1 comments about Heat: Fire C.S.I. and the War on Arson and Murder.

1. This book is great. it really shows you the ins and outs of Arson Investigations. It keeps you entertained and makes you feel like you are their going through the cases. One interesting part about this book is that, while some books keep you on one case, this one has many different cases that are each about a chapter, and you really get to see the history and different personalitys of the Fire Marshals. If you are interested in a new kind of detective story or you are considering going into Firefighting or becoming an Arson investigator this book really helps explain what it takes, and at the same time, entertains the reader. One of the best stories is, An F.M. goes into a building and gets in a fight with a suspect, having to finally injure him by shooting him. One of the cops comes up to him and says, you damn FM, you need a real gun. So the FM goes out and buys a Magnium, and he said suspects never put up a fight again.
   
   but all in all, this book was great, you learn about fire and the men that fight them and the stories that are told. i just wish the book had been longer, because although it was great, i wanted to keep reading, i didnt want it to end.

5 comments about Internet Slave Master (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. Living in the Kansas City area I was particularly interested in the John Robinson case and followed it avidly. Glattt has done an excellent job in recounting the case and his research is first class. He also goes further and breaks new facts on the case which have never come to light before. I was very impressed by his writing style and attanetion to detail. I would recommend this to all true crime fans and have done so. This one is way up there with In Cold Blood.



2. This story blew my mind. I had just finished the book when I stopped for fuel at the NM/AZ state line on I-40. There was a state police computer printout hanging on the door, warning women against chatting with men on the internet because of the "internet slavemaster." The state police (NM) were asking for any information in connection to this internet entity. I couldn't believe it.

   Then, when I arrived in Holbrook, AZ, I ran into four highway patrolmen at a truckstop diner and asked them about the notice. We engaged in an hour-long conversation about how a predator like this can disguise himself as an upstanding member of the community and keep everybody fooled. We had the book out and several people seemed mesmerized by our discussion of this story. It has that effect! It is just so unbelievable that people are astounded.

   If you have not read this book, get it! This man was the first to harness the internet for serial killing. Boy, it will drive home the fact that there is no safe ground anymore. If you have children, you will be concerned about what they are doing online. It will make you look at your computer in a whole new light. It will also make you start wondering about all those upstanding citizens that you know so well ... or do you really know them at all?

   There is a flip side to this story - the world of S&M and the women that were surfing for a "master." This man could not have lured them if they had not been presenting themselves as victims. That is where the game is so dangerous - you just never know when it is going to get out of hand. I would think that it is not something you would readily trust to a stranger. I think that is the part of this story that astounds people the most. Why would a woman readily place herself into the role of slave to a complete stranger?

   The author has done a fabulous job of presenting the facts in a flowing narrative that keeps you reading. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I can't imagine what he could have done to improve it. It was outstanding!




3. John Robinson was a businessman, Eagle Scout and Man of the Year. Very few people knew the real John Robinson. Three quarters of the book deals with the prior crimes committed by John. He was always setting up new businesses and trying to get people to invest. Each time the police caught him, he would start up another business.
   While only a quarter of the book dealt with his new found internet lifestyle. The book was well written except for the ending, when the reader is left wonder what actually happened.



4. This is a must read book for all of the people who interact on the net with "FRIENDS".



5. I first came across this book as it was listed in another reviewer's listmania list. Given its lofty reviews, I was excited when I finally came across a used copy of this out-of-print book. For the most part, the book did not disappoint.
   
   John Edward Robinson may go down as the first internet serial killer. However, the route to his crime was less than conventional. From fraud, theft, to various other scams, Robinson fits the profile of a career criminal. It was only when his BDSM lifestyle began to spiral out of control that his criminal world closed in on him. Like many criminals, his crimes became sloppy toward the end of his run. Even if Robinson appears reasonably clean early in the book, the search warrants toward the end lend an explosive image to the crimes.
   
   The one major flaw I saw with the book is its inability to finish the story. The book ends with the case going to trial. Why end the book before the story is finished? I needed to do an internet search to learn of the court rulings.

5 comments about Murder in Hollywood: Solving a Silent Screen Mystery.

