Hi all,

I was curious if any of you could point me in the direction of some interesting, less-than-well-known true crime books. I mean, I know about HELTER SKELTER and IN COLD BLOOD and FATAL VISION; I'm more looking for the not-so-well-known true crime books that are about weird or interesting cases or that are just good, all-around reads.

Thanks for any help any of you can offer.

Hunting Humans by Elliot Leyton- Very criminologically based, written by an anthropologist.

Torso: The Story of Eliot Ness and the Search for a Psychopathic Killer by Steven Nickel

For a fictional take on a true story, James Ellroy's Black Dahlia is my favourite.

This is an absolute chiller, but it is one fascinating read:

In cold blood - capote

A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power, and Poison in a Small New England Town by Christine Young.

I would also check out some of M. William Phelps' books as well.

"And The Sea Will Tell" by Vincent Bugliosi is another good true crime book you might enjoy.

I definitely second Ann Rule's "Small Sacrifices." One of the most gripping books I've ever read in my life! Her "The Stranger Beside Me" is also terrifying.

Another one I could not put down was "Serpentine." You'd swear the stuff in there could not have possibly happened but it did!

Yet another page-turner was "Never Enough," about an uber-materialistic wife who bumps-off her investment banker husband. Just goes to show that money doesn't really buy happiness, lol.

The scariest true crime book I've ever read, though, was "The Night Stalker" by (I think?) Phillip Carlo. (This was not about the original night stalker, as profiled on UM, but the 2nd night stalker.) This book was so terrifying I literally could not finish it and had to turn its cover upside-down when it was sitting on the coffee table...

Keep the suggestions comin'; I really appreciate it!

The Night Stalker one sounds really interesting. I'm going to get the Ann Rule book, too.

Ann Rule has written quite a few gripping books about true crime. Here's a list of some more:

http://www.mysterycrimescene.com/small-sacrifices.html

Ann Rule has written quite a few gripping books about true crime. Here's a list of some more:

http://www.mysterycrimescene.com/small-sacrifices.html


^ She has some really good books to pick from. The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story is one of my favorites by Ann Rule.


Murder in Greenwich by Mark Fuhrman is also a good book. It's about the murder of Martha Moxley.

Keep the suggestions comin'; I really appreciate it!

The Night Stalker one sounds really interesting. I'm going to get the Ann Rule book, too.

If you're looking for good true crime books (and who isn't?) you've just GOT to read Small Sacrifices. Not unlike UM, that book recreates the 80s perfectly and really gives you a sense of the craziness surrounding the murders and trial.

The Night Stalker terrified me worse than anything I've ever read, because this guy (Richard Ramirez, who has since been captured, thankfully) would just literally prey on random people and torture and kill them...doesn't matter if they locked their doors at night or not, they were NOT safe and the book shows how he just killed one right after the other...don't read it alone at night!

I'll be getting these shortly. Here's the other books I was looking at thanks to Amazon suggestions:

Secrets in the Cellar by John Glatt
Darker than Night by Tom Henderson
The Perfect Victim by ?
The Darkest Night by Ron Franscell
Cries in the Desert by John Glatt

Those sound interesting (and very disturbing) from their descriptions; I was curious if anyone here has read any of those. Thanks for any help you can provide (and for the great suggestions so far!)

If you're looking for good true crime books (and who isn't?) you've just GOT to read Small Sacrifices. Not unlike UM, that book recreates the 80s perfectly and really gives you a sense of the craziness surrounding the murders and trial.

The Night Stalker terrified me worse than anything I've ever read, because this guy (Richard Ramirez, who has since been captured, thankfully) would just literally prey on random people and torture and kill them...doesn't matter if they locked their doors at night or not, they were NOT safe and the book shows how he just killed one right after the other...don't read it alone at night!
Exactly. Trust me, you'll never think of Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" the same way ever again. (You'll know what I mean when you read the book.)

Killing Rage by Eamon Collins is an excellent expose on how a young adult can be indoctrinated into a terrorist organization. An even more compelling read when you realize that Mr. Collins knew he was signing his own death warrant when he wrote it.

Exactly. Trust me, you'll never think of Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" the same way ever again. (You'll know what I mean when you read the book.)

I still remember the made-for-TV movie adaptation of the book where Farrah Fawcett played Diane Downs. The scene where she starts boogeying to the music while they play "Hungry Like the Wolf" in the courtroom during her trial is SO creepy!

Oh, I know. CREEPY. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Really, you can't go wrong with any of Ann Rule's books. She's a very talented writer who has a way of shaping the true crime story into an almost novel-like form, if that makes any sense.

I've read tons of true crime books and most of Anne Rule's older stuff. Most of my books are packed away in storage at the moment. Here are some I've read recently. They vary in quality and style. I'm glad that I read them, but be forewarned that some of them contain material that may be very disturbing.

The Lost Child by Marietta Jaeger, the mother of kidnap/murder victim Susie Jaeger. Short book at 121 pages and out of print, but I got a used copy online. It sometimes focuses on the mother's religious faith in helping her get through the ordeal, which can be offputting to some folks but was obviously integral in helping the mother deal with what happened.

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

No Remorse by Bob Stewart - Details serial killer Kenneth McDuff's crimes and several failures in the justice system that let a child rapist/serial killer off death row and out of prison, only to have him commit even more horrific murders.

Tears of Rage by John Walsh regarding the murder of his son Adam.

Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell is about the brutal gang rapes and murders of two teenage friends, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman.

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. Gives lots of detailed information about the killer, Dale Wayne Eaton and much more information about what happened to Lisa... way beyond what UM was able to present in their short segment.

Without a Trace by Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig (mother of missing teen Amy Billig) Also gives way more information about what may have happened to Amy and the torment her family was put through by con artists, liars, and anyone else who thought they could tie themselves to Amy's case for their own personal gain.

Shattered Innocence by Robert Scott - The Jaycee Lee Dugard ordeal and gives another example of how the system dropped the ball with Phil Garrido (federally convicted of kidnap and rape) who was allowed out of prison early to predictably commit more crimes. My first choice was to purchase Jaycee Dugard's own book, but it was only available in hardcover and was out of my price range. This book still covers the subject well but I do hope to buy Jaycee's book someday.

Along with Ann Rule's Small Sacrifices, If You Really Loved Me is another well-written book about a fourteen-year-old that murders her step-mother at the bequest of the former's father.

I also just finished reading Who Killed Cindy James? by Ian Mulgrew. Her case was featured on UM, and the book goes into greater detail about the case that sheds a lot of light.

I would suggest this series of books, I have literally become hooked on them! I have read numerous true crime books that others have suggested, the problem is, sometimes I feel that I lose interest when an entire book is on one case/subject, much like some of the true crime shows. Anyways, the series of books is "from the files of true detective magazine" and they have titles such as spouse killers, unsolved mysteries, murders in paradise, etc... There are probably about 30 or so titles. The great thing is, there are about 20-30 cases covered per book, short and sweet, much like the UM segments. Check them out on amazon!

