5 comments about Corroborating Evidence II.

1. This book includes some gory pictures and vivid accounts of some gruesom unsolved murders but the factual accounts presented by the author follow in the footsteps of the killer. Several other theories about the murder of the Black Dahlia seem a little far fetched. Rasmussen's theory seems not only logical but also believable. His in depth research about the Phantom Killer of Texarkana and the Zodiac Killer are fascinating! I highly recommend this book and look forward to future page turners by Mr. Rasmussen..in my opinion his evidential discoveries and knowledge on these monsterous men are on an expertise level.



2. Despite the supposed "corroborating evidence" provided by the author, there is absolutely nothing to connect the Phantom Killer of Texarkana to the Zodiac killer. "Corroborate" is defined as that which 'gives or represents evidence of the truth of something' and there is not one example of evidence provided in Rasmussen's book to even suggest that there's any truth connecting these two, still-at-large, serial killers. First of all, Rasmussen uses some letters written to the stepfather of one of the Phantom Killer's victims and compares them to letters written by the Zodiac. This would be a fine approach if in fact it was known whether or not the letters were actually written by the Phantom Killer, but there's absolutely no proof whatsoever that the letters in question were written by the killer, so what's the point in comparing them? Rasmussen also tries to draw a parallel between these supposed letters from the Phantom Killer to a letter sent to the father of a young woman who was murdered in Riverside, CA. in 1966. However, this victim may not have been murdered by the Zodiac Killer, and it has long been the Riverside Police Department's assertion that she wasn't. Therefore, Rasmussen is not making just one leap in his logic, but several: The Phantom Killer may or may not have written the letters to the murdered victim's stepfather, and the Zodiac may or may not have written the letters to the Riverside victim's father, and may not have even committed that particular crime. Secondly, Rasmussen also notes that both killers wore hoods over their heads when they committed their crimes, but the fact of the matter is that the Zodiac only wore a hood at one crime scene and definitely didn't wear a hood during the commission of at least two other crimes where there were either eyewitnesses or a surviving victim to convey what the killer looked like. Thirdly, the Phantom Killer sexually assaulted and or violated his victims in ways which the Zodiac was never known to do. Rasmussen also points out that both killers had a similar shoe size, the Phantom's being anywhere from 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 and the Zodiac's being approximately 10 1/2. So what? All that this comparison does is narrow the suspect list down to something like 25,000,000 or more. This is hardly "corroborating evidence," as the author suggests. Finally, if the eyewitnesses in the Zodiac case are to be believed when they claimed that the Zodiac was between the ages of 35 and 45 in 1969, are we really supposed to believe that the Phantom Killer of Texarkana was as young as 12 years old when he started his rampage in 1946? It seems kind of strange, and is also very telling, that Rasmussen is willing to ignore this fact. Furthermore, given Rasmussen's bibliography, it's obvious that the only source of research that was used in his study of the Zodiac was a book written by a discredited political cartoonist who was once found guilty of plagiarism. Essentially, this is sloppy research of the highest order. How can Rasmussen claim that he's found "corroborating evidence" when he never even bothered to verify the veracity of the discredited political cartoonist's claims? On page 214 of Rasmussen's book he writes, "In different attacks in California in 1969, the Zodiac wore a hood over his head that did not interfere with his vision and he used a rifle with a flashlight attached to the barrel, thus freeing the other hand." As already explained above, it's only known for sure that the Zodiac wore a hood at one of his crimes, and it was black, not white like the Phantom Killer's was. The Phantom Killer wore a white hood at a number of his crimes. Secondly, the Zodiac never used a rifle to commit any of his crimes, he always used a pistol and at one crime scene used a knife and, unlike the Phantom Killer of Texarkana, the Zodiac never sexually assaulted any of his victims. It's this type of uninformed authorship that gives true crime writers a bad name. If you, as a reader, are interested in spending money on a book that blatantly ignores a plethora of facts in order to propagate an absurd theory, then this book is for you. On the other hand, if you are interested in reading a book that forms its conclusions using hard facts, then this book is to be ignored at all costs.