1. Having anticipated Charles Higham's treatment of the unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor to be the book-to-end-all-books on the subject, my disappointment was palpable as I trudged through the final pages of this incoherent, typo-ridden volume. Presuming that Higham's facility with biographies would transfer well to the true-crime genre, I expected his effort here to be as polished and well-researched as his previous work; instead this book is a convoluted mess. Besides going into lengthy, irrelevant detail about the lives of people having absolutely nothing to do with the murder (i.e., Neva Gerber, Julia Crawford Ivers, etc.), Higham rambles endlessly, repeating himself often while at the same time curiously managing to contradict himself. His irritating habit of drawing conclusions without providing any real evidence to support his theories throws the entire presentation off kilter. For example, his insistence that an unidentified suicide victim found in Connecticut was Taylor's former employee, Edward Sands, simply because Higham feels that Sands should have killed himself, is simply preposterous. To add insult to injury, this book seems not to have been proof-read - there are a plethora of glaring typos that even a second-grade child would have caught. The fact that Higham had access to files previously unavailable only frustrates the reader further, as his continuous failure to present this new evidence in anything approaching a cohesive fashion denies the reader a clear understanding of such material. Perhaps I expected too much simply due to Higham's reputation - but I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. Its one saving grace (and perhaps what makes it a worthwhile volume for the silent film buff) is the sprinkling of rare photos including portraits of Mabel Normand, Mary Miles Minter and a strange photo of the usuallly dapper Taylor in a frilly nightgown(!). In my opinion, anyone interested in the William Desmond Taylor murder case would do better with the two previous books written on the subject: A Deed of Death by Robert Giroux and A Cast of Killers by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick. Both vastly surpass Higham's scattered tale in clarity, form and content, and both have a style and cohesiveness that Higham's sorely lacks.



2. The unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor is a striking and unusual case, in the sense that Taylor's still-mysterious life was perhaps even stranger than his death. I don't believe I've ever read of a homicide where there are so many bizarre characters involved, and so many contradictory, missing, outlandish, and disputed pieces to the puzzle surrounding this enigmatic antique dealer-turned runaway spouse-turned vagabond-turned actor-turned director. I have yet to read one account of the case that does not directly clash with all the others.
   
   Unfortunately, Charles Higham has done nothing at all to clarify, let alone solve, this frustrating homicide. I am amazed that his publishers allowed such a muddled, weak book to go to press. He simply launches the book with an assumption of who the guilty party was, gives a glib "solution" to the murder based on what he airily calls "circumstantial evidence" (evidence that he never sees fit to share with his readers,) and, essentially, forces his audience to just take his word for it that this is what happened. While I can't dispute that it's possible the murder unfolded as he claims, on the other hand, Higham gives us no proof whatsoever that it did. The rambling and irrelevant digressions noted by previous reviewers are, I think, simply necessary padding to cover up the fact that his case against his prime suspect could be summed up in two or three lines.
   
   Higham also has the annoying habit of dropping in little bombshells without providing any elaboration or even evidence of his claims. He says former DA Buron Fitts may well have shot himself using the gun used to murder Taylor. How does he know? He claims his alleged murderer made a "deathbed confession" to a nurse, who subsequently disappeared. Where did this story come from? Much of Higham's book is based on an unpublished memoir allegedly written by a now-dead man, which claims he had a long affair with Taylor. Is this memoir at all accurate? Corroborated by any other accounts? Or could it be fraudulent? If Higham bothered to find answers to these questions, he kept that to himself.
   
   All in all, this book was a most irritating read.



3. This is Charles Higham at his worst. Sidney Kirkpatrick's A Cast of Killers is still hands down the best.



4. I read 'A Cast of Killers' in one sitting in 1986. I think its a fascinating, well written intro to the William Desmond Taylor murder of 1922. However, countless film purists(none of whom have published their own research) deride it as not being factual to the point of complete invention, even though the author used King Vidor's notes. Vidor and Kirkpatrick were storytellers, first and foremost.
   That being said, I think 'Murder in Hollywood' is getting a bad rap here. I do think it requires some knowledge of the players in the Taylor case, is a tad dry and whether Mr. Higham's conclusions are definitive is anyone's guess. I for one, really don't want this grand old mystery solved; 85 years later, I think its insoluable. While MIH does tend to branch off the trail a bit: the last few pages, which focus on Higham's take on the murder, held me in a grip: as any good story should ultimately do.
   Regardless of how this tale is told, Mary Miles Minter and Mabel Normand were tragic figures; one had the benefit of an early death, the other...who knows. Baby Jane? Sunset Boulevard? Neither? What is needed to complement this is a more detailed look at Minter's later years from 1957-1984.
   **For a bonus, pop over to You Tube, search 'Mary Miles Minter' and you'll hear a 1970 audio recording of the old gal talking with the author(in that arresting but creepy Broadway-British accent he refers to in MIH) about her visit to Taylor's body at the funeral home. Delicious!
   Bottom line: If you're nuts about old Hollywood, I recommend this as a companion to ACOK...critics of both be damned.



5. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. ITS A HACK JOB FULL OF LIES AND THATS ALL THIS HIGHAM DOES. LOOK AT ALL THE LIES HE TOLD OF ERROL FLYNN AND WAS PROVEN WRONG BY FRIENDS AND THE FBU FILES HE SAID HE USED AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HIS BOOK.HE JUST REWROTE OTHER AND BETTER BOOKS.THIS MAN IS A MERCHANT OF LIES AND BASELESS ACCUSATIONS.HIS BOOKS ARENT GOOD ENOUGH TO UE AS TOILET PAPER. HIS PUBLISHERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED.

No comments about Love and Death in Kathmandu: A Strange Tale of Royal Murder.

5 comments about Damaged Goods (Pinnacle True Crime).

1. The gaping holes in the prosecution's theory of this case are conspicuous in this book by the fact that they are totally ignored. The book has no legitimacy because the author uses no critical judgment whatsoever in analyzing the evidence. He just gets on the prosecutor's bandwagon and leads the cheers.

   The author also turns a blind eye to prosecutorial misconduct and outright criminal activity by the district attorney, preferring instead to ladle in more and more embarrassing information about the defendant. Instead of an analysis of a murder case, what we wind up with is a modified version of the Kenneth Starr report: 300 pages of smut and no evidence.

   If you want to read hero worshipping of the cops and the DA, this is the book for you. If you want a real analysis of the crime, get another book about this case.

   I don't think the man did the crime.




2. I thought this book was very good. Dan Willoughby is an arrogant hypocrite. He sheds his skin like a snake. I hope he goes down in flames with his new trial along with his playmate. I stand totally behind Thera Huish and her family!



3. This is a well written, true crime book. It tells the story of a self absorbed, sociopathic personality. It is the story of a married man, Dan Willoughby, who, during a mid-life crisis, decided he wanted to marry the sexy, wanton, and amoral Yesenia Patino with whom he had been cheating on his wife. Instead of simply divorcing his wife, Trish, the mother of his children, he decided to kill her, motivated soley by greed.
   
   Masquerading as a hard working, devout mormon, family man for many years, Dan Willoughby was nothing more than a con man, gulling all those whom he knew. The ensuing investigation of the murder revealed Willoughby to be a real bottom feeder. A liar, a cheat, a thief, and, ultimately, a murderer, Willoughby would not escape the long arm of the law, as his dead wife's family would not let the matter rest in their pursuit for justice.
   
   Dan arranged to commit the brutal murder in Mexico and planned an elaborate charade that included using his children in his murder scenario. He ensured that they would be the ones to find their dead, blood soaked mother. He went to all this trouble so that he could get some insurance money, his wife's share of a thriving business, and the freedom to marry the person with whom he had become obsessed, Yesenio Patino. Little did he know that his wife would have the last laugh from the grave, as the police investigation revealed that Ms. Patino was a transsexual who had once been a man and had had a sex change operation! It was a fact that Ms. Patino had conveniently neglected to tell Willoughby.
   
   The author paints a compelling portrait of the personalities involved in this matter. It persuasively lays out the details of the events that propelled Willoughby to the consummate finale. The police investigation and courtroom drama is succintly summarized. The book is neither a police nor courtroom procedural. What the author attempts to do is provide a portrait of those who were in some way involved in this matter. In that, it certainly succeeds. Persuasively written, the book leaves the reader with little doubt as to the guilt of Dan Willoughby and his accomplice, Yesenio Patino.
   
   The book provides sixteen pages of photographs of the parties involved in this tragedy. It is a compelling and absorbing read that will keep the reader turning the pages. Those who enjoy reading well written books in the true crime genre will enjoy this one. It will certainly appeal to fans of Ann Rule and Jack Olsen.