I really enjoyed "A Beautiful Child" based on the case UM covered about Sharon Marshall as well as "With Murderous Intent" about the murder of Shannon Davis that UM also profiled. I would say my two favorite true crime books are "Bitter Almonds" about the Excedrin murders and #1 on my list is "Toxic Love" the case of murder by cancer.

http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Love-Tomas-Guillen/dp/0440217938

http://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Almonds-Mothers-Daughters-Seattle/dp/B004IYC840/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339845229&sr=1-4&keywords=bitter+almonds

I thought of a few more that really kept me staying-up late to read more:

Green River, Running Red (also by Ann Rule): not as famous as some of her other books, but it was completely engaging and I couldn't put it down. Also, she shed some light on some of the victims' personal lives, which aren't often discussed much in the case of the Green River killer.

House of Secrets (by Lowell Cauffiel): file this under "I can't believe this actually happened." Talk about a dysfunctional family, yikes!

Shake the Devil Off (by Ethan Brown): an Iraq vet's descent into madness in post-Katrina New Orleans. A lot of true crime books really capture a time and a place, and this is one that does a good job of covering life in the 2000s: 9/11, Katrina, the Iraq war, the recession, etc.

Green River, Running Red (also by Ann Rule): not as famous as some of her other books, but it was completely engaging and I couldn't put it down. Also, she shed some light on some of the victims' personal lives, which aren't often discussed much in the case of the Green River killer.

This is my favorite Green River Killer book for the reason SheRaaa outlined above. I remember staying up for hours reading it when I should've been sleeping!

I really enjoyed Shadow of Death by Philip Ginsberg. It's about the Connecticut River Valley Killer of New Hampshire and Vermont who was profiled on UM in the very early '90s. The attack on Jane Boroski makes so much more sense when described in detail in the book than it did in the UM segment. Also, in the photograph inserts there is a picture of Jane standing with the actor and actress who recreated the attack on UM, which I thought was cool.

I also like Mortal Danger by Ann Rule for the story of Kate Jewel. Not featured on UM but by far it's one of my favorite true crime stories.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions! I'm heading off to the library on Monday, so I'll be looking for all of the titles suggested above.

Thanks again!

The Boston Strangler. Much more information in the book than what the UM segment or the crappy film ever gave.

Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones is my favourite. I became obsessed with this case for about 8 months still in shock that 4 teenage girls could do this to another girl. Look up Shanda Sharer for more info and a wikipedia article.

"Swindled! Classic Business Frauds of the Seventies" was a nice short read about various scams I enjoyed a lot.

I'm currently reading "A Criminal History of Mankind" by Colin Wilson that has been pretty good so far (I'm still early on in the book). Long read but enjoyable thus far.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I've read one Ann Rule book which I can't remember the name of, but basically it had a number of different cases in it. What I really disliked about the book was that, in I believe all of the cases, she changed the names of everyone. So you couldn't look up any of the cases for further reading.

The Hillside Stranglers by Darcy O'Brien & Cruel Death by M. William Phelps are two more good books to check out.

All of Ann Rule's books are great. She really gives you a great sense of who both the victims and the perpetrators are, and treats all of her subjects with a great deal of dignity. I think "Green River, Running Red" is her masterpiece. Many people saw the victims in the story as somehow less than human because they were "just prostitutes," but she really tries to show who they were as people.

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

My favorite true crime book of all time. After you read it, check her website for even more info since the book was published.

The Murder of Lil Miss by Sheila Kimmell, mother of murder victim Lisa Marie Kimmell. Gives lots of detailed information about the killer, Dale Wayne Eaton and much more information about what happened to Lisa... way beyond what UM was able to present in their short segment.

I have really wanted this book for a long time now, but Amazon wants something like $20 for it. I just can't shell out that much for a paperback.


Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones is my favourite. I became obsessed with this case for about 8 months still in shock that 4 teenage girls could do this to another girl. Look up Shanda Sharer for more info and a wikipedia article.


I read that book over and over again. Definitely recommended.


Edit: I forgot to mention that I've read one Ann Rule book which I can't remember the name of, but basically it had a number of different cases in it. What I really disliked about the book was that, in I believe all of the cases, she changed the names of everyone. So you couldn't look up any of the cases for further reading.

She has a whole series of those, called "Ann Rules' True Crime Files" or something like that. There are at least 14 volumes so far. There is usually one longer case, then four or five shorter ones.

For a more unique true crime book, I recommend "Starvation Heights" by Gregg Olsen. It's a much older case, set around the turn of the century. It drags a little towards the end, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Here's an absolute chiller - and it was published in 1980, four years before the TV-movie of the same name transformed Farrah Fawcett from a Charlie's Angel into an Emmy-nominated dramatic actress:

:bump

I have currently been reading the "Missing 411" books by David Paulides. Although not technically "true crime" they are very interesting as some are eventually found, some are not. He gives a quick synopsis on many cases and even will comment on his own thoughts after some of them which I enjoyed. Some of the prices of these books are astronomical on the internet but on his website its only $24.95 plus shipping. So far there are 3 different books.

http://www.nabigfootsearch.com/Bigfootstore.html

Ann Rule has written quite a few gripping books about true crime. Here's a list of some more:

http://www.mysterycrimescene.com/small-sacrifices.html
I love Ann Rule's true crime books. She was a police officer back in the day. I think she's great. Very knowledgeable, intelligent woman. :)

I can't find "If You Really Loved Me" anywhere. fascinated by that story and would love more details about what cinnamon is up to.

Beautiful Child is also at the top of my list.

I can't find "If You Really Loved Me" anywhere. fascinated by that story and would love more details about what cinnamon is up to.

Beautiful Child is also at the top of my list.


I read "If you really loved me" last year. I started reading Ann rule books after reading this thread.



I got this info off the Ann Rule website:

Cinnamon Brown suffered a heartbreaking tragedy when her husband committed suicide in Las Vegas.

She hasn't had many breaks in her life, and I pray that she has happier days ahead. She and her late husband had a son who is about nine or ten now. If Cinnamon should happen to read this, I hope that she will get in touch with me.

Cinnamon and Patti Bailey Brown have been out of prison for more than a decade. Cinnamon lived with an Orange County family for about six months until she became acclimated to the world outside prison. The last I heard she was working in a very responsible job.


After she was paroled, Patti married a prison guard and gave birth to twin boys. She regained custody of her daughter, Heather, who was fathered by David.

David Arnold Brown is in California State Prison in Corcoran, and likely, will be incarcerated for the rest of his life.

Richart "Liberty" Steinhart died of A.I.D.s many years ago, still a committed Christian.

There was a made-for-TV movie about David Brown's case, but it was not based upon my book but on Patti Bailey's story.

I just finished Circle of Six: The True Story of New York's Most Notorious Cop Killer and the Cop Who Risked Everything to Catch Him


http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/09/78/19/32/85/0978193285739_500X500.jpg





It's about a cop killing inside the then NY headquarters of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam back in 1972.

The suspect was acquitted and there were never any convictions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Harlem_Mosque_incident

Hi all,

I was curious if any of you could point me in the direction of some interesting, less-than-well-known true crime books. I mean, I know about HELTER SKELTER and IN COLD BLOOD and FATAL VISION; I'm more looking for the not-so-well-known true crime books that are about weird or interesting cases or that are just good, all-around reads.