3. Aftering reading Corroborating Evidence II I found it to be extremely interesting. The possible connections Mr. Rasmussen makes between the Cleveland Torso Murders and the murder of the Black Dahlia, along with the possible connections between the Phantom Killer of Texarkana and the Zodiac Killer, are compelling to say the least. Why didn't anyone pick up on these connections before? Mr Rasmussen is on an amazing track and in my eyes may just solve these puzzling crimes. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading famous unsolved true-crime.



4. I read Rasmussen's first book several months ago and liked it and decided to give the seond book a try. In the first book Rasmussen names Jack Anderson Wilson as the main suspect in the Cleveland Torso Murders, as well as, the Black Dahlia. He points out that in 1937 a lady in the Cleveland Workhouse told Detective Orley May that the person who was committing the Cleveland Torso Murders was a former butcher and sodomist by the name of Jack Wilson. Several years later in Los Angeles one of the suspects in the Black Dahlia case is named Jack Anderson Wilson and he is also a former butcher and sodomist. It seems very strange that this person is named in two separate cases several states away but not impossible. Afterall the cases are separated by 20 years and a serial killer does not stop killing just because he re-located. Apparently this man moved from on place to another because he was originally from Canton Ohio.
   
   In the second book Rasmussen finds connections between the Zodiac Killer and the Phantom Killer of Texarkana. When the Phantom Murders were being committed a letter was sent to the step-father of one of the victims. The letter was typed in all capital letters as if to signify an urgent situtation. It seems that all of the Phantom Killer's letters were typed this way and mention "there will be more." In the Zodiac case there was letter sent to the victim father typed in all capital letters and included the phrase "there will be more." It seems to me that this was the first time anyone mentioned the similar letter styles and content connecting the two cases. There are other similarities in the book connecting the two cases like show size, cloth-hood over the head, etc... Rasmussen does not come out and say that only one person committed the crimes he describes but he does present new information that may be beneficial in solving these murders. For example, Rasmussen compares the "bus bomb" drawing the Zodiac drew to a sewing machine. This seemed a little far fetched to me until I read the reasoning behind it. If this intrigues you pick up a copy of the book for yourself or a loved one.



5. I was so looking forward to this book, as it purports to offer new information about some of my favorite cases...well, the information is new, but only because it largely consists of wild conjecture & speculation, not fact. Why not just come out & say that aliens were responsible (& while you're at it, they probably killed JFK, as well)? The book does contain photos & material not seen elsewhere, but the fantastic stretches it goes to trying to establish a link between some of these crimes are laughable. In the Notes (there are no references, which should have warned me about the quality of scholarship), it becomes apparent that the author has drawn primarily on popular books, newspaper accounts, & Internet sites to formulate his theories, not police reports or any official documents, running the risk of perpetrating errors & myths. Terribly shoddy work & a total disappointment!

1 comments about Chased.

1. This is an excellent book that puts you right in the passenger seat for a thrilling ride. You will be amazed at some of the things you will read. It is an insight in the underworld of drug trafficking and undercover police work.A must for hardcore police work done theol' fashion way - respect and courage!

5 comments about Fire Cops: On the Case with America's Arson Investigators.

1. I have been a firefighter for a year now. My girlfriend purchased this book for me for my birthday. While I don't have a lot of expierence in Arson Investigations this book vividly and correctly portrays the way a fire scene looks. Too many times people view firefighting and public safety as a "flashy" job. This book portrays the incident scene in a sober, but exciting way. A must have for anyone interested in the Fire Service and Law Enforcement!



2. I have been in the fire service for over 30 years and the past 23 as an arson investigator in a large metropolitan city. The authors have taken the time in most cases to listen to the people actually doing the work on a day-to-day basis. They are to be commended for this. For the person having questions what this job is all about, this book will spell it out in frank detail. This is a subject that is interesting but all too often overlooked by most writers.



