A discussion of "Without a Trace" (the Amy Billig book) for those who have read it...

[Robert Stack, Jr.]

**SPOILERS ABOUND FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ IT**

I first read the book just before the 2012 election, and I re-read it on my vacation last week. I found the book equal parts riveting, tantalizing, and frustrating. It is obviously a foregone conclusion from Page 1 that Amy has never been found, and that both her parents are long gone at this point. Even with that being known, however, it is very hard to put the book down. While the UM segment was interesting in itself, it did not reveal 1/100 of what Susan Billig went through on her quest to find her daughter.

Susan seemed to take strides to not elicit sympathy or pity, and she didn't seem to be complaining about being dealt a bad hand or outright condemning those people who may have done horrible things to her daughter. Rather, the book reads as a non-judgmental chronicle of the Billigs' struggle, and culminates with Susan's peaceful decision to put Amy's memory to rest, and to enjoy her time with remaining family members in her final years. Susan did not seem bitter that her 25-year search was in vain; in fact, she made it certain that she would do it all again.

As with most media of this genre, the story was told from a certain direction, which created some aggravating loose ends. Susan and Ned categorically refused to consider that Amy may have run away intentionally, even though she had a history as a problem child. I find it very hard to believe that Paul Branch ever had any intentions of bringing Amy back to Susan, or if she was even alive as he was making all of those promises. Sue insisted Paul’s intentions were true, because he was not extorting enough money from the Billigs for it to be considered a scam. Sadly, however, he did in fact siphon thousands of dollars from the family, in addition to free lodging on different occasions and free legal representation. The family received neither hyde nor hair of Amy through all of this, and Paul’s reported deathbed confession that she was murdered the night she disappeared seems heart-wrenchingly palpable.

I also feel like Susan wanted the book to be a public service announcement of sorts, although the message of “Never let your children out of your sight because they can disappear forever anytime they walk out the door” could invoke more paranoia than anything healthy. Having said that, technology has marched on, and the anxiety over a situation like this taking place has been diminished by the existence of cell phones and the Internet (one can imagine how much different this case would be with the aid of those two devices).

In closing, I found the book to be a sad, incomplete story of a family who lost their daughter, not to death, but to disappearance. In the end, it proved to be a distinction without a difference, with the exception of the torture the family went through chasing empty lead after empty lead. Like many other stories on UM, I think the family eschewed possible truths in favor of hope, and I guess I may have done the same in their shoes. If you are a fan of the segment and haven’t read the book, it’s worth a look. What it lacks in closure it makes up for in insight, and it will most likely captivate you from beginning to end. For those who have read it, I’d like to hear some of your opinions and interpretations, and maybe some headscratchers you may have. It is a comforting thought that the two people who most wanted answers most likely have them now, but this will always be a riveting, tantalizing, and frustrating case for anybody who still resides on Earth.

[WishfulDreamer]

I read the book around 2012 and haven't reread it yet, but I found it just as suspenseful and fascinating as you did--which says a lot, considering you know from the moment you pick it up that Amy has never been found. I really need to read it again.

For me, I believe Paul's deathbed confession is a complete fabrication. I just don't buy it. The only good that came from it was Susan seemed to have a little closure and peace of mind, but I think she fell prey to another person.

One of the most sickening aspects of the book was people trying to siphon money from the Billigs. I wish all of those individuals could have faced punishment for what they did. The Glasser twins in particular were infuriating. I don't care that they were 16 years old, at that age you know the difference between right and wrong. Susan was well within her rights not to speak to them again when they made attempts to "apologize" in the future.

What do you make of the theory that Henry Blair was responsible for Amy's disappearance?

[Robert Stack, Jr.]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

What do you make of the theory that Henry Blair was responsible for Amy's disappearance?

The thing that turns me off about the Henry Blair aspect of the story is that Sue herself never really seemed to put much stock into him as a suspect. She was open to any concrete information he could give her, of course, but her overall attitude toward him seemed to be that he was a crackpot who was getting off on torturing her. This is justified in that he never truly identified himself, or gave any solid evidence that he knew anything.

As for Amy's diary entry about a guy named Hank with a white van...I put that along the lines of the Clifford Sherwood drivers' license with the same date of birth. Could it be a huge break in the case? Sure. Could it also be a relatively innocuous coincidence? Equally possible.

[soilentgreen]

I really liked the book, but sadly it illustrated how many people have no qualms with taking advantage of a desperate family with few resources. Also the screw ups of some of the early investigators, such as their refusal to dust for fingerprints in Amy's room, until it was too late to obtain them.

Originally Posted by Robert Stack, Jr.

As for Amy's diary entry about a guy named Hank with a white van...I put that along the lines of the Clifford Sherwood drivers' license with the same date of birth. Could it be a huge break in the case? Sure. Could it also be a relatively innocuous coincidence? Equally possible.

I agree. It was a lead that obviously needed to be looked into, but Blair never provided credible details about Amy, and he'd made similar calls to other families over the years. Just my opinion, but it's possible that the first phone call that claimed that Amy was being held by bikers sprang from the then rumors about women being trafficked and murdered by bikers, such as Joe Spaziano, in the Orlando area. One of the bikers that's discussed in the book, Big Jim Nolan, also kidnapped women:

For example, a 1989 case against South Florida Outlaws club president James ''Big Jim'' Nolan revealed that the club once kidnapped a Daytona Beach woman, tortured her by burning her breasts with a hot spoon and then gang-raped her. By the next day, she was dancing at a topless bar.