Thanks for any help any of you can offer.
Blood Relations by Roger Wilkes and for a female perspective Claire Powell's Murder at White House Farm involving a quintuple murder by a man who still protests his innocence after almost 28 years incarceration and has divided many a family and provoked endless debate here in Britain.

I have currently been reading the "Missing 411" books by David Paulides. Although not technically "true crime" they are very interesting as some are eventually found, some are not. He gives a quick synopsis on many cases and even will comment on his own thoughts after some of them which I enjoyed. Some of the prices of these books are astronomical on the internet but on his website its only $24.95 plus shipping. So far there are 3 different books.

http://www.nabigfootsearch.com/Bigfootstore.html

Just finished Vol 1 of this series. What a creepy and unsettling book, made all the moreso by the fact that these stories are true. I like the fact that Paulides does not push one theory over another, or in fact, push any theory at all about what really happened to these folks. In many cases, it seems there is no explanation that makes sense according to the rules of logic. Many point to one specific hypothetical scenario, but that one is very controversial.

I know one thing for sure; I'll never hike in the woods again with the same feeling, or naivete.

Just finished Vol 1 of this series. What a creepy and unsettling book, made all the moreso by the fact that these stories are true. I like the fact that Paulides does not push one theory over another, or in fact, push any theory at all about what really happened to these folks. In many cases, it seems there is no explanation that makes sense according to the rules of logic. Many point to one specific hypothetical scenario, but that one is very controversial.

I know one thing for sure; I'll never hike in the woods again with the same feeling, or naivete.

I just received the 1st and 3rd in the series. Yes I agree, it makes me want to possibly never walk out in the woods. I am glad that some of his stories have happy endings. I also wanted to add to anyone else out there that might purchase it, if you go through the author's website that I posted the link to earlier in this thread, you can actually request the author's signature. I was quite tickled to receive both the books with a handwritten personal inscription made out to me and signed by the author.

I just received the 1st and 3rd in the series. Yes I agree, it makes me want to possibly never walk out in the woods. I am glad that some of his stories have happy endings. I also wanted to add to anyone else out there that might purchase it, if you go through the author's website that I posted the link to earlier in this thread, you can actually request the author's signature. I was quite tickled to receive both the books with a handwritten personal inscription made out to me and signed by the author.


My books were a Xmas gift from my g/f, and yes, he signed them, too (though due to a communication error, he signed them to my g/f rather than me). ;)

Joseph Wambaugh's The Onion Field is a masterpiece dealing with the kidnapping of two LAPD officers in 1963. I'm going to reread it this Summer during the holidays.

If you're into older cases, "The Killer of Little Shepherds" by Douglas Starr is excellent. Just fantastic. It's about Joseph Vacher.

I'd also recommend "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher" by Kate Summerscale, but read the novel "Lady Audley's Secret" by Mary Elizabeth Braddon first. Summerscale's book relies a lot on drawing parallels to "Lady Audley." "Lady Audley"'s a really fun read regardless, though.

"Psycho USA" by Harold Schechter is good (despite the title). It's a compendium of lesser-known true crime cases.

I really liked "Dead Air" by Beth Bednar, about the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit.

I've also read A Beautiful Child. It made me sick, I tell you. I have so much hatred for that walking piece of crap Floyd.

And yesterday in the mail I got "Finding Susan," by Molly Hurley Moran, about Susan Harrison. I'm looking forward to reading this.

When it comes to true crime novels, I prefer cases that are unique. Often times, true crime books are people committing crimes against their spouses or partners, which are kind of plain. I like cases that aren't that plain, such as random acts. Cases that have unique context. Here are some I enjoy:

The Darkest Night by Ron Franscell
A Knife in the Heart by Michael Benson
Ghost (John Addis case) by Glenn Puit
Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell
Dead Reckoning (Skylar Deleon case) by Caitlin Rother
A Descent into Hell by Kathryn Casey

I'm looking for a certain true crime book based on the type of case:

The victim is someone who was murdered supposedly because they "knew too much". They could be a writer, reporter, journalist, etc. or simply someone who was about to testify.

Anyone know of any true crime books like this?

I'm looking for a certain true crime book based on the type of case:

The victim is someone who was murdered supposedly because they "knew too much". They could be a writer, reporter, journalist, etc. or simply someone who was about to testify.

Anyone know of any true crime books like this?
The Strange Death of David Kelly by Norman Baker comes to mind.

I'm looking for a certain true crime book based on the type of case:

The victim is someone who was murdered supposedly because they "knew too much". They could be a writer, reporter, journalist, etc. or simply someone who was about to testify.

Anyone know of any true crime books like this?

Here are some books about older cases in a similar vein:
Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, by Richard J. Tofel
God's Banker: Account of the Life and Death of Roberto Calvi, by Rupert Cromwell
The Strange Case of Victor Grayson is a good book if you can find it


And the Dead Shall Rise is definitely worth the read; it's about the Mary Phagan murder, and later conviction and lynching of Leo Frank.
American Taboo: A Murder in the Peace Corps, about a Peace Corps volunteer murdering another one in Tonga; the killer was able to return to the U.S. a free man.
The Return of Martin Guerre, a bizarre medieval missing persons case
Under the Banner of Heaven, about murderers who were members of the FLDS sect
Murder in Victorian Scotland, involves a "Not Proven" verdict
Popular Crime by Bill James has interesting takes on numerous crimes
Oblivion, about the disappearance of West Point Cadet Richard Cox
In Broad Daylight, about the unsolved murder of local criminal Ken McElroy by vigilantes in Missouri.
Arsenic Under the Elms, about two poisonings in nineteenth century New England that ended in acquittals.
The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crime has a variety of old and more recent cases

Killing Rage by Eamon Collins
-A memoir of sorts that eloquently and graphically chronicles one man's journey from average teenager to brutal IRA terrorist.

Hi all,

I was curious if any of you could point me in the direction of some interesting, less-than-well-known true crime books. I mean, I know about HELTER SKELTER and IN COLD BLOOD and FATAL VISION; I'm more looking for the not-so-well-known true crime books that are about weird or interesting cases or that are just good, all-around reads.

Thanks for any help any of you can offer.

A good one is Toxic Love by Thomas Guillen , a truly shocking story ....

I'm looking for a certain true crime book based on the type of case:

The victim is someone who was murdered supposedly because they "knew too much". They could be a writer, reporter, journalist, etc. or simply someone who was about to testify.

Anyone know of any true crime books like this?

Secret Government and the death of Danny Casolaro ....

I didn't read through the thread to see if anyone else mentioned these. I just unpacked a few of my books after moving almost a year ago.

Murderers Among Us and Wanted for Murder by Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth - has several UM cases in it like Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee, Roxanne and Kristopher Jeeves, Sally Garrity and Sal Guardado, Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, Ed Baker, Callie Thornburgh, Ralph Probst, Dwayne McCorkendale, Richard Bocklage, and others.