3. The stories are great and do justice to the field of fire investigation. What surprised me was the quality of the writing! Usually technical subjects do not attract talented authors. This is an undiscovered gem in the realm of literature.



4. If you are already interested in fire fighting and arson investigation in particular, then you will find this book very interesting, with lots of real life stories. A novice however will find little excitement and too much in depth information to keep up interest.



5. If you are a rank amateur and just want to get some really interesting facts and information based on 'model' fires that occurred in real life, this book is a great book to start with.

   I purchased the book with an interest in just enough details to allow me to 'talk the language' in a book I am writing where an arson investigator is one of the characters.

   I think you'll find this book as fascinating as I did.

5 comments about The Fortune Hunter (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. Very confusing. The Author does not write in chronological order. The first page starts off about the victim's dogs!! Then back and forth between the shooting and the trial. Nothing much about the backgrounds of the victim & the people involved in the case - just a few sentences. It's hard to keep up with who's who and how they know the victim and his wife who was convicted of having her husband murdered by her lesbian lover. I recommend that if you want to read about this case then buy "She Wanted it all" by Kathryn Casey - she is a great writer and gets to the point - not going on about dogs and the weather. I really don't know how Suzy Spencer got her book published - its just too disorganised.



2. I shouldn't be writing a review of a book I didn't even finish. I could barely get myself to read more than two chapters..such a hard book to follow and I read alot of true crime! Instead of saying "Couldn't put it down", it's more like, "Couldn't wait to put it down"



3. This book about the Steven Beard killing was very difficult to follow, and jumps around frequently so you are never sure if you are reading stuff that happened before the murder or after the murder. The pictures in the middle are interesting, and not in the far superior book on the case All She Wanted by Katherine Casey so that is why I am giving it 2 stars instead of 1.



4. I also can't get past the first few chapters. This book sounds like the author's notes published in stream-of-consciousness. There's no real order to it. It doesn't appear to have been edited, either. If this were the first true-crime book I read, I'd never read another. My problem is that I didn't read the reviews first. This book is going in the trash.



5. I can't even beging to get into how horrible this book was. It jumps all over the place, doen't make any damn sense and she is THE WORST WRITER IN THE HISTORY OF WRITING.

5 comments about Arsenic Under the Elms.

1. I bought this book on a Saturday and once I started I couldn't put it down. Ms. McConnell writes about two obscure murders in Victorian Connecticut in a style that compels the reader to keep turning the pages. Learning about the mores and workings of the criminal justice system during this period was fascinating! I highly recommend it!



2. The author's enthusiasm for these compelling stories is apparent in her research and writing. She brings to life two still-shocking crimes with a refreshing lack of sensationalism. However, the writing itself rarely rises above the level of a bright college sophomore's term paper. In spots, the editing is poor, for example, the author will reference facts that hadn't been presented yet by that point in the book. Too much attempt is made to judge by modern mores and motives, sometimes implicitly and sometimes explicitly (repeated comparisons to the OJ Simpson trial, for example)...further research into social history of the time would have improved the book. It's often not entirely clear what facts are documented (or how) and what is speculation, even with reference to the copious footnotes. Worth a read, but look for it at the library.



3. this was a great book! I loved the comparison of how the world & justice worked in the time setting of the 2 stories versus how we have it now. I am fasinated by the victorian era & true crime. This book blended both into a very ingrossing experience. I can't wait to read her 2nd book "Sympathy for the Devil:the Emmanuel Baptist Murders." and hope there will be more after that!



4. "Arsenic Under the Elms" is thoroughly an intriguing, mind challenging read. I felt Virginia A. McConnell did a wonderful job presenting the known facts, as well as including her speculations, but leaving the final verdict up to the reader. The explanations of the era and how they dealt with these sorts of crimes, as well as how they dealt with it legally and medically were very educational and thought provoking. I'm sure many criminalists, physiologists, lawyers, judges, and crime scene analysts, would have a field day solving these crimes. If only they had the technology of today, back then. Even if your genre is not "true crime," this book is a great read. I recommend.