4. to the gentelmen who said that he did not think that Dan did it. Think what it would be like to walk in on YOUR mother, Yes this is the oldest daughter. This book was very well written, very true. Jim stuck to the facts, and to the truth of the story. Just makes you think how can someone involve their children. I had a hard time getting through the book, but on the other hand it was hard to put down. Dan is a very evil man, and the hurt he has caused us all will never go away. We just have to get on with our lives. I know that I sleep better knowing that he is in prison and will be there for a long time. He is very minipulating, that comes across in the book.



5. I was one of Dan Willoughby's victims. I didn't meet him until after he went to prison, and I bought into his lying manipulating mind-set. I believed everything he said. It wasn't until he accused me of getting in touch with his jury consultant, whom I never even knew was being considered, that I realized that this guy is a person who has to have someone to blame for everything that goes wrong in his life. Always.
   
   I now believe that he cultivated the relationship with Yesenia, only so he could set her up to take the fall for Trish's murder, all by her/himself.
   
   Mr. Henderson's book tells the facts of the case in an easily readable, and truthful way.

5 comments about The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crime: The Biggest and Best Collection of Unsolved Murder and Mystery Cases (Mammoth Book of).

1. No truer statement has ever been made! If you like true crime books you MUST pick this one up. Like other Wilkes books it is compiled of essays written about unsolved crime. They are presented VERY well and some are very good reading. The good thing about this book is that they take all kinds of cases and present them to you for your thoughts. Some of the crimes were 'solved' but the evidence was flimsy, at best. Some of the crimes (Jack the Ripper, The Zodiac Killer, etc.) were never solved. For you armchair crime solvers this book has everything you could possibly want.



2. This book is a compilation of short works written by many different writers over the last 150 years or so. Therefore, the quality of writing varied greatly from chapter to chapter.

   Each chapter is devoted to a separate unsolved crime (mostly murders), going all the way back to Jack the Ripper. Some of the chapters were merely a couple of pages, and were unable to do much except describe the bare facts of the case.

   I had to give this book 3 stars, because some of the chapters WERE interesting. But some of them were drudgery to get through.




3. Thin and perfunctory renderings of common information: an absolutely dull stew with no visceral effect whatsoever. The historical content is vague & undocumented, and only marginally above that of pulp magazines. There are so many better books than this: don't bother!



4. This book's overall effect is uneven, since it's a compilation of many different authors' works. It is definitely not meant as scholarship. Some of the essays (such as Philips Sugden's "Jack the Ripper") give a thorough overview of the case discussed. Many are not so worthwhile. A few of the stories (e.g., F. Tennyson Jesse's "Checkmate" and Morris Markey's "Who Killed Joe Elwell?") present the basic evidence and then draw a wild conclusion that is not necessarily supported by it, while others do no more than express the writer's personal feelings about the crime and suspect (e.g., Sydney Horler's "The Hoop-La Murder Trial"). As the writings were made during various decades, the prejudices of these different times are evident. Authors occasionally assume the reader is well-versed in stories that are only local or have now been forgotten. And because several of the authors writing on American crimes are British, the American reader can amuse herself with their errors and biases. (Horler's essay, originally published in 1940, mentions a barbershop quartet song called "Sweet Adelaide" [Adeline, duh] and refers to "the highly-spiced sex magazines in which American journalism abounds.")
   
   Yet, reading this book gave me some unexpected insights. I was shocked to see how many obvious miscarriages of justice have taken place in the public eye, often due to personal prejudices on the part of judges and officials. (For example, Louis Stark's report on the Sacco and Vanzetti case quotes Governor Fuller as rejecting the testimony of 18 witnesses because "they were all Italians".) And it was instructive to see how the public reacted to these notorious crimes. The outcomes of several trials covered in the book were apparently decided by local opinion. In one story, an innocent man commits suicide because he has received so many anonymous hate letters. And the brilliance of some defense lawyers' testimony shows how difficult it is to actually solve some crimes "beyond a reasonable doubt".
   
   Many of the authors are well-known: they include Damon Runyon, Rebecca West, James Thurber, and Irving Wallace. Fans might enjoy their contributions to crime writing.



5. it's true that since the essays are by many different authors there is a great range in the quality of writing and the validity of the content. However, this is a Mammoth book and enough of the articles are excellent that I realy don't have any qualms recommending this book. Some of the sections are dry and some of the writers seem to have adopted the title of "Armchair Detective" but alot of it is just plain interesting and a good chunk of it is obscure.
   