No Remorse by Bob Stewart, about serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff

Stalemate by John Philpin, about Tim Bindner and the bay area California child abductions

Popular Crime by Bill James has interesting takes on numerous crimes
.
The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crime has a variety of old and more recent cases


I don't know about the Bill James book - his take on the Lizzie Borden case is weird to say the least, the book is poorly organised, and he makes a number of bizarre statements (his strange formula for calculating the likelihood a perp will be caught, his astonishing claim that Michael Jackson was never that famous). I'll give him one piece of credit though.. his analysis of the Sam Shepard murder case (the one that formed the inpiration for "the Fugitive") is utterly fantastic, the only explanation of this mystifying crime that has ever truly made sense to me.

I don't know if its the same book, but I brought the e-book of the "encyclopdia of unsolved crimes" and found it to be a disappointment. A number of entries are sloppily double entered under different names and the author seems to unquestioningly subscribe to all manner of conspiracies (Jeffery MacDonald is innocent! Oswald didn't kill JFK!).


As for my own recommendations, I'd definitively advise you to check out "Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son" by Gordon Burn about the UK's Yorkshire Ripper..a truly fantastic, gripping book.

I don't know if its the same book, but I brought the e-book of the "encyclopdia of unsolved crimes" and found it to be a disappointment. A number of entries are sloppily double entered under different names and the author seems to unquestioningly subscribe to all manner of conspiracies (Jeffery MacDonald is innocent! Oswald didn't kill JFK!).

I bought that book too, softcover, but it's huge.... more like a textbook than a paperback. I think I paid a lot more for it than it's going for on amazon right now. I read it a few years ago and wasn't super impressed. I forgot the conspiracy angles, tho. Now I'll have to read again just for the MacDonald and JFK stuff. lol

I don't know about the Bill James book - his take on the Lizzie Borden case is weird to say the least, the book is poorly organised, and he makes a number of bizarre statements (his strange formula for calculating the likelihood a perp will be caught, his astonishing claim that Michael Jackson was never that famous). I'll give him one piece of credit though.. his analysis of the Sam Shepard murder case (the one that formed the inpiration for "the Fugitive") is utterly fantastic, the only explanation of this mystifying crime that has ever truly made sense to me.


That's why I found it interesting - readers won't always agree with his philosophies or conclusions, but James enjoys playing devil's advocate and puts the focus on little explored aspects and suspects that previous writers tended to ignore, most notably James Mills in the Halls-Mills murders. His classification system does detract from the book; overall it was far better at profiling historical cases in the context of the era that they were committed in. I've never felt that the Borden murders were a mystery, other than in the minds of conspiracy buffs. I'm not sure we're talking about the same unsolved crimes book either since there's a bunch of them, some of the articles are excellent, others are hit and miss.

For those who like books about UM segments, Murder in the Adirondacks by Craig Brandon, who was interviewed on UM about the Grace Brown murder and alleged haunting at Big Moose Lake. Hell's Wasteland: The Pennsylvania Torso Murders discusses the unexplained deaths of two children and unsolved murders in the swamps and railways around New Castle, PA, that some have tried to link to the Cleveland killings. Very creepy accounts; one gets the sense that the area was a dumping ground for various killers.

1888: London Murders in the Year of the Ripper is about various murders that occurred in the same year as the most famous case of the era.

Honor Killing: Rape, Race and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case is about a rape and the murder of one of the accused in 1930's Hawaii. Well researched book when it discusses the social and racial hierarchy of the islands and the investigative system, although I don't agree with the author's unwavering conviction that the woman at the center of the case wasn't assaulted and lied about everything.

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/5d4f4d63-3beb-44db-93ba-3d0f80282b1f_zpsb3de5dd4.jpg



I picked up A Beautiful Child at a random yard sale w/o knowing anything about it. I'm glad that I did because this book was a great read.

I did a little reading of my own after reading it and I also had no idea that it was featured on UM.



This Franklin Floyd aka Warren Marshall was truly evil and I'm amazed at how he got away w/ everything for so long. He had this poor girl wrapped around his finger and did unspeakable things.

The book I read was the 2005 re-print and the Afterword said that, at the time of printing, the real identity of Sharon Marshall and the whereabouts of Michael Hughes were unknown.

I've got a few to add to this list.

One of my all-time favorites is In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean. It's about the murder of Ken Rex McElroy in the tiny farming town of Skidmore, MO. Something like 40 people witnessed the killing but absolutely no one will talk about it, hence no one was ever charged (let alone convicted.) But you see, McElroy was the "town bully" who got away with a ton of crimes by harassing and intimidating anyone who dared to stand up to him, or was due to testify against him in court. He also had a good lawyer who helped him manipulate the legal system. Simply a fascinating book. Some true crime books tell stories that really aren't all that interesting but good writing makes up for it; others are about very interesting subjects but aren't written very well. This one is the best of both worlds - a fascinating story that is written very, very well.

I also liked Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me. That one literally kept me awake sometimes. I was living alone at the time and for some reason thought it would be a good book to read as I went to bed for the night. Even though Bundy had been dead for 15 years by the time I read it, I was still scared he was going to show up at my apartment in the middle of the night. The part that really got to me was Rule's description of the disappearance of a sorority sister in an alleyway behind a row of sorority houses. Someone was talking to this girl from a bedroom in one of the houses, and she still vanished only a few steps from the door of the house she was headed to. Bundy was hiding in the bushes like a wolf just waiting for the moment to strike.

And then there's Wambaugh's The Onion Field. A classic of the genre. When Gregory Powell died in 2012, I put on my Facebook page that I was glad he was dead, and I never say that about anyone. But he deserved it.

Maury Terry's The Ultimate Evil was good too, or at least the first half was. The first half deals with the Son of Sam case and is very interesting. The second half, however, goes a bit off track with Terry trying to link the Manson Family to the Son of Sam case and doesn't really add up.

One that I have to say was disappointing was Sudden Terror, Larry Crompton's book about the EAR/ONS. Admittedly Crompton's not a writer by trade, he's a cop, and the purpose of his book was to include as much information as possible about the case in the hope that someone who read it might be able to ID the creep. But it was quite monotonous to read. I posted a review saying so on Amazon, and I think Crompton read it, which makes me feel kinda bad for saying what I said, but it's the truth.

One of my all-time favorites is In Broad Daylight by Harry N. MacLean. It's about the murder of Ken Rex McElroy in the tiny farming town of Skidmore, MO. Something like 40 people witnessed the killing but absolutely no one will talk about it, hence no one was ever charged (let alone convicted.) But you see, McElroy was the "town bully" who got away with a ton of crimes by harassing and intimidating anyone who dared to stand up to him, or was due to testify against him in court. He also had a good lawyer who helped him manipulate the legal system. Simply a fascinating book. Some true crime books tell stories that really aren't all that interesting but good writing makes up for it; others are about very interesting subjects but aren't written very well. This one is the best of both worlds - a fascinating story that is written very, very well.

City Confidential did an episode on this one. I never knew there was a book about it, but thanks for mentioning it here! Class is about to start up for me very soon but I think I'll pick this one up and save it for Christmas break reading.