5. "Arsenic Under the Elms" focuses on the murders of two women from Victorian New Haven & their subsequent trials. These stories are as much about the actual crimes as they are about the norms for court trials in this period. There is also a good bit of information on advancement in scientific evidence during the late 1800s. I found the entire book very engrossing, & it would likely appeal to anyone interested in the social mores of 19th century America as well as lovers of true crime books.

3 comments about The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate (Onyx).

1. You'll support the death penalty after reading this



2. The other "review" listed here is completely worthless.

   The book is interesting, if not particularly well-written; contains lots of information about the "trailside killer" in the SF Bay Area. Contains lots of information about the background of the killer, and about the killings.

   I'm not sure I'd recommend buying it, being out of print, but it's certainly worth checking out of the library.




3. No surpise that Graysmith's sophomore true crime book (his first being Zodiac) would be about the Trailside Killer. I remember his rampage well, having spent my entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although not quite as well written, it still is a fascinating look at San Francisco's "other" serial killer.

1 comments about Arthur Shawcross: The Genesee River Killer : The Grisly True Crime Account of the Rochester Prostitute Murders!.

1. If you want to know anything about the Genesee River Killings then this is the book you are after, it goes into the detail you want and leaves out nothing. A great read and a good reference point for those studying the serial killer genre. Highly recommended.

2 comments about The Jack the Ripper Suspects: Persons Cited by Investigators and Theorists.

1. This book just misses the four star mark - The final factor in grading was the price. If a paperback copy comes along for under twenty dollars, I would push the book up to four stars. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book, but not good enough to merit the forty five dollar asking price. I was able to get a copy for twenty-five, and that was plenty to spend on this book. Alright, now that I've talked about the price, let me talk about the book. The title states " seventy persons CITED" - If you buy this book keep that in mind, because in many cases that's pretty much all you get. The book I feel could have been so much better. No pictures of any of the seventy persons to be found in the book, and please note there are extant pictures of some of these people. I'm afraid that a novice to the ripper murders will become confused, as the suspects are not treated with enough detail. Very brief on most subjects. This author certainly has gone to lengths in finding all the sources, and does a great job in listing them at the end of each suspect. The strength of the book lies in the fact that if a certain suspect interest you, you will know exactly where to go to find more information on the subject in question. The author also gives his opinion, and you are to treat it as fact, and not to question - He does have some good thoughts, and opinions, but it AIN'T the gospel. If your after a listing of suspects, and where to look for addiional informaton this book serves that purpose excellently and gets an A+ for that. However, if your looking for a book that goes into unbiased detail with an open mind, I'm afraid this book misses that mark. It is an interesting read, and I do recommend it for beginners and for well versed ripper reseachers. However, I don't recommend it, if it cost you over thirty dollars.



2. Excellent book, lists suspects not yet discussed, written in a totally unbiased opinion,direct an to the point, doesn't go over facts already known in boring detail, touches on what we already know without boring us half to death. I loved the book. Stan did a great job, he voiced his opinion on other author's suspects with tact . He did not only oppose other's opinions with the usual here's why not, he also listed the here's why this person should still be considered. A very professional writing with a down to earth opinion, for the pluses and the minuses. I would highly recommend this book for J the R fans as myself. Good job Stan great forward also Christopher.
   Best regards judyjanes (ripper fan for years)

5 comments about Secrets Never Lie: The Death of Sara Tokars--A Southern Tragedy of Money, Murder, and Innocence Betrayed.

1. I couldn't put it down.

   I had a hard time deciding who I disliked more...Fred Tokars (who looks like a stork) or his arrogantly sexist attorney, Jerry Froelich (he never married? Wonder WHY!).

   Also, I was SO sick and tired of excuses being made for the gun man, crack addict Curtis Rower....poverty, ad nauseam. (Addiction is a choice and he chose to do drugs! )

   Where are these defense attorneys' consciences? I truly believe that some of them would defend Hitler if he could come up with the retainer .