   Highlights:
   
   The Obsession With the Black Dahlia (The Black Dahlia Murder)
   A Coincidence of Corpses (The Brighton Trunk Murders)
   Jack the Ripper (The Whitechapel Murders)
   Florence Maybrick (The Death of James Maybrick)
   
   however if you're looking for something a bit more constistantly awesome I recommend The Cases That Haunt Us it's by and FBI profiler, so you know he's a bit better than an armchair detective.

4 comments about Cowboys and Indians: The Shooting of J.J. Harper.

1. This long overdue examination of the criminal justice system in Canada vis a vis the aboriginal peoples and more particularly, the death of native leader J.J. Harper reads like In Cold Blood or a remarkable work of fiction. But it is anything but the latter. From the opening flash forward suicide to the ultimate closure, Sinclair utilizes his years of experience as an investigative journalist to tell the story, the violence, sex, corruption and human frailty in an objective yet compelling manner. Well written, painful and not for the squeamish. A must read for anyone who thinks that prejudice is restricted to one geographical area, race etc. A fascinating and remarkable first book.



2. Once, many lives ago, I worked near Logan and Main in inner-city Winnipeg, Canada.

   At the time, it was the epicenter of poverty and hopelessness, a toxic mix and this neighborhood, referred to as Urban Renewal Area II when I was there, is as bleak as any ghetto in any country. Native Canadians, the racial group who populate the area, are much like any group who are denied their place in the sun - displaced, despondent, frustrated, and angry at the power structure that oppresses them and sooner or later things reach a point where their issues must be addressed.

   Sometimes it takes a riot, sometimes an assassination.

   Unfortunately, it took too long after a troubled white policeman's murder of J. J. Harper, a First Nations leader, for the investigations by judicial commissions to break through the "blue wall" and place blame where it needed to go -- on bigoted cops. The police power structure was forced to examine itself and start to change. (Perhaps they all had a cold and couldn't smell the stink of institutional racism.)

   Sinclair, on the side of the angels and the aboriginals, crafts a fast paced narrative, which he previously reported on as a columnist for the local paper. His style is smooth, economical, and concise and he covers the upheavals that began at Harper's death deftly and with compassion. (Almost every one here is a casualty including the victim, the cop that killed him and their families.)

   The book moves with authority and slices and dices through the ultimately futile smokescreens thrown up by the police with a well-practiced hand. The recounting of this tragic story is good for Sinclair's readers and ultimately good for all of the people in the City of Winnipeg.

   I was in Winnipeg last week and the centre of the city is poorer and more natives have moved in. The white flight continues. The First Nations people are still marginalized.

   Maybe there's more hope because of this book.




3. I have been a fan of the writings of Gordon Sinclair Jr. since the inception of his newspaper column many years ago. In the writing of this book, he has relayed the details of this event in such a way, that it is embarrassing to acknowledge what went on between the local Police Department and the First Nations people. No, it wasn't the "Indians" who were the "bad guys." Sinclair has written the truth and portrayed Winnipeg's justice system for what it was then: a farce. Even admitting his own indiscretions only makes Sinclair more believable in the readers' eyes. Who would lay bare their foibles in black and white? Only an honest journalist with nothing to lose. This is a book that should be read and analyzed by all students, not just in Manitoba, but across Canada. We need to see that the truth will continue to be known by the next generation, so J.J. Harper's death will not be in vain.



4. I was given this book to read as part of my journalism program in the city where Gordon Sinclair Jr writes his column. I wasn't too familiar with his writing prior to beginning this book, and I hope not to become anymore familiar with it afterward.
   
   Basically, the story in the book is one that needed to be told. A Native man, guilty of no crime, named J.J. Harper, was killed in a struggle with a police officer in the late 1980's. The police officer, Robert Cross, was almost immediately absolved of any responsibility in the incident, until a number of inquiries into the death of J.J. Harper were called. The book is a detailed account of the inquiries and the people affected by them - with firsthand interviews and transcriptions of the events that transpired over a number of years.
   
   While I was moved by the story, and intrigued by the evidence and stories of the people in the story, Sinclair's writing is rotten. There are a vast number of editorial mistakes, and Sinclair is near-slanderous in some of his writings and editorializing. The worst part of it all is his insertion into the story. I've read many works by authors (journalists to be specific) which use themselves in the story - but only to further the understanding of the person or topic that is being discussed. Sinclair goes too deep into his own personal life, relaying tales of his infidelity and nights at bars and strip clubs. Aside from that, Sinclair goes on to build up his importance in the book, as if he alone was responsible for breakthroughs in the story, and his opinion caused law and police officials to suddenly change their minds on certain topics.
   