People have already mentioned these in this thread...but if you haven't read them, "Helter Skelter" and "And The Sea Will Tell" by Vincent Bugliosi were excellent books. "Helter Skelter" might be the most frightening non-fiction book I have ever read.

I also highly recommend "Preacher's Girl" by Jim Schutze. Having grown up in North Carolina, I found the book fascinating. It documents the troubled life and crimes of serial killer Blanche Taylor Moore, one of the most evil women to ever live, who, it is discovered, murdered her mother, her father, several other relatives, her first husband, her boyfriend and might have gone right on killing until her second husband, a minister, survived the largest dose of arsenic poisoning ever documented in a living person. Old Blanche is 81 now and is the second longest resident on North Carolina's Death Row.

Another book of particular interest to me is Suzanne Barr's "Fatal Kiss", about another evil North Carolina woman, Sylvia Ipock White. She committed her crimes in the little town where I grew up. I will admit I have not read this one yet but the story was really unbelievable as it unfolded years ago and my father told me that an author was doing research on the case for a book but I never heard whether it was published or not until this thread caused me to do a Google search and ouila, there it was. I'll have to get a copy of it. One person has already been executed over this case, but the mastermind, Sylvia White, got life sentences.

I have Helter Skelter on my kindle and just read it again a few months ago. The first time I read it, I was a teenager and didn't remember much so this most recent reading was almost like reading it for the first time.

Very good book, and that Manson family was so creepy! They would go into people's houses at night while they were asleep and move stuff around and leave, just to mess with their heads!

Not to mention the horror of the cold blooded murders and their complete lack of any sympathy for their victims, making fun of carving them up with their own kitchen utensils and other morbid stuff. Absolutely chilling people. Like they don't have souls.

City Confidential did an episode on this one. I never knew there was a book about it, but thanks for mentioning it here! Class is about to start up for me very soon but I think I'll pick this one up and save it for Christmas break reading.

Yeah, I have it on DVD somewhere (i.e. I recorded it off TV with my DVD recorder.) I think some of the information on it though is erroneous. For example, IIRC the program states that the home McElroy and his siblings grew up in was burned down (after his death) by someone seeking vengeance and/or to give his wife a hint that she should leave the area. MacLean, however, thinks it was set ablaze by another member of the McElroy family as a way of purging the memory of their impoverished childhood. Given how much MacLean got to know the people of the area while writing his book, I'd put more faith in his theory.

On a somewhat related note, M. William Phelps wrote a book titled Murder in the Heartland about another killing in Skidmore that made national headlines. A pregnant young woman there was killed and her fetus cut out of her body by a disturbed woman from another state who had told her husband she was pregnant herself but wasn't. The book itself was only so-so.

Oh, and a couple books I forgot. Someone earlier mentioned John Walsh's Tears of Rage. A very good book. Also worth reading is the follow-up, No Mercy, which is more about America's Most Wanted and some of its more high profile cases.

I recently finished Bitter Blood by Jerry Bledsoe, about Susie Newsom Lynch, a truly crazy woman from North Carolina. The story is nearly unbelievable, yet (and this is why true crime fascinates me) it actually happened.

If you're not familiar with the case -- and surprisingly I wasn't -- the culmination of this woman's insanity will shock the heck out of you. A very, very good book that I could not put down.

Killing Rage by Eamon Collins

It is hands down the most powerful autobiography I have ever read.

I feel I should pass along a link to this list. Meghan from the Charley Project is a frequent reader, and the list contains several books about cases that were on UM, as well as CP, and other interesting cases

http://www.charleyproject.org/books.html

What I love about true crime is that every case has it's own backstory Here are some new ones I've stumbled across over the last few months which I enjoyed:

Last Rampage by James W. Clarke. It details the escape of Gary Tison and Randy Greenawalt from Arizona State Prison in 1978, and their bloody rampage that followed in their long attempt to reach the Mexican border.

Friends of the Family by Michael Vecchione and Tommy Dades. It's the infamous "mafia cops" case (Louis Eppolito and Steven Caracappa), who "sold" their badges to the mafia.

Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell

FBI Killer by Aphrodite Jones. Jones is one of the best true crime journalists in the country and this was her first book.

The Alchemy of Bones by Robert Loerzel:

http://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Bones-Chicagos-Luetgert-Murder/dp/0252028589

The trial of Chicago sausage-maker Adolph Luetgert for the grisly murder of his wife created a massive, sustained national media frenzy that has been all but forgotten today. The book gives great social context for Chicago of the late 1800s, is exceptionally well-written, and I found it hard to stop turning the pages. The book has a website with sample chapters and updates:
http://alchemyofbones.com

Has anyone read the Missing 411 books by David Paulides? I'm debating getting them (off the author's website since the Amazon price is ridiculous), but wondering how worth it they are.

I realize the series is mentioned a few pages back, I'm just looking for more opinions looking at the steep prices. ;)

Has anyone read the Missing 411 books by David Paulides? I'm debating getting them (off the author's website since the Amazon price is ridiculous), but wondering how worth it they are.

I realize the series is mentioned a few pages back, I'm just looking for more opinions looking at the steep prices. ;)

My girlfriend surprised me with the 4 books in the series for my birthday this year. I think they're worth it, just for the amount of cases Paulides profiles in each book, including some, like Stacy Arras, that aren't listed on missing persons sites. A few of the cases are pretty strange; one had a happier ending when a little girl, who was grabbed by a bear, was located and talked about the "big dog" that had taken her. Paulides does have a tendency to see larger, sinister patterns in some of the disappearances, although he's vague about who or what could be behind them. I'm pretty skeptical of his theory that something bigger is going on in wilderness areas and that the NPS is covering it up, and he also seems to find paradoxical undressing and terminal burrowing to be more mysterious and unusual than they really are. Still, it's the best and probably only compendium of missing persons cases in the wilderness to be found.

Another interesting read is Killer on the Road (http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Road-Violence-Interstate-Discovering/dp/0292757522) by Ginger Strand. It discusses how the developing interstate system of the mid-twentieth century and the deregulation of the trucking industry has led to changes in behavior by murderers, as well as the social effects that resulted from the displacement of poorer urban residents when these roads cut through their communities.

Shake the Devil Off (by Ethan Brown): an Iraq vet's descent into madness in post-Katrina New Orleans. A lot of true crime books really capture a time and a place, and this is one that does a good job of covering life in the 2000s: 9/11, Katrina, the Iraq war, the recession, etc.

I really wish that the author had delved more into Addie Hall's life in North Carolina, since some of her friends have talked about her upbringing online. A disturbing epilogue to all of it is that Margaret Sanchez, who was friends with Hall and Bowen and was interviewed for an episode of "Final Witness" about the murder/suicide, is now awaiting trial for killing (http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/10/jaren_lockhart_knew_the_couple.html#incart_story_package)and dismembering a young woman in N.O.

I know it's an old book, but I'm reading Ann Rule's "Small Sacrifices". I'm hooked and can't put it down.

"And The Sea Will Tell" by Vincent Bugliosi is another good true crime book you might enjoy.
Believe it or not, this was the first book that popped in my head when I saw the subject of the thread. Great to see someone else thought it was a good book too.