   I felt sorry for Sara, but she jumped into a second marriage WAY too fast. There had to be SOME way she could have left abusive, controlling Fred Tokars. There had to be some divorce attorneys around who didn't want $2,500 up front and charge $175 per hour. Why didn't she ask her family for the money?

   And Sara's family....the Ambruskos all need counseling desperately. They have let Fred Tokars win because they have allowed him to destroy their lives as well as those of Sara's sons, Rickey and Mike.

   NO woman SHOULD stay in that kind of abusive relationship. There are too many other places to go in this day and age...too many resources.




2. There is a certain type of true crime book that spends a great deal of space making the victim look perfect so the villain looks even blacker. I think this is a ploy that shortchanges the victim and the readers. The author spends so much time telling us how perfect the victim was that she seems more a plaster csst than a real woman who suffered and died.

   There was potentially a very powerful story there: the struggle of the family's quest for vengeance (sort of an Old Testament eye for an eye thing) against the defense team who was trying to save the accused from the death penalty with equal passion. Of course the author spends too much time beatifying one side and demonizing the other to write a really good book. I found myself feeling somewhat queasy about some of the actions on both sides. And as someone else complained, there's no explantion as to how these people arrived at the place that led to the tragedy.

   Finally, I would like someone to tell me that the title means. Secrets don't lie and they don't tell the truth. They just are-- and sometimes when they are revealed they cause problems for someone.




3. I went to junior high school with Fred Tokars and to senior high school with Sara Ambrusko in Amherst, NY. I knew Fred slightly better however it was only an occasional conversation usually about music. He hung out with a different crowd of friends than I. I do however, remember him as a bit arrogant and somewhat of a "know it all" who would talk to you when he needed information about something. At other times he could walk right by you like he didn't know you. So, the personality traits were already in motion. Sara, on the other hand, was very kind and had a very sweet personality. Somehow I could not really see them together. I guess that Fred did a good job of "putting on a different face" when they dated. After I read about what had happened I was in shock. However, when I started to think about it and especially after I read the book, I could definately see how it happened. I did not know Fred's mother Phyllis but get the impression that she felt her son could do no wrong and maybe that was the start of Fred's problems. It is so hard to understand how someone could be so cold hearted and such a manipulator. I don't know what caused the rift between he and his older sister. I found the book to be well written however it did drag on in some places. It was hard to keep up with the cast of characters and I found myself always looking back to see who was who. I hope that the boys are doing well and that one of Sara's sisters has them. I heard that Sara's father passed away a couple of years ago and I always felt so badly for what the Ambrusko family was put through. I believe that life in prison for Fred is much harder for him to take than the death penalty would have been. I am sure he is still convinced in his mind that he did nothing wrong. It is a very sad story.



4. I agree with one of the reviewers who thought that the author spent a lot of time making the victim look perfect. I kept wondering why Sara Tokars didn't leave her husband especially since she came from a family with money. I know people who grew up in Amherst, NY and it's a very affluent suburb. Yes, Fred was not a nice person and a terrible husband but Sara could have left him if not for her sake then at least for her sons. Also, the copy editing in this book was very sloppy. I found errors in dates such as Monday, March 7, 1993 instead of Monday, March 7, 1994. Did anyone bother to look at a calendar?



5. Sure, it happened in the South, but both of the Tokars
   were Yankee transplants from NY State. There was
   nothing Southern about either of them.
   
   I used to see Fred Tokars' sleazy commercials on
   local TV during the '80s. I knew the guy was
   a crook then.

2 comments about Loss of Innocence: A True Story of Juvenile Murder.

1. I loved this book and was surprised to see that it is out of print. I wanted to order it to send to a friend. I remember that I have an extra copy and will send it to her for Christmas. She loves murder mysteries just as I do, so I am certain she will find it as interesting and entertaining as I did.



2. This book is about my cousins, and is a true story that shattered our family. The spritual journey that my Aunt and Uncle went through as a result of this tragedy, has changed my life, and I'm sure will change the lives of all who read it.
   God can bring good out of all things, even something as horrible as this. I Highly recommend that you read this book.