting away, IMO.
*I think Bindner probably didn't kill the girls, because his vehicles were searched thoroughly. As intelligent as he is, I'm not certain he would be smart enough to wash away/discard every last shred of evidence of any of these girls in his van.

Well, I'm not quite done with Stalemate, but here are some of my thoughts:

I think Tim Bindner likely has a mental problem. He's very intelligent, but he is also extremely obsessive and displays behavior that is downright abnormal. To me, he is NOT a good Samaritan. He's so obsessed with finding missing children (possibly to look like a hero) and with befriending children, that he crosses boundaries considered acceptable by society.

*Bindner was fired twice from the SSA for searching for girls in the computer system and sending them money on their 14th birthdays. He didn't know these girls and I believe they were even out-of-state. Kindness? I call it creepy and an abuse of the database/invasion of privacy.
* Binder told Kim Swartz to her face that they would now be searching for Amber's dead body since she had been missing three days. Anyone with any sort of social skills would know not to be so brusque with the parent of a missing child. Let's write it off and call it a fluke-- it gets worse. Bindner sent Kim multiple letters, goading her with reading recommendations like Crime and Punishment and actually writing in my own way, I love you
* Not only did Bindner visit Angela Bugay's grave 90 times a year for multiple years, he even sent her mother letters mentioning the other missing girls. Also highly unacceptable. This is obsessive behavior and boarders on sadistic to be bothering the mother of a murdered child.
*Binder didn't take hints from two girls who wanted him to leave them alone and was arrested for harassing them, claiming he just wanted to help them with bus money. Bindner also wrote "friendly" letters to young girls he didn't know. One of them lived a few doors down from Nikki Campbell, who vanished in 1991. Creepy coincidence?
*Bindner, if he is innocent, is a huge detractor of these investigations. The police are so focused on his bizarre behavior the actual culprit(s) are getting away, IMO.
*I think Bindner probably didn't kill the girls, because his vehicles were searched thoroughly. As intelligent as he is, I'm not certain he would be smart enough to wash away/discard every last shred of evidence of any of these girls in his van.

Like most people who've read Stalemate or have followed the Amber Swartz disappearance, I don't know what to make of Bindner entirely. I don't think he is responsible for Amber's disappearance, and perhaps not those of the other Bay Area girls during the late '80s and early '90s--but I do think Bindner has a keen understanding of the kind of individual who would commit such crimes because he IS one of those individuals. I have very little doubt about that.

I do think it's likely he has committed crimes that have probably gone unreported, unfortunately. :mad:

Like most people who've read Stalemate or have followed the Amber Swartz disappearance, I don't know what to make of Bindner entirely. I don't think he is responsible for Amber's disappearance, and perhaps not those of the other Bay Area girls during the late '80s and early '90s--but I do think Bindner has a keen understanding of the kind of individual who would commit such crimes because he IS one of those individuals. I have very little doubt about that.

I do think it's likely he has committed crimes that have probably gone unreported, unfortunately. :mad:
Good point, as well as a terrifying one. Bindner strikes me as an individual who would befriend and then abuse children, masking his intentions with friendliness and buying their silence with gifts/bribery. I think his interactions with the girls who didn't have money for bus fare speaks volumes. He insisted they take money for the bus, offered a ride, and did basically anything to keep interacting with them, to be likable, to get in their good graces (which, thankfully, they didn't fall for. But I'm sure other girls have).

On a side note, as a rebuttal for the "He's just a good Samaritan" argument his lawyer and others have tried to present : He claimed he loved children, knew how they thought, and helped search for them...yet did he ever pay this much attention to MALE children? No, he focused specifically on girls. He sent 14-year-old girls money on their birthdays, wrote letters to little girls, and searched for little girls. I think this alone is a red flag that he's not just some guy concerned about children in these communities, as he never seemed to give a damn about boys.

I am really surprised that nobody has mentioned Elvis, What Happened? Although, I suppose it isn't technically in the "true crime" genre. In any case, I thought it was a fun read.

I also enjoyed Ian Mulgrew's book about Cindy James and plan to get the Neal Hall book soon. Btw, is it just me or has the Melanie Hack book still not come out?

I also just borrowed a couple of Ann Rule audiobooks from Hoopla (a great source, if you aren't familiar).

Anyway, I noticed that nobody has posted on this thread in a while, so I thought I'd try to breathe some life into it :)

As some of y'all know, the Kevin Hughes case is special for me because it's one of the very first segments I ever remember seeing on TV, probably on the night it initially aired. Sammy Sadler, the second victim in the shooting, published a book this year about it called A Hit With a Bullet. It's extremely well-written, and is a fascinating mix of a true crime story, a survivor's memoir, and a sort of walk-through of country music history and the industry out in Nashville.

I'm literally halfway through it, but so far here are some things I thought were interesting:

-Chuck Dixon, the man who almost certainly ordered the hit on Kevin Hughes, shares songwriting credit under his given name, J.B. Detterline, on "The Ride", which was recorded by David Allen Coe.

-When combing through the police file, Sammy discovered the police took a statement from a then-unknown Faith Hill, who witnessed the shooting from out a window.

-The reason Sammy stopped by to see Kevin that night was because he just had an argument with his then-wife and was just trying to get out of the house.

-Sammy himself was suspected of being a co-conspirator for a short time, as police received a couple of reports that he allegedy lured Kevin out to Evergreen Records to be shot.

-There were several alternative theories that received a lot of police attention in the first three or four years after the shooting. The main one was that Kevin was gunned down by someone who mistook him for his wife's lover.

-Because the 'WWII Veteran and Damn Proud of It' hat was one of the few pieces of physical evidence at the scene, police really wanted to identify the manufacturer. They were unsuccessful until 2000, when a drug dealer named Steve Daniel ratted on d'Antonio and said he'd sold him a .357 magnum the day of the shooting. When Pridemore and Postiglione, the detectives working the case, made their way down to Daniel's home in north Georgia, they stopped at several of the fireworks stores situated along the Alabama-Tennessee border (I've seen it with my own eyes, but don't ask me why that's a thing) as they suspected this route was the one d'Antonio took that day in 1989. In one of the stores--and 11 years after the fact--they finally found the cap. After talking with the owner, they were able to get manufacturer and distributer information.

Highly recommend.

I'm literally halfway through it, but so far here are some things I thought were interesting:

-When combing through the police file, Sammy discovered the police took a statement from a then-unknown Faith Hill, who witnessed the shooting from out a window.

Thanks for the summary, Meg! That is super interesting. I can't believe that THEE Faith Hill was involved in this case! I'd be curious what she would say about having witnessed that shooting. Crazy to think back then she was a "nothing" and now she is obviously famous.

Sounds like an interesting read. I might have to pick up a copy.

https://ptpimg.me/826369.jpg

I'd recommend A House of Leaves to all Unsolved Mysteries fans.

I've read it multiple times. It's a mystery in and of itself.

Its creepiness is heightened when read in fall or early winter.