Mr Bugliosi also wrote "Outrage - The Five Reasons Why OJ Simpson Got Away With Murder" which is also an interesting read.

When I was 13 or 14 I read a book about the Scott Peterson case. My mother lend it to me and It was a great book. Despite what the sick bastard did I enjoyed it.

Has anyone read the Missing 411 books by David Paulides? I'm debating getting them (off the author's website since the Amazon price is ridiculous), but wondering how worth it they are.

I realize the series is mentioned a few pages back, I'm just looking for more opinions looking at the steep prices. ;)
Yesssss! I am hooked! I haven't bought any books yet but from the interviews I seen, i can honestly say Im planning on it . The mystery surrounding these dissapearences are absolutley incredible. David pauladies has a youtube Channel where some of his cases are explained on video. The one thing I like about his studies is that he doesn't go off on theories he used straight facts. It's chiling and addicting .

I just bought the Etan Patz book. Suggested retail price of $25, got it for $10 off Amazon - hardback. I'll let y'all know how it is. The lady that wrote it is an Emmy award winning producer and worked with some of the shows that did a piece on the case, such as 20/20.

I also read a pretty bizarre Scott Peterson is innocent book awhile ago. It was pretty off the wall, and while I believe he's guilty as sin, it kept me interested the whole way through.

My girlfriend surprised me with the 4 books in the series for my birthday this year. I think they're worth it, just for the amount of cases Paulides profiles in each book, including some, like Stacy Arras, that aren't listed on missing persons sites. A few of the cases are pretty strange; one had a happier ending when a little girl, who was grabbed by a bear, was located and talked about the "big dog" that had taken her. Paulides does have a tendency to see larger, sinister patterns in some of the disappearances, although he's vague about who or what could be behind them. I'm pretty skeptical of his theory that something bigger is going on in wilderness areas and that the NPS is covering it up, and he also seems to find paradoxical undressing and terminal burrowing to be more mysterious and unusual than they really are. Still, it's the best and probably only compendium of missing persons cases in the wilderness to be found.



Thanks! I will definitely have to check them out!

Yesssss! I am hooked! I haven't bought any books yet but from the interviews I seen, i can honestly say Im planning on it . The mystery surrounding these dissapearences are absolutley incredible. David pauladies has a youtube Channel where some of his cases are explained on video. The one thing I like about his studies is that he doesn't go off on theories he used straight facts. It's chiling and addicting .
Thanks! Yeah, I will probably be hooked if I buy them. Missing persons cases fascinate me more than any other, maybe just because of the big unknown factors: Where are they and what happened? And even when they're found, there's often still a big chunk of mystery left.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/Autographs-Album/Books/90f08abf-598f-401b-a2ce-496435ffc4af_zpse6d705fc.jpg




I guess this would qualify and it's a pretty quick read.

Brian D. Price prepared over 200 final meals for condemned inmates at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. The book gives a brief history of the crimes, the final meal request, the inmates' final statements (if any) and the chef's own personal reflections.



He said that, on average, the most common request included cheeseburgers, french fries, ice cream or milkshakes, and soda/coffee.

He refused to prepare the final meal for one inmate in his history of being "Huntsville's Death Row Chef" - Leo Narvaiz, who in 1988 stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her three siblings to death. He refused because his daughter was friends w/ one of the victims.



The "most famous" story detailed in the book is of Karla Faye Tucker, so she has the most pages about her story and the controversy surrounding her execution.

My choices, I think, are all contained in previous posts:

Tears of Rage by John Walsh-- I bought it in the 99 cent bin at Waldenbooks in 2000. I COULD NOT put it down. While the follow-up, No Mercy, is also a compelling read, it doesn't compare to the heartbreaking manner in which Adam's disappearance is told.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote-- I identify this as my favorite book. It's a classic and some would argue invented a genre.

The Murder of Lil' Miss by Sheila Kimmell-- Along the veins of Tears of Rage, it's a heartbreaking story. Again, I couldn't put it down.

The Last Victim by Jason Moss-- This is more of a social commentary rather than a "true crime" book, but the author writes letters and establishes relationships with several notorious serial killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez, and John Wayne Gacy. He discusses their crimes as well as the pen-pal relationships he built with them. I believe Mr. Moss later committed suicide on 6/6/2006. I often wondered about the significance of that...

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze-- It chronicles the planning and eventual murder of Bobby Kent, an accused bully in Florida by his friends. This story was later covered on an episode of American Justice and a movie by the same name was also released, starring Brad Renfro and Nick Stahl. I thought the book was fascinating in that the author does a nice job of expressing both sides of the story. You feel bad for the victim, obviously, but you also feel compassion for the murderer, which is a pretty crazy feeling.

Guilty pleasure is Witness for the Prosecution by Amber Frey. It tells her side of the Scott Peterson case. Quite honestly, I always felt bad for Amber. I really do think she got duped by Peterson and that when he was captured, Peterson was on his way to her.


I appreciate everyone else's input on their favorite books! I read Helter Skelter in my youth. I'll have to re-read it, because nothing is really sticking with me about it. I also have Fatal Vision in my garage, which is about the Jeffrey MacDonald murders. I still need to read that one. But based on everyone's comments, I'm adding Small Sacrifices to my list.

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze-- It chronicles the planning and eventual murder of Bobby Kent, an accused bully in Florida by his friends. This story was later covered on an episode of American Justice and a movie by the same name was also released, starring Brad Renfro and Nick Stahl. I thought the book was fascinating in that the author does a nice job of expressing both sides of the story. You feel bad for the victim, obviously, but you also feel compassion for the murderer, which is a pretty crazy feeling.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that one. What I liked about that one was it shows how disconnected families can become. And how easy it can be to convince immature kids to do very bad things.

IIRC, Bobby Kent's "best friend" was sentenced to death but it got commuted to life in prison. I know at least one of the killers (a female) is out of prison now.

My choices, I think, are all contained in previous posts:

Tears of Rage by John Walsh-- I bought it in the 99 cent bin at Waldenbooks in 2000. I COULD NOT put it down. While the follow-up, No Mercy, is also a compelling read, it doesn't compare to the heartbreaking manner in which Adam's disappearance is told.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote-- I identify this as my favorite book. It's a classic and some would argue invented a genre.

The Murder of Lil' Miss by Sheila Kimmell-- Along the veins of Tears of Rage, it's a heartbreaking story. Again, I couldn't put it down.

The Last Victim by Jason Moss-- This is more of a social commentary rather than a "true crime" book, but the author writes letters and establishes relationships with several notorious serial killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez, and John Wayne Gacy. He discusses their crimes as well as the pen-pal relationships he built with them. I believe Mr. Moss later committed suicide on 6/6/2006. I often wondered about the significance of that...

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze-- It chronicles the planning and eventual murder of Bobby Kent, an accused bully in Florida by his friends. This story was later covered on an episode of American Justice and a movie by the same name was also released, starring Brad Renfro and Nick Stahl. I thought the book was fascinating in that the author does a nice job of expressing both sides of the story. You feel bad for the victim, obviously, but you also feel compassion for the murderer, which is a pretty crazy feeling.