   All in all, if you are interested in true crime stories - that are quite detailed and complex (I'd reccommend keeping a list of names of people and who they are beside you as you read this book as Sinclair doesn't do many favours for those who forget a name or two) - then try reading this book. Its not bad, but I feel as though Harper's story could've been better told, or at least, better written.

5 comments about Zero at the Bone, Story of Gene Simmons Mass Murderer.

1. Zero at the Bone is without a doubt one of the most horrifying accounts of family massacre ever written. Williams very clearly gets across to the reader the contents of Ronald Gene Simmons' twisted, sick mind. His obsessive lust/love for his daughter Sheila is horrifying; and the detailed steps Simmons took to wipe out his immediate family detail him as nothing less than totally mad. The reader cannot help but feel saddened for Sheila, for she is truly a victim of her father's depraved actions. Simmons' wife Becky is a tragic figure, yet she possesses a core of steel which sustains her up until her murder. Simmons is nothing short of a monster, and Williams spares no words in getting this point across. A note of caution: DO NOT read this book before bedtime!! It is capable of producing some of the worst nightmares, and I would not recommend it for those with weak constitutions. I am an Arkansas native, and remember very vividly these murders. And 15 years later, it still sends shudders down my spine.



2. The story of Ronald Gene Simmons and the worst family mass murder in US history. These murders actually happened in my hometown of Dover, AR when I was 8 years old. The book does very well at bringing the craziness of Simmons to the forefront and will give you chills. An excellent read.



3. I have been reading true crime for as long as I can remember. And although you always feel frustration, anger, disgust, and a wide variety of other emotions toward the murderers and sympathy for the victims and their families, this particular book hit me harder than any I have ever read. Often times I was unsure as to whether I could continue reading; not because the book was boring or not well written (quite the contrary, actually), but because of the emotions that the paragraphs describing the heartless, brutal, selfish crimes commmited by Gene Simmons evoked from me.
   
   For writing style, detail, and organization, this is one of the best books I have ever read. As for the crime that is the foundation, it is the worst about which I have ever read.



4. Until I picked up this book, I had no idea about the crimes committed by Gene Simmons not the Kiss musician but a man who tortured, abused, traumatized, dehumanized, etc. of his own wife, children, and relatives. Gene Simmons was a war hero who earned a Bronze Medal for his services during Vietnam. Despite a military career, Gene's obsession with order and documentation and the control of his own large family. On December 22, 1987, the book begins with an introduction of the crime about a man murdering his own family before Christmas in the Ozarks of Arkansas. The book and it's writers should be commended for writing about this case after Gene's death by execution in 1990 which is suitable punishment for his crimes which are not just murder but cold calculated murder. When you read how he planned and plotted for months for this crime spree, you just get chills to think this is how he treats his own family and people who loved him regardless of the constant abuse, heavy workloads, and a kind of life more in tune with a German concentration camp than with a normal family life. The children never got to be children but slaves to their father who forced them to work over school activities. They were barely allowed to communicate outside the family in facing their father's wrath of terror. Poor Sheila may have been the favorite daughter because she was the oldest but she paid dearly by being her father's mistress as well as the favorite child. She had been unwilling to play the mother and wife role to her own father. Even though they have a child together, Gene never believed he had done anything wrong in raping his own daughter and impregnating her. Unfortunately the New Mexico authorities never caught up with him in time, he fled to the Ozarks. No matter how much he tried to keep his children under his control, it would be more reminiscent of John List who murdered his family in Westfield, New Jersey but at least John never looked them in the eyes. Gene even had his children dig up their own graves prior to the crime spree that not only shocked the town, the state, and perhaps the world before he got caught. Gene purposely and unconsciously murdered his own family because he could not control him and that's a coward. He was afraid of disorder in the family.



5. This was a really good book. I could not find it in any of our local stores after a friend recomended it. I got the book in a very timely fashion and it was in good shape.

No comments about The Loss of the Most Precious Gift: The Life of a Son.

No comments about Killer Kids: Shocking True Stories Of Children Who Murdered Their Parents (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)).