Guilty pleasure is Witness for the Prosecution by Amber Frey. It tells her side of the Scott Peterson case. Quite honestly, I always felt bad for Amber. I really do think she got duped by Peterson and that when he was captured, Peterson was on his way to her.


I appreciate everyone else's input on their favorite books! I read Helter Skelter in my youth. I'll have to re-read it, because nothing is really sticking with me about it. I also have Fatal Vision in my garage, which is about the Jeffrey MacDonald murders. I still need to read that one. But based on everyone's comments, I'm adding Small Sacrifices to my list.

John Walsh's book in the 99 cent bin? That is criminal in and of itself. I was happy when our Waldenbooks went out of business. I go to Schuler Books a lot.

I have that AJ episode about Bobby Kent. It was sad when Brad Renfro died. Nick Stahl actually disappeared a couple times recently, which scared the beejezus out of me. Thankfully, he is ok.

On the subject of books in general, folks may want to check their local libraries and find out when they're replacing older books. Several years ago my library had a couple big cart load of books they were getting rid of and I got a few good ones (not true crime, tho) either free or super cheap, can't remember which it was, of course. lol

I have read many good ones.
Here are a few: Driven To Kill (about child serial killer Wesley Allen Dodd)
House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying (about Sylvia Likens murder)
Secrets In The Cellar (Fritzl case)
Abandoned (Anya Peters heartbreaking story)
Cry Silent Tears (Joe Peters (no relation to above) tells his story of abuse)
Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child by English foster carer Cathy Glass. She wrote a bunch of books about kids she has fostered over the years.

City Confidential did an episode on this one. I never knew there was a book about it, but thanks for mentioning it here! Class is about to start up for me very soon but I think I'll pick this one up and save it for Christmas break reading.

The fascinating thing about Skidmore is that the town is only about two blocks long but has been the scene of two famous crimes- the execution of the town bully and much more recently, the murder of a pregnant woman by a Kansas woman who stole her baby. There is a book about that case as well. Thew killer met the victim on internet dog breeding websites.

The fascinating thing about Skidmore is that the town is only about two blocks long but has been the scene of two famous crimes- the execution of the town bully and much more recently, the murder of a pregnant woman by a Kansas woman who stole her baby. There is a book about that case as well. Thew killer met the victim on internet dog breeding websites.

In the edition of In Broad Daylight that I read, McLean mentions in an afterword that he watched Bobbi Jo Stinnet (sp?) as a little girl, playing in the aisles of the grocery store in Skidmore where he interviewed her mother, who worked there at the time. :(

The fascinating thing about Skidmore is that the town is only about two blocks long but has been the scene of two famous crimes- the execution of the town bully and much more recently, the murder of a pregnant woman by a Kansas woman who stole her baby. There is a book about that case as well. Thew killer met the victim on internet dog breeding websites.

Possibly a third: this young man went missing from there.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/perry_branson.html

I noticed a few people mentioning In Broad Daylight.

Has anyone seen the 1991 tv-movie? It features a very early role of Marcia Gay Harden as the bully's wife.



http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/0720ec85-3a72-44dd-b24d-0745da087468_zpsf41822be.jpg

Possibly a third: this young man went missing from there.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/perry_branson.html

That is really strange... he went to the shed and never came back? There's obviously more to that story.

Friends of the Family by Michael Vecchione and Tommy Dades. It's the infamous "mafia cops" case (Louis Eppolito and Steven Caracappa), who "sold" their badges to the mafia.

Completely agree on both of these. This story is truly fascinating.

I enjoyed Blind Faith by Joe McGinniss (of Fatal Vision fame):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Faith_%28book%29

I felt so much for those boys losing their mother. In 2006, Robert Marshall's death penalty was converted to life with the possibility of parole in 2014. The hearing was scheduled for March 2015, and Marshall's two eldest sons planned to speak before the parole board against their father's release. None of this ever came to pass, as Marshall passed away this February.

Before it was covered (twice) on different shows by ID, I read Poison Mind by Jeffrey Good and Susan Gorek, about the murder of Peggy Carr by her neighbor, George Trepal. The book goes into a lot of detail into the feud that triggered the poisonings, the marriage of George and Diana Trepal, which was pretty strange, and Susan Gorek's undercover work that helped send Trepal to prison.

I also recommend Forever and Five Days by Lowell Cauffiel, which documents the murder spree of lesbian lovers Cathy Wood and Gwen Graham at Alpine Manor Nursing Home in the 80's.

Did anyone ever read "Murder by Family" by Kent Whitaker? Or see that case covered on 48 Hours Mystery? That is such a sad, needless case.

Also, more of a little known murder that occurred here in Houston was that of Susan White. She was murdered by police officer Joseph Kent McGowan in 1992. Her case was covered on American Justice back in the late 90's and a book called "A Warrant to Kill" by Kathryn Casey. Excellent read. I wish I could find the American Justice episode online as I haven't seen it in many years.

Did anyone ever read "Murder by Family" by Kent Whitaker? Or see that case covered on 48 Hours Mystery? That is such a sad, needless case.

Also, more of a little known murder that occurred here in Houston was that of Susan White. She was murdered by police officer Joseph Kent McGowan in 1992. Her case was covered on American Justice back in the late 90's and a book called "A Warrant to Kill" by Kathryn Casey. Excellent read. I wish I could find the American Justice episode online as I haven't seen it in many years.

I was just talking about the Bart Whittaker case on the Other True Crime Shows board. Kane said it was also a Forensic Files episode.

I have the American Justice episode you speak of.

I was just talking about the Bart Whittaker case on the Other True Crime Shows board. Kane said it was also a Forensic Files episode.

I have the American Justice episode you speak of.

My co-worker lives down in Sugarland (where the Whittaker murders took place). She said she has seen Kent Whittaker at the grocery store several times but never has the courage to speak to him.

Is there any way to have that American Justice episode emailed? If not, no big deal.

City Confidential did an episode on this one. I never knew there was a book about it, but thanks for mentioning it here! Class is about to start up for me very soon but I think I'll pick this one up and save it for Christmas break reading.

I went to Skidmore, MO, a few years ago. Pretty small town. A couple of years later a woman from Topeka killed a pregnant lady there (down the street from where the posse killed McEroy) in her home and stole her baby. Odd that two famous crimes occured in the same small farm town in nw MO!
Just realized I am repeating myself so I'll add new content on best books:

Anything by Bugliosi, even his 2 billion page book on the JFK assasination is good as he is a fine writer.

I gave up on Ann Rule a while ago as she seems to be going through the motions nowadays, using a cliched outline for cases just filling in the names of the victims, killer, seasoned police detective, dynamic DA and the crime. Much like what Tom Clancy became in his last years. She or her assistants wrote a book about a crazy woman doctor near where I live who burned down her house and killed her kids to punish her ex (recently i heard she was trying to get a new trial) and the book was a real disappointment.

Her books on Bundy and the GRK are far from the best on those topics in my opinion. The Search for the Green River Killer by Carlton Smith is great because it was written before the capture and the killer is one of the characters in the book (called the Truck Painter). I also like the two books about the New England unsolveds Killing Season by Carlton Smith and The Shadow of Death by Philip Ginsburg.

Hard to narrow down. i have 114 TC books on my Kindle about half of which i have read. many of the older cheapo paperbacks are not digitalized including two of my all time favorites. I recently read the book about the Spotsylvania Killer, Into the Water by Diane Fanning. It was pretty good.

Maury Terry's Ultimate Evil is really great in the oldies category. Go Down Together by Jeff Guinn about Bonnie and Clyde is good particularly after that foolish recent tv miniseries which tried to blame Bonnie for everything.

JJM

If you're looking for good true crime books (and who isn't?) you've just GOT to read Small Sacrifices. Not unlike UM, that book recreates the 80s perfectly and really gives you a sense of the craziness surrounding the murders and trial.

The Night Stalker terrified me worse than anything I've ever read, because this guy (Richard Ramirez, who has since been captured, thankfully) would just literally prey on random people and torture and kill them...doesn't matter if they locked their doors at night or not, they were NOT safe and the book shows how he just killed one right after the other...don't read it alone at night!

The two incidents about Ramirez (who has died in prison BTW) that stand out is that early in his spree he killed a lady in her house but got caught by the roommate. He drove away and then, apparently mad that the second victim got away, shot and killed a woman in her car at a red light.

The other incident is that she killed a woman's husband first as he always did, and the woman pulled out a shot gun and fired at him but it jammed. So he then killed her and was so mad he cut out her eyes (revamped later o nan episode on NCIS).

He eventually got caught because a nerdy kid who was up late at night saw him near the last crime scene and wrote down the license plate number.

The other incident is that she killed a woman's husband first as he always did, and the woman pulled out a shot gun and fired at him but it jammed. So he then killed her and was so mad he cut out her eyes (revamped later o nan episode on NCIS).


I remember seeing the American Justice about this as a kid and this part kept me up at night. I seem to remember that the woman's husband had removed the bullets because the grandchildren had been over that weekend. What unfortunate timing :( He also tried cutting out her heart first before moving to the eyes.

Another part of the episode that scared the hell out of me was a woman hiding from him in her kitchen and peeking up over the counter to see if he was gone; he shot her as soon as she popped up.

I enjoyed Blind Faith by Joe McGinniss (of Fatal Vision fame):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Faith_%28book%29

None of this ever came to pass, as Marshall passed away this February.

He did?! I didn't know that.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that when I watched the TV miniseries when it first aired in 1990, I wanted to believe Marshall was innocent because he was played in the film by Robert Urich. At the time I thought Urich was the coolest actor ever because of his role on Spenser: For Hire. (Hey, I was 14 at the time, cut me some slack.) Years later however I read the book and it convinced me Marshall was guilty.

Fatal Vision (Final Vision with an update in 2012 to rebutt MacDonald's later claims against the original) was the best.

Did anyone know Ann Rule died?!

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/27/living/ann-rule-true-crime-author-dies-feat/index.html

Did anyone know Ann Rule died?!

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/27/living/ann-rule-true-crime-author-dies-feat/index.html

yep, there's a whole thread on it right here on the first page!

I posted the link in the Charley Project thread in the All Other Cases forum today, but wanted to mention it here since the case is talked about in this thread: The bizarre disappearance of Stacy Arras in 1981 was just added to the Charley Project.

I am just finishing up the Jacob Wetterling book "It Can't Happen Here." by Robert M. Dudley. Truth be told, it's kind of disappointing. There is some valuable information in it, but a lot of the same things are just repeated over and over. In the first few pages, he acknowledges that he didn't even attempt to interview any of the family members and I'm thinking: "Why not? Certainly they would want to have some input." The author was quite obviously a novice. Things seemed stretched to the max as if the author was struggling to make the book out long enough. I understand a second edition was released earlier this year to include Daniel Heinrich. The first book had a whole big chapter devoted to listing suspects and providing details about them, but Heinrich isn't mentioned at all. The second edition also has 5 additional chapters. The whole book is just kind of "meh." There are currently zero reviews for it on Amazon.

Hope to be moving onto the Maura Murray book soon.

Fatal Vision (Final Vision with an update in 2012 to rebutt MacDonald's later claims against the original) was the best.

Sure, if you want to prioritize pure fiction and a brutal application of probability combined with the laughable concept of crime scene reconstruction.

I appreciate that more and more cases are surfacing of extremely unusual crimes with stories that are doubted and mocked by the authorities, until proof turns up to validate and vindicate those bizarre stories. I've highlighted several of them on this site.

Jeffrey MacDonald was simply an unfortunate victim of simpleton family members and prosecutors who were desperate to take a legal stab a decade later, and were rewarded by similarly simpleton and vindictive jury members. I'd like to believe that it couldn't happen four plus decades later but that's hardly the case. There's nothing to force those perpetrators to create a so-called normal looking crime scene that satisfies the simpleton authorities, along with conveniently leaving DNA and other physical evidence. Quite the contrary. And as long as those true victims are reporting multiple strange variables that don't jive with tunnel vision logic and an obvious Igor crime scene, innocent people will be charged and convicted. Again, like the Kristin Smart case it's merely an example of normal distribution, no matter how sad.

I'd think that after 40+ years, the only "simpletons" are the defense lawyers for MacDonald, who have never been able to come up with anything concrete with regards to exonerating him.

"Final Vision" was a great rebuttal to McGinniss's critics.

The List by Chet Dettlinger is my favorite by far. The Atlanta Child Murders have always intrigued me and this book is chock full of details. There is another great text on the case titled The Night Stalker (unrelated to the LA case).

Anything by Bugliosi, even his 2 billion page book on the JFK assasination is good as he is a fine writer.

I gave up on Ann Rule a while ago as she seems to be going through the motions nowadays, using a cliched outline for cases just filling in the names of the victims, killer, seasoned police detective, dynamic DA and the crime. Much like what Tom Clancy became in his last years. She or her assistants wrote a book about a crazy woman doctor near where I live who burned down her house and killed her kids to punish her ex (recently i heard she was trying to get a new trial) and the book was a real disappointment.

Her books on Bundy and the GRK are far from the best on those topics in my opinion. The Search for the Green River Killer by Carlton Smith is great because it was written before the capture and the killer is one of the characters in the book (called the Truck Painter).

First, I never thought about reading his JFK book just because it was so long. The reviews on Amazon made it sound like it was trying to read a bank's annual report, full of boring details. But maybe I'll seek it out.

As for Ann Rule, I loved her Bundy book, but her GRK book was boring as hell. As I was reading I found I almost didn't even care if they caught him or not.

First, I never thought about reading his JFK book just because it was so long. The reviews on Amazon made it sound like it was trying to read a bank's annual report, full of boring details. But maybe I'll seek it out.

i think allot of the bad reviews on amazon are from conspiracy nuts. it has a table of context and you can skip to whatever section you would like to read about. theres also smaller version Vincent put out called "Four Days in November" which is a detailed account of the assassination itself, but doesn't go into the conspiracies or anything. it'll also come cheaper. lucky me i got my reclaiming history off ebay for about 8 bucks.